The top reported proficiency rate is 79% in Social studies. The lowest is 54% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Perry Elementary School
Perry Elementary School serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Lima, Ohio, a Rust Belt city in northwest Ohio undergoing downtown revitalization. The school is part of Perry Local, a small district covering Lima with about that enrollment across two buildings, drawing a student body substantially economically disadvantaged.
In math, the most recent state testing shows roughly three out of five students reached proficiency. English language arts came in lower, with about half the students proficient. Science proficiency was comparable to math. These results place the school below the midpoint among Allen County districts on overall proficiency across tested subjects. Testing data from earlier years shows wider variation by grade and subject, though social studies results in specific grades were notably higher. Only one year of current data is available; year-to-year trend information was not available, so a reader cannot yet assess whether results are moving.
The student body is about evenly white and Black, with a small multiracial population, a handful of Hispanic students, and one Asian student. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic character of Lima's residential neighborhoods around the school. Special education and English learner enrollment counts were not reported in the data.
Perry Elementary has about that many students overall, distributed across its seven grades with relatively steady enrollment in each. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. District-wide, the small enrollment means limited redundancy in staff and program offerings compared to larger districts. One parent-relevant factor to know: in November 2023, Perry Local voters rejected a school operating levy, leaving a funding gap that may shape the district's future capacity to sustain current programs and staffing. Parents considering the area should ask the district directly about the operational implications and any plans to address revenue.
Lima itself is a former industrial center with aging housing and commercial sprawl split between a compact historic downtown undergoing reinvestment and outlying retail corridors. Recent development includes downtown loft conversions, restaurant openings, and several housing initiatives aimed at filling a acknowledged shortage of units across price ranges. The city has made pedestrian and transit improvements, though walkability remains limited outside the downtown core. Median home values in the area are below the state average and affordable relative to national benchmarks, which may appeal to families seeking lower-cost entry into homeownership.
For a family looking at Perry Elementary, the picture is of a small school in a district weathering a referendum defeat, serving a neighborhood and student population substantially economically disadvantaged, with moderate state test results and no recent trend data to indicate direction of change. The strengths are the school's place in a small, stable community and modest local housing costs. Parents may want to speak directly with the school and district about current staffing, program continuity in light of the failed levy, and longer-term outlook.
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