The top reported proficiency rate is 81% in Social studies. The lowest is 66% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Maude Marshall Elementary School
Maude Marshall Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Oxford, a college town centered on Miami University in Butler County, Ohio. The school enrolls a small to mid-sized cohort, drawn largely from the surrounding residential neighborhoods, with a relatively modest economic diversity: about a fifth of students receive free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominately white, with very few students from other racial or ethnic backgrounds.
In academic terms, the school shows solid performance across the core subjects tested at the elementary level. In reading and language arts, just over three-quarters of students in grades three through five met state proficiency standards. Math proficiency was somewhat lower, with about seven in ten students meeting the mark. Science proficiency was the softest of the three core areas, with roughly two-thirds of students reaching proficiency. All students were tested in reading and math, indicating full participation in the state assessment system. Science testing involved a smaller subset of the grade span, which is typical at the elementary level where science instruction and assessment often concentrate in particular grades. These scores place the school above the midpoint for overall proficiency when compared to other elementary schools across Butler County districts.
The school's position within the Talawanda City School District carries some financial context that affects families. In 2022, district voters rejected an operating levy, prompting the board to implement cost-saving measures including reduced busing and the reintroduction of pay-to-participate fees for athletics. However, a subsequent property reappraisal increased the assessed valuation in the district, which generated additional tax revenue that allowed the board to rescind the planned second and third years of cuts. This means families faced some period of reduced services and new fees but have since seen program stability restored, an important consideration for anyone evaluating the district's trajectory.
Oxford itself is undergoing gradual housing development. Several new residential communities are in planning or construction phases, including single-family subdivisions and affordable-housing initiatives. The housing market in the mile-square historic core remains tight, and the city has temporarily restricted short-term rentals and is undertaking a comprehensive zoning overhaul. Home values are moderately priced relative to the national benchmark, and rents represent a reasonable share of local income. The town's walkability, centered on an Uptown commercial district adjacent to the university, and its access to public transit through Butler County RTA bus routes, provide families with car-optional daily routines for errands and entertainment, though much of the development happening now lies on the edges of town rather than within the original grid.
Parents considering Maude Marshall should note that the school's test results are not available for prior years, so trend data showing whether performance has been stable, rising, or falling is not available in the data provided. The elementary grades are not the site of standardized testing in every subject every year in Ohio, which is why science results come from only a subset of tested students and why social studies results on file are several years old. For any parent weighing a move to Oxford or choosing within Talawanda schools, a conversation with school staff about the specific instructional approaches, class sizes, and building culture would round out the picture that test scores and enrollment numbers alone cannot provide.
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