The top reported proficiency rate is 55% in Social studies. The lowest is 11% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Blairwood Elementary School
Blairwood Elementary is a small PreK through sixth-grade school in Jefferson Township Local Schools, serving a neighborhood in Dayton's south side. With an enrollment of roughly a hundred and forty students, it is one of the district's smaller buildings and serves a student body that is predominantly Black, with Hispanic, White, and mixed-race enrollment present in smaller shares. The school's free or reduced-price lunch count and special education enrollment are not publicly available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the makeup of its student-support services.
State test results show that Blairwood is underperforming significantly across core subjects. In the most recent year, math proficiency across grades three through eight was below a quarter of students. English language arts proficiency was slightly higher but still well below half. Science proficiency was in the low double digits, with a smaller tested cohort. In social studies, older data (from 2017) showed stronger results in fourth grade but much weaker performance in sixth grade. Taken together, these results place the school well below the midpoint of proficiency compared to other tested schools in Montgomery County.
The Dayton area is a mid-sized Ohio city with a strong downtown revitalization effort, walkable historic neighborhoods like the Oregon District and South Park, and a regional economy anchored by Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and major healthcare systems. However, the school itself sits within a district facing acute fiscal strain. Jefferson Township Local Schools has not passed a new operating levy since well before this decade. Voters rejected income tax measures in May 2025, November 2025, and May 2026. The district is publicly projected to exhaust reserves by the end of the 2028-2029 school year and faces potential state intervention.
In response to these levy failures, the district has cut deep. After the May 2026 vote, it eliminated eight positions including both principal roles district-wide, on top of seven positions cut in 2025. The district is also eliminating high school busing and reducing transportation for elementary and middle students living beyond the state-required minimum walking distance. These changes reflect a stripped operational budget and will affect family convenience and student access to school.
On the positive side, the district has adopted a new strategic plan aimed at improving academic outcomes after receiving the lowest state rating for two consecutive years, and it has opened a new agriculture career-tech center funded by federal COVID-19 grants, expanding vocational pathways for students. Housing in the Dayton zip code is modest in value and remains relatively affordable compared to state and national benchmarks, making it accessible for families seeking affordable entry into homeownership, though rental growth has been modest. A parent considering Blairwood should be aware that the school's test results are weak, the district is in acute financial crisis with real risk of state takeover, and operational stability and staffing are in flux. At the same time, the school is small and embedded in a neighborhood with some residential character, and the district is actively working on a turnaround plan. This is a school that works best for families who understand the current constraints and can provide strong academic support at home or through outside resources.
See more original research from School Decision →