The top reported proficiency rate is 80% in Science. The lowest is 51% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Newton Elementary School
Newton Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Newark, Ohio, as part of North Fork Local School District. The school enrolls a small population that reflects the rural and small-city composition of the surrounding area: the student body is predominantly white, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating mixed economic circumstances within the attendance zone.
On state testing, the school's proficiency results are mixed across subjects. In reading, about three out of five students in grades three through five meet or exceed proficiency. Math performance lags reading by a measurable margin, with about half of tested students proficient. Science is the school's relative strength, with proficiency well above both reading and math. These results place the school above the midpoint for overall proficiency when compared with other district schools in Licking County, a meaningful position given that county districts vary widely in tested performance.
Because this is an early-grades school serving only kindergarten through fifth grade, state testing applies only to grades three through five, and the school has no graduation rate. Social studies assessment data on file date from 2017 and are no longer current. Current-year science testing was administered to a smaller subset of students, which is typical for elementary-grade science assessment protocols. No data on special education enrollment rates, English learner populations, staff size, or attendance patterns were available.
The school is located in Newark, a county seat and mixed-use small city anchored by a revitalized Courthouse Square downtown with tree-lined pedestrian walkways, historic storefronts, and locally owned restaurants. The broader city includes manufacturing corridors and suburban residential neighborhoods. Newark is experiencing population growth and private investment, including new apartment construction, partly spurred by a major semiconductor manufacturing project expected to drive regional employment growth. Housing values in the area are moderate relative to state and national benchmarks, and rents are modestly below mortgage costs, making homeownership and rental both feasible options for working families.
North Fork Local School District, which encompasses parts of both Licking and Knox counties, faced a critical funding moment in May 2025 when voters narrowly approved renewal of an income tax that funds a substantial portion of the district's operating budget. That outcome was close enough that families considering the district may want to track future budget discussions, though the levy's passage through 2029 provides stability for the near term. The district has not undergone major curriculum or pedagogical shifts in recent years based on publicly available information.
Newton Elementary is a regular public school with no charter or magnet designation. For families in the attendance zone seeking an elementary school with slightly stronger performance in science than in literacy or math, moderate student diversity, and a setting within a growing small city, the school offers a straightforward neighborhood option. A parent may want to look into the school's specific classroom structures, special programs, and after-school offerings directly with the building, as those details do not appear in state-level data.
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