George H Gerke Elementary School, Franklin OH

Original Research by School Decision on George H Gerke Elementary School

George H Gerke Elementary School is a public school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Franklin, Ohio, a small city in Warren County along the Great Miami River, midway between Cincinnati and Dayton. The school enrolls a small student population distributed across seven grades, with roughly a quarter of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and more than three-quarters of the enrollment identifying as white.

The school's recent state test results show a mixed picture. In math, third and fourth graders perform above the midpoint for county districts, with fourth-grade proficiency substantially higher than third-grade. Fifth and sixth graders show notably lower proficiency in math; sixth-grade results are particularly soft. Reading and language arts follow a similar trajectory: grades three and four are at or near the midpoint for the county, while grades five and six fall sharply below the county median. In fifth-grade science, proficiency is slightly below the midpoint. Older social studies data from 2016 and 2017, before the state's testing regimen shifted, showed solid results at grades four and six. Overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades sits below the midpoint among Warren County districts.

This profile suggests that the school's younger students (grades 3-4) are tracking closer to county benchmarks, while the school faces steeper academic challenges as students reach fifth and sixth grade. A parent looking at Gerke should factor in this grade progression when evaluating fit, and may want to ask the school about interventions or support structures for upper-elementary students, especially in math.

The school sits in the Franklin City School District, which is navigating significant financial and operational instability. Since 2022, the district has been operating under state fiscal caution; in late 2025 it was declared in fiscal emergency after three operating levies failed in consecutive election cycles. The district has cut roughly a hundred staff positions over five years, including sixteen teachers cut after the November 2025 levy failure. All-day kindergarten was eliminated in 2025 and replaced with half-day sessions. Class sizes have grown to the state-mandated maximum of 25-to-1, busing has been reduced to state minimums, and participation fees for high school programs have increased. These are material changes to the daily experience for a family and signal real strain on the system's stability.

The district has a newer capital footprint: a new Franklin High School opened in March 2024 under a 2020 bond, and the district converted the former high school into a junior high for grades 6-8. In August 2024, the district consolidated five elementary buildings into four and reorganized them by grade level, so each building now hosts specific grades rather than a kindergarten-through-fifth mix. Gerke is now configured to house specific grades under this realignment. Three new elementary schools funded by state money remain in limbo; the state's funding is not expected until 2027 at earliest, further complicating the district's capital and operational planning.

The city of Franklin itself is entering a growth phase after roughly a decade of stagnant housing. In 2024 and early 2026, the Planning Commission approved large new residential subdivisions—the first new major residential development to come before the commission in several years—signaling that the residential base is expanding. The broader economy is anchored by manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare employers along the Interstate 75 corridor, with anchors including Pilot Flying J, Kroger, Ohio's Hospice, and the Franklin Yards Logistics Park rail hub. Warren County is one of Ohio's fastest-growing counties.

Housing affordability in the area is moderate: median home values are below the state benchmark and rent is reasonable relative to incomes, making Franklin accessible to families seeking suburban living near Dayton. The trade-off is the district's ongoing fiscal crisis, which directly affects program breadth, staffing stability, and daily operations. A family moving to Gerke should enter with clear eyes about the district's structural challenges and recent service reductions, balanced against the school's solid performance in grades 3-4 and the community's growth momentum.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 363%

School 63% · district not reported

▲ 1 pts above state median

Grade 484%

School 84% · district not reported

▲ 19 pts above state median

Grade 553%

School 53% · district not reported

▲ 12 pts above state median

Grade 637%

School 37% · district not reported

▲ 15 pts above state median

Grade 7100%

School 100% · district not reported

▲ 82 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 363%

School 63% · district not reported

▲ 5 pts above state median

Grade 465%

School 65% · district not reported

▲ 7 pts above state median

Grade 555%

School 55% · district not reported

▼ 10 pts below state median

Grade 636%

School 36% · district not reported

▼ 5 pts below state median

Grade 7100%

School 100% · district not reported

▲ 57 pts above state median

Science

Grade 547%

School 47% · district not reported

▼ 15 pts below state median

Social studies

Grade 480%

School 80% · district not reported

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 666%

School 66% · district not reported

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

This schoolFranklin City, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income63%Higher-income64%1 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income61%Higher-income83%22 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income49%Higher-income75%26 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income30%Higher-income50%20 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income63%Higher-income64%1 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income81%Higher-income100%19 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income49%Higher-income67%18 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income22%Higher-income73%51 pp gap