The top reported proficiency rate is 83% in Science. The lowest is 70% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Big Walnut Middle School
Big Walnut Middle School serves seventh and eighth grade students in Sunbury, a small but rapidly expanding community on the northeastern edge of the Columbus metro. The school is part of Big Walnut Local, a district that has grown substantially as Sunbury's population has nearly doubled over recent years and as the region absorbs spillover from major regional development, including an Amazon Web Services data center and proximity to Intel's semiconductor manufacturing project. The district recently opened a new high school and elementary school to manage enrollment, and adjusted elementary boundaries for the 2025-26 school year to balance growth across buildings.
Academically, Big Walnut Middle School's proficiency results are solid across the board. In English language arts, most students met or exceeded proficiency, placing the school in the top tier when compared to other districts in Delaware County. Science proficiency was similarly strong. Mathematics lagged slightly behind both English language arts and science, though still at a respectable level. The school's participation rates in state testing were very high across all three subjects, indicating strong engagement with the assessment process. Testing appears to reflect the school's entire enrollment, and the school reports only one year of data at present, so no trend information is available.
The school's enrollment is moderate in size for a middle school, drawn from Sunbury and the neighboring community of Galena. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller populations of multiracial students and Hispanic students. A modest share of the enrollment qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which suggests a relatively stable, moderate-income community. Data on students with individualized education plans and English learners were not available.
Sunbury itself is a bedroom community with a historic downtown anchored by a traditional town square, though civic life has spread outward as new residential subdivisions and apartment communities have taken shape. The town hosts regular farmers markets and summer events, and residents have access to a newly expanded community library. Median home values in the area are moderately above state benchmarks, and rental costs are moderate relative to regional income, making the area accessible but not inexpensive. A parent considering the district should know that the 2023 Delaware County property reappraisal raised assessed values significantly, which has strengthened the school funding base but also increased tax bills. In November 2025, district voters approved a bond levy to expand the Community Library, adding another property-tax obligation.
Big Walnut Middle School fits a family seeking a mid-sized middle school with strong proficiency in most subjects, located in a growing community with modern school facilities, reasonable housing access, and civic infrastructure being actively built out. The school's mathematics results may warrant conversation with the school about specific supports or instructional approaches if math has been a priority in a student's past learning.
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