The top reported proficiency rate is 60% in Social studies. The lowest is 35% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Pleasant Run Middle School
Pleasant Run Middle School serves grades six through eight in the Northwest Local district, which covers communities northwest of Cincinnati. The school enrolls a diverse student body in which Black students make up the largest racial group, followed by white students, with meaningful shares of multiracial, Hispanic, and Asian students. Free-or-reduced-price lunch counts were not available in the data provided.
On state assessments in mathematics, English language arts, and science, the school's proficiency rates fall below the county median across all three subjects. In English language arts, a modest share of students scored at proficient or advanced levels. Mathematics proficiency was lower still. Science results, reported on a smaller tested cohort, showed similar challenges. These results place Pleasant Run below the midpoint among Hamilton County's districts on overall proficiency. Testing participation rates were high across all subjects, indicating stable assessment coverage. Social studies data was last reported several years ago and is not current. The school has reported only one year of recent assessment data, so trend direction is not yet established.
Enrollment at Pleasant Run is stable, spread evenly across the three middle grades. The school sits in a zip code where home values are moderate and rental costs are moderate relative to the region, though rental growth has outpaced home-price growth in the past year. The broader Hamilton County housing market shows increased supply and slightly softer demand compared to a year prior, with homes staying on market moderately longer than in prior years.
Northwest Local, the parent district, has faced significant challenges in recent years. Voters rejected a bond issue twice—in 2022 and 2023—that would have built two new middle schools and replaced aging elementary facilities. That failed measure reflects community tax resistance that parents should be aware of. However, in October 2025, the district broke ground on a new Colerain Elementary using state co-funding and prior credits rather than a tax increase, signaling that building improvements are proceeding in at least one case without new levy pressure. The district operates on two emergency operating levies that together fund a substantial share of the annual budget, both nearing expiration in 2027 and 2029 respectively. Board communications from late 2024 indicated that critical decisions about a new operating levy or service reductions would be required by spring 2025, meaning families should expect levy activity or possible program changes in the near term.
A parent evaluating Pleasant Run should look into current proficiency trends and specific support structures the school offers in mathematics, where performance is weakest, and also discuss the district's near-term budget outlook directly with school staff to understand any changes that may be coming.
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