The top reported proficiency rate is 97% in Science. The lowest is 95% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Orchard Middle School
Orchard Middle School is a regular public school serving grades five and six in Solon, Ohio, an affluent suburb southeast of Cleveland with a diversified economic base of manufacturing, corporate headquarters, and retail. The school sits within the Solon City School District, which in May 2026 passed a new operating levy for the first time in years—a move the district framed as essential given its heavy dependence on local property tax revenue and minimal state and federal per-pupil funding. That context shapes the school and the families it serves: Solon is deliberate about land use, maintaining industrial and commercial zones separate from residential areas, and the result is a stable, investment-minded community where school funding and academic performance matter visibly in property decisions.
Academically, Orchard's performance is notably strong. In the most recent state testing, proficiency rates across the school's tested subjects rank in the top quartile among Cuyahoga County districts. Across grades five and six combined, roughly nineteen in twenty students tested as proficient or above in English language arts, roughly twenty-three in twenty-four in math, and nearly all in science. Participation in state testing is effectively universal. These numbers reflect a school where the baseline academic expectation is high and widely met. The school enrolls roughly equal numbers of fifth and sixth graders, with a student body that is racially and ethnically mixed, anchored by a white plurality and substantial populations of Asian and Black students, with a smaller share of Hispanic students. Roughly one in six students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate well below state averages and reflective of Solon's overall affluence.
Orchard is sized appropriately for a building that serves two grade levels in a suburban district: a mid-sized school where neither crowding nor underutilization is apparent. The school draws from a community where median home values are in the mid-range for the region and where rental costs are moderate by suburban standards. Solon itself is experiencing active redevelopment, particularly along Aurora Road where a mixed-use project called The District is under way, and new residential subdivisions are coming online. This suggests that the school's enrollment may shift modestly in coming years as the town evolves.
The data provided does not include information about course offerings, instructional approach, extracurricular programs, school discipline, attendance patterns, special-education services, English learner support, or staffing. These are areas a parent would want to explore directly with the school. The district brief notes that Solon schools operate with limited state and federal support and rely heavily on local levy revenue, a structural reality that families relocating to the area should understand as a permanent feature of the district's finances.
See more original research from School Decision →