The top reported proficiency rate is 100% in Math. The lowest is 98% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Wells Academy
Wells Academy serves prekindergarten through fourth grade in Steubenville, a small Ohio River city with deep industrial roots and a slowly declining population. The school sits in a dense urban neighborhood where the median home value is modest and rents are affordable relative to regional standards.
The school's academic profile is notably strong. In the most recent state testing window, students achieved near-perfect proficiency in English language arts, with nearly all tested students meeting or exceeding the state standard. Math proficiency was also well above the midpoint, placing Wells in the top quartile among all districts across Jefferson County. Participation in state assessments was complete. The school's overall proficiency index positions it at the top quartile relative to other county districts, a meaningful distinction given that most peers in the comparison group sit well below that level. Because Wells serves only early grades, it does not report graduation rates or secondary career pathways; state testing data for social studies is not current, with the most recent available result from eight years ago.
The student body is diverse. A majority of students identify as white, with substantial representation of students identifying as Black or as multiracial. Asian and Hispanic students make up smaller shares. The school's enrollment is small to moderate for a K-4 building, distributed fairly evenly across grades. Free-and-reduced-price lunch eligibility data are not available; the school does not publicly report special education or English learner populations either, gaps that a parent may want to clarify directly with the building.
Steubenville City Schools has undergone visible curriculum expansion in recent years. The district opened a new Pugliese STEM Academy as a three-story addition to the high school, adding nearly a dozen career-technical and college-credit STEM pathways including aerospace engineering, health informatics, biomedical science, and clean energy. More broadly, all six schools in the district, including Wells, earned Project Lead the Way Distinguished School status as part of a K-12 rollout of STEM curriculum starting at the elementary level. This means Wells students engage hands-on STEM learning aligned with a coherent pathway that continues into middle and high school rather than existing in isolation. For families considering the district, this signals intentional investment in science and engineering exposure from the earliest grades.
The city itself is characterized by adaptive reuse and small commercial growth rather than large new development. Downtown 4th Street, a short walk from Wells, has attracted new independent businesses and street festivals. Population has declined steadily over decades, but the housing stock is affordable and the urban setting walkable. Major employers include a hospital system, a regional Catholic university, and a community college. The school's location in a working-class neighborhood with a long civic history offers a stable, accessible community setting for families who value that context.
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