The top reported proficiency rate is 38% in English language arts. The lowest is 32% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Madison Park Elementary
Madison Park Elementary is a small public school serving grades two and three in Trotwood, a mixed-use suburban city about ten miles northwest of Dayton. The school enrolls students from a predominantly Black community; most of the student body identifies as Black, with smaller shares identifying as white or multiracial. Specific counts for free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and students with IEPs or English learner status were not available.
The school's most recent state test results show proficiency below the midpoint for its county. In English language arts, roughly one-third to two-fifths of tested students met proficiency standards, while in mathematics, roughly one-quarter of tested students reached proficiency. Both participation rates were complete, so the results reflect the school's student population. These are soft spots that a parent may want to explore directly with the school to understand how the building is responding and what supports are in place.
One significant context is that the Trotwood-Madison City Schools district recently adopted a Structured Literacy and Science of Reading framework across all K-5 classrooms. This shift, implemented with Reading Horizons and McGraw Hill materials and backed by teacher training in Lexia LETRS, means Madison Park's second and third graders are receiving explicit, systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and vocabulary. This is a district-level pedagogy change that affects every early-elementary student's reading instruction.
Housing in the Trotwood area is modestly priced relative to state and national benchmarks, and rents are low. A family's monthly mortgage estimate in the local zip code runs below the national median, and monthly rent remains well below mortgage costs, making the area more affordable for renters and first-time homebuyers than surrounding regions. The city itself is in an active redevelopment phase, with major projects underway at the former Salem Mall site and a nearby shopping center, new apartment construction, and subdivisions adding single-family homes. Whether these changes will stabilize or grow the neighborhood is an open question for families considering the area.
The district faces a fiscal headwind. It began deficit spending in fiscal year 2024 and is weighing a ballot measure to ask voters for a new operating levy, citing underfunding under the state's Fair School Funding Plan. If the levy fails, the district would likely impose budget cuts; if it passes, property taxes would rise. Either path carries real consequences for programs and household costs, making this a moment of uncertainty for families in the district.
Madison Park is a focused elementary school with no alternative program model or specialized theme. Its peer environment is defined by the neighborhood and grade band rather than choice or program differentiation. For a parent or resident evaluating this school, the baseline question is whether the current instructional shift and classroom culture align with what your child needs, alongside the reasonable concern about whether the district's financial situation will hold steady or shift the school's resources in coming years.
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