The top reported proficiency rate is 26% in Science. The lowest is 13% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Schaefer Middle School
Schaefer Middle School serves seventh and eighth graders in Springfield, a mid-sized Ohio city that has cycled through significant economic change. The school sits in the Springfield City School District, which operates across several dispersed campuses rather than a concentrated downtown footprint.
The school's student body numbers around two hundred sixty students, split nearly evenly between seventh and eighth grade. Racially and ethnically, the enrollment is majority white, with a substantial share of Black students and smaller shares of Hispanic and multiracial students. Free-and-reduced-price lunch eligibility data and special education and English learner counts are not publicly available for the school, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about the share of students receiving meal support or receiving services for disabilities or language development.
Academic performance on Ohio's state tests sits well below typical. In math, proficiency reached a low level; in English language arts, it was higher but still below half of even the lowest benchmarks in the county. Science proficiency was the strongest of the three subjects, though it remained low by state comparison. Participation rates were strong across all three assessments, indicating students took the tests. Only one year of data is available, so trend information is not yet possible. When placed against the other districts in Clark County, Schaefer's overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile, meaning the school's combined test results rank below most of its county peers.
The housing market around Springfield is affordable relative to state and national baselines. Home values in the school's zip code are moderate, and rents are accessible; the ratio of housing cost to income is low compared to national norms. This affordability may draw families seeking lower housing burdens, though it also reflects the city's economic trajectory. The district secured voter approval in 2022 for a continuing permanent improvement levy that generates revenue for ongoing building and athletic facility maintenance without raising resident taxes beyond what was already in place. A separate older bond levy, which faced a protracted legal dispute, was upheld by the Ohio Supreme Court in 2025 and will continue through the coming years, providing dedicated funds for facilities, technology, security, and buses.
Springfield itself is experiencing selective revitalization. The downtown has seen new construction including medical facilities, breweries, and residential townhomes in recent years, along with a downtown parking garage and lit walking paths. Parks and trails, including the Buck Creek Trail and connections to longer regional path systems, serve residents. A new microtransit system replaced fixed-route buses in 2024. The city's population declined sharply from its manufacturing peak but has stabilized, and housing has recently ranked high on national lists of emerging markets. The broader economy is anchored by healthcare, insurance, manufacturing, and public-sector employment, with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Honda drawing workers from the surrounding region. That said, the city lost its major retail anchor when the Upper Valley Mall closed in 2021, a setback to the local commercial landscape.
For families considering Schaefer, the takeaway centers on academic performance and support. The proficiency results are substantially below state and county norms, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school: what interventions or support systems are in place, whether the school has identified specific needs, and what the trajectory looks like beyond this one year of data. The school's demographic composition and small to mid-sized enrollment are straightforward characteristics that fit some families' preferences. The affordability of housing in the catchment area and the stability of school funding through recent levies are material factors for long-term planning.
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