The top reported proficiency rate is 90% in Social studies. The lowest is 70% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Maplewood Elementary School
Maplewood Elementary School is a regular public elementary school in Lima, Ohio serving grades three and four. The school is part of Shawnee Local, a district that recently achieved financial stability after closing a substantial annual budget gap and moving to projected balanced budgets, supported by voters' approval of a renewal property tax levy in late 2025 that maintains current funding without an increase. This fiscal shift matters for families evaluating the long-term stability of school operations and programs.
Maplewood is one of the newer buildings in the Shawnee system, a positive factor for facility condition. The school enrolls a modest student population with balanced grade enrollment across third and fourth grades. About forty percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic composition of the school's catchment area within Lima. The student body is predominantly white, with small populations of students of color including Asian, Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students. Demographic information on students with individualized education plans and English learners was not available.
In recent state testing, Maplewood students performed solidly in mathematics, with three-quarters reaching proficiency or above. English language arts proficiency sat at about seventy percent, a meaningful difference that suggests reading and writing may be an instructional focus worth discussing with the school. Both proficiency rates represent near-complete student participation in testing. A social studies snapshot from an earlier year showed stronger performance in that subject. The school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among districts in Allen County when measured across tested subjects and grades.
Lima itself is experiencing visible revitalization. The city's downtown is undergoing streetscape improvements and new mixed-use development aimed at attracting residents and businesses, with construction on pedestrian infrastructure, bike lanes, and reverse-angle parking set to begin soon. The broader housing market in the area is more affordable than state and national benchmarks, though housing values have grown modestly year-over-year. Most retail, restaurants, and the shopping district sit several miles northwest of downtown along Elida and Cable Roads, a geographic separation that shapes daily life in Lima. The city's economy is anchored by two hospital systems, major manufacturing plants including a Ford engine facility and a defense contractor, and ongoing industrial presence.
The district has engaged in multi-year facilities planning with the state construction commission, and the middle school in the system dates to several decades ago and lacks a sprinkler system, suggesting potential future building decisions or bond measures that families may encounter. Maplewood's more recent construction avoids those concerns at this school level.
For a family seeking a small-to-mid-sized elementary school with stable district finances, solid math performance, and a community in active downtown and housing reinvestment, Maplewood fits that profile. The reading proficiency gap and the limits of available demographic data on special populations are items worth exploring directly with the school.
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