Alton Darby Elementary School, Hilliard OH

Original Research by School Decision on Alton Darby Elementary School

Alton Darby Elementary School is a public elementary school in Hilliard, Ohio, serving kindergarten through second grade. The school operates as part of Hilliard City Schools, a district that recently secured its first successful levy in several years when voters approved Issue 39 in November 2024, a combined operating levy and bond measure that will fund significant campus improvements. For families considering a move to the area, this tax increase represents a lasting addition to property bills.

The school's immediate student body is about mid-sized for its grade configuration, with a student population distributed fairly evenly across the three grades served. The enrollment includes a diversity of backgrounds: roughly two-thirds of students are white, with Asian students representing about one in twenty, Black students about one in seven, and Hispanic students about one in twelve. About a quarter of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that tracks reasonably close to the broader Columbus metro region.

State assessment data available for Alton Darby comes from the 2020-21 school year and covers third through sixth graders, the higher end of the school's grade span where state testing occurs. In math, students in grades three and four showed proficiency rates in the mid-to-upper range, while fifth-grade math proficiency dropped somewhat. In English language arts, grade three and five performed above the midpoint while fourth grade fell noticeably below. Fifth-grade science proficiency was measured in the mid-range. The data set is limited enough that interpreting a single year's results as predictive would be premature. When proficiency results across subjects and grades are averaged, the school measures below the midpoint among the county's elementary schools, a position a parent may want to look into further with the school directly, particularly by asking about instructional changes since 2021 and current performance trends.

Hilliard itself is a rapidly growing Columbus suburb undergoing substantial redevelopment. The city center, Old Hilliard, retains a walkable historic core with brick downtown storefronts, parks, and the Heritage Rail Trail. Beyond that core, the city is predominantly auto-oriented; the district's facilities spread across a footprint that extends well beyond Hilliard's city limits into surrounding townships and parts of Columbus and Dublin. Housing values in the area are moderate relative to the national benchmark and have appreciated at a modest rate. Families should be aware that the district has committed to student redistricting beginning in 2025 to address growth-driven boundary imbalances; while most families historically stay in their current feeder patterns, some households may see their school assignments change. Additionally, Phase 1 of the facilities master plan will replace three elementary buildings including Brown and Beacon, and convert Brown into a sixth-grade center, reshaping which elementary building many families attend. The district's community plan has sparked local debate around higher-density housing zoning, a backdrop to the area's growth trajectory that may shape future residential development near the school.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 365%

School 65% · district not reported

▲ 3 pts above state median

Grade 467%

School 67% · district not reported

▲ 3 pts above state median

Grade 565%

School 65% · district not reported

▲ 24 pts above state median

Grade 60%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 353%

School 53% · district not reported

▼ 5 pts below state median

Grade 448%

School 48% · district not reported

▼ 10 pts below state median

Grade 572%

School 72% · district not reported

▲ 8 pts above state median

Grade 60%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 41 pts below state median

Science

Grade 556%

School 56% · district not reported

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 479%

School 79% · district not reported

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

This schoolHilliard City, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income21%Higher-income58%37 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income30%Higher-income53%23 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income58%Higher-income75%16 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income15%Higher-income72%57 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income45%Higher-income74%29 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income25%Higher-income71%46 pp gap