West Elementary School, New Philadelphia OH

Original Research by School Decision on West Elementary School

West Elementary School is a fourth-grade-only school in New Philadelphia, Ohio, serving students from a small city in Tuscarawas County that mixes downtown walkability with highway-oriented retail and residential neighborhoods. The school enrolled a small number of students, about two-thirds of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a community with modest household incomes. The student body is predominantly white, with a meaningful Hispanic presence and small numbers of students from other backgrounds.

In math, West Elementary's most recent proficiency rate is strong and substantially above the midpoint among districts in Tuscarawas County. Nearly all students tested participated in the state assessment, and the school's average scale score in math reflects solid performance. The picture in English language arts is different: proficiency is closer to the lower end of county performance. The gap between math and ELA proficiency is meaningful and a parent may want to explore with the school what instructional priorities and support systems are in place for reading and writing.

Science and social studies testing data are older and do not reflect current performance; the most recent results available are from several years back. Because West Elementary serves only fourth grade, it does not administer assessments in other grade bands. No data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, special education enrollment, or English learner populations was available.

New Philadelphia City School District has faced a sustained funding challenge that directly affects the condition of the buildings where West Elementary operates. Voters have rejected multiple bond and tax-levy proposals designed to fund new school construction, most recently turning down a combined effort in May 2026 that would have brought state matching funds. The state support offer expires at the end of 2026, leaving the district's facility question unresolved. Parents considering enrollment should understand that the buildings are aging and that the district's ability to invest in new infrastructure or substantial renovations depends on future voter approval of additional local funding.

The broader housing market in New Philadelphia is relatively affordable compared to state and national benchmarks, and home values have been appreciating modestly. The local economy is anchored by manufacturers including automotive and heavy-truck suppliers, alongside Kent State University at Tuscarawas and regional healthcare. Downtown has locally owned shops and a walkable core, though commercial life outside downtown clusters along highway corridors and requires a car. The city's population has remained roughly stable, and civic life centers on the downtown square with Tuscora Park as the signature park and the Tuscarawas County Public Library downtown.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grades 3-880%

School 80% · District 66% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

English language arts

Grades 3-863%

School 63% · District 66% · ▼ 3 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Science

Grade 554%

School 54% · district not reported

▼ 8 pts below state median

Social studies

Grade 460%

School 60% · district not reported

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

This schoolNew Philadelphia 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-income74%Higher-income77%3 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income44%Higher-income78%34 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income44%Higher-income69%26 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income64%Higher-income83%19 pp gap