The top reported proficiency rate is 87% in English language arts. The lowest is 76% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Hastings Middle School
Hastings Middle School is a regular sixth-through-eighth-grade school in Upper Arlington, a highly educated and affluent suburb northwest of Columbus. The school sits within a district that has recently completed a major facilities overhaul, placing students in modern, recently built spaces.
The school's most recent state assessment results show strong proficiency. In English language arts, a large share of students tested met or exceeded the proficiency threshold. In mathematics, performance was also solid. Science proficiency, measured on a narrower sample, was similarly strong. These results position Hastings well relative to other middle schools in Franklin County, placing it in the top quartile on overall proficiency across tested subjects. Participation rates in state testing were high across all three assessed subjects, indicating broad engagement with the assessment process.
The student body is predominantly white and from high-income households. A small share of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the neighborhood's economic profile. The school serves a balanced enrollment across its three grades. Data on students with individualized education plans and English learners were not available.
Upper Arlington as a place is primarily residential, highly educated, and preservationist in character. Housing values are among the highest in Ohio. The city has been in the midst of significant commercial-corridor redevelopment over the past several years, adding multifamily housing options along Lane Avenue and at Kingsdale for the first time in decades, though single-family homes remain the dominant housing type. Population is roughly stable. Families here typically commute to jobs elsewhere in metro Columbus, particularly The Ohio State University and its medical center, which border the city. Parks, the public library system, and a recently completed community center serve as civic anchors. Public transit consists of a limited number of bus routes.
The district itself has made major structural investments since 2021. The first phase of a facilities master plan brought six buildings—a new high school, four new or rebuilt elementary schools, and renovations to a sixth—online or substantially complete by 2021. For families with children now, this means attendance at recently constructed facilities with modern learning environments. Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, the high school added tuition-free college-credit and career pathways including a UC Information Technology Microschool and a Teaching Professions Pathway, creating structured post-secondary access at the secondary level. In November 2022, district voters approved a continuous operating levy that added ongoing property tax costs, a permanent factor in the cost of residence here that any prospective family should factor into housing decisions.
Hastings sits within a high-performing, well-resourced school system in an affluent community, with recent physical and programmatic investments that extend into secondary education. For families seeking a stable, academically strong middle school in an established suburban setting, the school aligns with that profile.
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