The top reported proficiency rate is 80% in Science. The lowest is 72% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Donnelsville Elementary School
Donnelsville Elementary School serves grades two through five in a small, historic village in rural western Clark County that sits within the Springfield, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area. The school occupies the village center on East Main Street, making it a civic anchor for the community, though most of the Tecumseh Local district's other schools (middle school, high school, and additional elementaries) are clustered several miles away near New Carlisle.
The enrollment is small, with roughly equal numbers across the grade band, and the population served is substantially working-class: about three-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Demographically, the school is predominantly white with a growing Hispanic enrollment; the remaining students identify as multiracial or other races, and the school serves nearly no students of Asian, Black, or Native American descent. Data on English learners and students in special education were not available.
The school's recent state assessment results show solid fundamentals. In math, students in grades three through five achieved proficiency at a rate above the midpoint among all tested students in Clark County's districts. In reading and language arts, proficiency stood at a similar level, and in science, proficiency was notably higher. Testing participation was complete across all subjects. These results position Donnelsville Elementary in the top quartile of Clark County districts on overall proficiency. Only one year of state testing data was available, so no trend information exists to show whether performance is rising, stable, or declining.
The school enters a period of staffing tightness. The Tecumseh Local district, after voters rejected a substitute operating levy in November 2024 and faced the end of federal pandemic relief funding, adopted budget cuts for 2025-26 that include the loss of one classroom teacher at Donnelsville Elementary. Class sizes will rise as a result. The district also cut a guidance counselor, a middle-school PE teacher, nurses, Title 1 positions, and professional development across the system. These reductions are material and direct for elementary families.
On the positive side, the district's permanent improvement levy passed in November 2024, which means facility funding for buses, textbooks, furniture, and roof repairs is secured through 2030. In May 2025, voters approved a five-year renewal of the district's main operating levy, which stabilizes day-to-day funding for that same span, though at existing tax rates and with ongoing reductions in staff.
The village itself is very small and flat to slightly declining in population. Its defining civic work is infrastructure: the EPA declared the local aquifer a Superfund site due to contamination, and the village is in the middle of a multi-year, multi-million-dollar project to connect residents to a public water system. This reflects the infrastructure challenges common to rural Ohio communities rather than growth or new development. Donnelsville retains an unusually large stock of pre-World War II architecture and a quiet, residential character. Street life is minimal. Most residents commute to employment elsewhere, and there is no municipal library branch or fixed-route transit within the village; Springfield, Ohio is the nearest city with major services.
For families in or moving to Donnelsville, this is a local elementary with solid recent test results, a small and familiar school environment, and real community rootedness. It also faces near-term staffing cuts and serves a population where family economic need is substantial. A parent may want to look into class sizes for their child's grade and the school's plan to manage the upcoming teacher reduction.
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