The top reported proficiency rate is 89% in Social studies. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Genoa Elementary School
Genoa Elementary School is a small K-4 school in Massillon, a historic manufacturing city in western Stark County, about eight miles west of Canton. The school is one of three new elementary facilities that opened in fall 2024 as part of a major district-wide building initiative funded by a voter-approved 2020 bond issue. This is a substantially new building environment for families considering the school.
The enrollment is small, with roughly equal distribution across the five grade levels served. About seven in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of Massillon's residential neighborhoods where the school sits. The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller presence of students identifying as multiracial or Hispanic; the school does not enroll students identifying as Asian or Native American/Alaska Native. Data on the proportion of students receiving special education services and English learners were not available.
In the most recent testing data available, students in grades three through four performed at a moderate level in mathematics, with about seven in ten meeting or exceeding proficiency on Ohio's state tests. English language arts proficiency was lower, with roughly two-thirds of tested students meeting the standard. The school's performance in math sits above its median among Stark County districts, though its overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile countywide. The science and social studies testing data on file are outdated or sparse, so they offer limited insight into current performance. No trend data spanning multiple years is available yet, so growth cannot be assessed.
Massillon itself is a city of modest size with deeply rooted manufacturing heritage and a strong civic identity around football. Downtown is walkable with historic brick streets, the Massillon Museum, a public library, and the Lions Lincoln Theatre; local parks and trails including the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath offer outdoor access. Housing remains affordable relative to state and national benchmarks, with a median home value well below the Ohio average and rents correspondingly modest. Major employers include Shearer's Foods, Fresh Mark, Packaging Corporation of America, and Massillon Health System, anchoring a mixed economy of food processing, light manufacturing, and healthcare.
Genoa Elementary is part of Perry Local, a district facing budgetary constraints. Voters rejected an operating levy in May 2023, and the district has not received new general operating money in more than two decades. Meanwhile, it is in the midst of a multiyear facility overhaul. A combined grades 5-8 middle school is under construction, funded largely by state dollars, and scheduled to open in fall 2028. These structural changes mean the school sits in a period of district-level transition, with fresh buildings but ongoing questions about operating resources.
For families considering Genoa, the appeal centers on a new facility in an affordable community with modest home prices and walkable downtown amenities. The moderate proficiency levels in math and lower performance in English language arts may warrant a direct conversation with the school about instructional support and intervention structures. The lack of recent multi-year trend data means it is too early to say whether the new building environment is driving shifts in student outcomes.
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