The top reported proficiency rate is 92% in Science. The lowest is 89% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Sherwood Elementary School
Sherwood Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through sixth grade in the Forest Hills Local School District, which covers Anderson Township and surrounding areas in Cincinnati's eastern suburbs. The school enrolls a diverse body of students, with a majority white enrollment alongside Hispanic, multiracial, Asian, and Black students. About one in seven students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting a mixed-income population.
Sherwood's academic performance stands out. On Ohio's State Tests, proficiency rates across tested subjects are consistently high: students demonstrated strong results in English language arts and science, with particularly strong performance in science. Math proficiency is solid as well. On a statewide comparison metric of overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades, Sherwood ranks in the top quartile among schools in Hamilton County, putting it among the stronger elementary performers in the region. Science testing was administered to only a subset of students in the tested grade bands, which is typical of state assessment design at elementary levels. Social studies data is older and no longer part of the annual testing program, so that picture is not current.
The school operates in a community anchored by Cincinnati's sprawling suburb and hillside neighborhoods, with established home values and moderate rental costs. The Forest Hills district itself occupies an interesting position: voters approved a combination property tax levy in May 2023 that stabilized the district's finances and funded building improvements like roof replacements and technology upgrades, a concrete investment families may see on campus. The district's high school rebranded its longtime mascot from the Redskins to the Raptors in 2021, a shift that reflected broader national conversations about school identity.
Sherwood's enrollment is substantial for an elementary school of its grade band. The school draws from a family-oriented suburban setting where housing and rental markets have remained relatively stable, though like much of the region, the area has seen modest growth in residential development and new apartment construction in nearby pockets.
The school's strengths lie in consistent, above-average academic performance across multiple subjects. Weaknesses or soft spots are not apparent from the available data. State testing data covers only the grades tested—third through sixth—so results for the school's prekindergarten, kindergarten, first, and second grade classrooms are not measured by state assessments. This is standard practice; those younger grades are not subject to state testing. A parent may want to ask the school directly about early literacy and numeracy instruction in the untested grades, as well as about the school's approaches to enrichment, special services, and any programs or partnerships that complement the core curriculum. Information about attendance, chronic absenteeism, discipline, and staff composition was not available in the data, so a parent might contact the school to learn more about the daily school environment and community culture.
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