The top reported proficiency rate is 97% in Social studies. The lowest is 76% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Park Elementary School
Park Elementary School serves grades one through three in Chardon, a small county-seat community about twenty-five miles east of Cleveland. The school sits on a separate campus outside downtown Chardon, in a district that has made deliberate cost and facility choices that parents moving into the area will encounter.
Academically, Park Elementary demonstrates strong proficiency in the tested subjects and grades it serves. In math, a high share of third graders tested reached proficiency or above, with a near-perfect participation rate. English language arts performance was similarly strong for the same cohort. Trend data is limited because Park serves only early grades; state testing occurs at grade three and above, and most results in the available record come from a single recent testing year. The school also has available science and social studies results from earlier years, though these are several years old. For families considering Park, the current math and reading results provide a solid window into where students stand as they complete third grade.
The school's enrollment is small, typical for an early-primary building in a rural-suburban district. Students come from a predominantly white community, with a modest share qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. No data was available on special education or English learner populations, which is common for elementary schools in Ohio's data reporting.
When placed against the other districts in Geauga County, Park Elementary's overall proficiency index sits in the top quartile, a meaningful position. Graduation rates and chronic absenteeism data do not apply to an early-elementary setting, so the comparison reflects academic testing only.
Chardon itself is experiencing measured growth. New residential subdivisions and townhome projects are under construction at the city's edges, and property reappraisals in recent years have pushed assessed home values upward, even though school-tax rates are adjusted down by state law. Housing costs in the Chardon area are moderate relative to the national benchmark, and the community includes a historic downtown square, parks, and regional trail access. The area serves workers commuting to Cleveland and to local employers including a hospital, county government, manufacturing firms, and advanced-materials makers.
The Chardon Local Schools district has made two changes that directly affect family budgets and facilities. Beginning in fiscal year 2024 and continuing through 2029, the district eliminated pay-to-participate fees for athletics and extracurricular activities, a multi-year commitment to make activities free. The district also opened a new transportation and business center in 2025, moving buses and maintenance off the high school campus to ease drop-off and pick-up traffic. On the other side, voters have twice rejected school-building bonds since 2019, most recently in 2021, so the district continues to operate aging facilities rather than building new structures. The high school, for instance, dates to the 1930s through 1970s, depending on the building section. Families prioritizing modern school buildings or significant capital improvements should ask the district directly about facility timelines and condition.
Park Elementary itself is a straightforward early-primary school with strong recent test results, small enrollment, and a rural-suburban setting. Parents should ask the school about its specific curriculum approaches, how it handles the transition from third grade to fourth grade elsewhere in the district, and what supports exist for students below proficiency, since aggregate proficiency alone does not tell the full story of individual student needs.
See more original research from School Decision →