The top reported proficiency rate is 77% in English language arts. The lowest is 59% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Hillsboro Primary School
Hillsboro Primary School serves second and third grade students in the county seat of Highland County, a rural region east of Cincinnati. The school enrolls a small population, with nearly all students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly white, with very small numbers of students of other racial and ethnic backgrounds. The school sits on U.S. Route 62 on the edge of a small city with an active downtown, manufacturing roots, and a strong civic presence anchored by the county courthouse and county hospital.
The state testing data shows mixed performance. In English language arts, the school's proficiency rate sits in the middle range for the district and below the median among the five districts in Highland County. In math, the proficiency is lower: less than three-fifths of students tested met or exceeded state proficiency levels, placing the school at the bottom quartile of county districts on overall proficiency. The school achieved full student participation in state testing. Reading and language work appears to be a relative strength compared to mathematics, a pattern many families encounter at the early elementary level.
Because the school serves only second and third grade, it does not have a graduation rate, chronic absenteeism data, or special-education and English-learner enrollment counts in the reporting system; those figures fall outside the scope of testing and accountability for early grades. State assessment data available for the school covers only grades 3 and above, so second grade results are absorbed into the combined 2024-25 proficiency figures shown.
The parent district, Hillsboro City Schools, has made two changes parents will notice directly. Starting in the 2024-25 school year, all students across the district receive free breakfast and lunch through the Community Eligibility Provision, a policy that removes one cost burden from every family. For math instruction, the district has approved new curriculum for the middle and high schools beginning in 2026-27, with Connected Math Project for the middle school; this change will not affect second and third graders immediately but signals a district-wide focus on math improvement.
Housing in the Hillsboro area is significantly below the state and national benchmarks. A median home price in the zip code is well below both Ohio and national medians, and a typical mortgage payment is moderate relative to income. Unemployment is steady at levels slightly above the national average, and the area's largest employers include the county hospital, educational institutions, manufacturing, and retail. The city is pursuing downtown revitalization through mixed-use development grants and is adding parks infrastructure, including a planned Rails to Trails project for early 2026.
The school's location on a state route places it on the automotive side of town rather than within the historic downtown. It is part of a small district of about 360 students across two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school, all serving a community with limited growth but steady civic investment.
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