The top reported proficiency rate is 98% in Social studies. The lowest is 69% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Hillsdale Pk-6
Hillsdale PK-6 is a regular public elementary school serving prekindergarten through sixth grade in the Hillsdale Local School District, located on a modern consolidated campus south of US 30 between Jeromesville and Hayesville in rural Ashland County. The school opened in its current facility for the 2023-2024 school year—a significant infrastructure milestone—after the district consolidated three older buildings funded largely by Rover Pipeline tax revenue without requiring a homeowner levy increase.
The school enrolls students from a small, stable rural area. Jeromesville itself is a compact village of fewer than a thousand people with a modest population history, and the surrounding Mohican Township is agrarian. The student body is predominantly white and reflects the rural-agricultural character of the region. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on special education enrollment and English learners was not available. The school draws from a housing market where median home values sit modestly below the state benchmark, with an affordability profile that favors ownership over renting given current mortgage rates and rental costs.
On state testing in 2024-25, Hillsdale PK-6 shows proficiency rates in the solid range. In grades three through eight, students achieved proficiency in English language arts and math in large proportions. Science proficiency was somewhat lower. Overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places the school in the top quartile among Ashland County districts. The school achieved full participation on state assessments. Trend data covering multiple years was not available, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability.
The district has made intentional curriculum decisions parents relocating here would encounter. Starting in 2023-2024, it adopted a science-of-reading literacy approach and introduced a new math curriculum, both aligned with statewide shifts backed by state investment. This represents a district-wide pedagogy change, not something particular to this building, but it shapes how children in this school learn foundational skills.
A significant resource question hangs over the district. In November 2024, voters narrowly passed a permanent improvement renewal levy but rejected an operating levy renewal by a narrow margin. The district placed the operating levy back on the May 2025 ballot; if it fails again, the school would lose substantial public utility tax revenue chiefly from the Rover Pipeline, creating a potential budget shortfall that could affect staffing and program offerings in coming years. Because Hillsdale sits at Ohio's 20-mill floor, homeowners' property taxes do not rise or fall with levy passage, but the outcome materially changes the district's fiscal position. A parent considering this school might want to look into the current status of that levy and what the district has said about contingency plans, since the outcome will shape the school environment over the next several years.
The school is housed in a new building with modern amenities—air conditioning, new instructional and athletic spaces, and outdoor learning trails open to the community. The campus sits outside the village proper, separated from downtown Jeromesville's small commercial core and civic center. There is no public transit in or around Jeromesville; families here rely on personal vehicles for commuting.
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