The top reported proficiency rate is 72% in Science. The lowest is 57% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Pennyroyal Elementary School
Pennyroyal Elementary School serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Franklin, a small city along the Great Miami River in Warren County, Ohio, positioned between Dayton and Cincinnati. The school enrolls a mixed-income and mixed-composition student body: a substantial majority of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, the student population is predominantly white with a meaningful share identifying as two or more races, and smaller numbers of Black, Hispanic, and Asian students. The school sits in a district undergoing profound structural strain.
The academic picture is mixed. On Ohio's State Tests, Pennyroyal's proficiency rates range from the mid-40s to the high-60s depending on subject and grade, with science testing notably stronger than reading and math. In math, third and fourth grades test above the halfway mark, but fifth grade dips back toward it and sixth grade falls below it. English language arts shows a similar pattern: third grade slightly above, fourth grade below 50 percent, fifth grade stronger, and sixth grade around 60 percent proficient. Science proficiency in fifth grade—the only science grade tested—runs higher. Comparing across tested grades and subjects, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among Warren County districts, a positioning that reflects authentic academic need rather than a school failing to function. The district has provided these test results with 100 percent student participation, meaning the numbers represent the actual cohort.
The context matters greatly here. Franklin City Schools is in fiscal emergency after repeated levy failures in 2024 and 2025. Over roughly five years the district has cut approximately one hundred positions, including sixteen teachers cut after the most recent failed levy in November 2025. Class sizes have grown from 20-to-1 to the state-mandated ceiling of 25-to-1. Bus service has been cut to state minimums. All-day kindergarten was eliminated in 2025 and replaced with half-day sessions. High school pay-to-participate fees jumped substantially. In August 2024, the district restructured elementary buildings from traditional K-5 neighborhood schools into grade-level configurations, so each building now houses specific grades; Pennyroyal's current grade assignment was not specified in available data, but parents may want to confirm this with the school directly, as it determines which building their child attends and whether siblings are housed together.
The district opened a new high school in March 2024, funded by a bond approved in 2020, and converted the old high school into a 6-8 junior high. Three new elementary schools (Gerke, Schenck, and Hunter) were planned as part of the bond package, but state funding for those buildings is delayed until at least 2027. The 2020 bond carries a long-term tax obligation that residents will carry. A substitute operating levy passed in May 2023 on the second attempt after an earlier rejection.
Pennyroyal's enrollment is small, around three hundred students across seven grades. The school draws from Franklin's neighborhoods, which are experiencing growth for the first time in roughly two decades: the city approved its first new housing development in years in 2024 (Shaker Farms) and an expansion of a stalled subdivision was proposed in early 2026. Housing costs are moderate and rents are below the state and national benchmarks, making the area accessible to working families.
For families considering this school, the calculus is complex. Pennyroyal has functional academic programming and serves a working-class community directly. Test proficiency rates are real and fall below county averages, signaling students will need support to reach grade-level benchmarks. The district's fiscal emergency is a material risk: staffing cuts reduce per-pupil resources, and the outlook for program stability and expansion over the next few years is uncertain. The grade-level building realignment changes the daily logistics of school attendance and is worth understanding in detail with the school office. The loss of all-day kindergarten and other service reductions may affect family schedule and cost. If your child needs intensive academic support or specialized services, asking directly about current staffing for intervention programs and special education is important. If your family values stability and abundant enrichment, the current district context presents challenges. If you are looking for a community school that serves your immediate neighborhood at moderate housing cost, and you are prepared to supplement classroom instruction through home engagement or tutoring as needed, this is a real option.
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