Manchester Middle School, Akron OH

Original Research by School Decision on Manchester Middle School

Manchester Middle School serves grades five through eight in Akron's 44319 zip code on Nimisila Road. The school has a small but stable enrollment across its grade band, with a predominantly white student body and roughly a third of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that reflects modest economic pressure in the surrounding area.

On state assessments, Manchester Middle performs solidly. English language arts proficiency runs in the upper portion of reported grades, with reading comprehension and writing skills generally strong across the cohort. Math proficiency comes in somewhat lower but still respectable. Science proficiency is notably the school's strongest showing, significantly outpacing the other two subjects. All three core subjects show full or near-full test participation, indicating the school administers assessments across its population without significant exclusions. Compared to other schools in Summit County that serve similar grades, Manchester's overall proficiency index places it above the county median, a meaningful positioning in a mid-sized county with varied school performances.

One thing to note: state testing data for social studies is from 2016-17 only, as Ohio's state testing structure does not currently assess social studies at these grades. So the school's proficiency record is limited to the three core subjects where current data exists.

The district itself, Manchester Local, passed both its operating levies in May 2025, preserving current funding for several years without requiring a tax increase or triggering service cuts. This stability matters for school operations. Beginning in 2025-26, Manchester High School is piloting a new yearlong life-skills course covering financial literacy, career planning, and critical thinking—a curriculum shift toward practical life preparation that some families prioritize.

Akron as a setting is a mixed city with a strong downtown core, historic neighborhoods, and a shift from its rubber-manufacturing past toward healthcare, polymer research, and technology employment. Housing values in the area have appreciated modestly in recent years. The school is situated in a neighborhood setting rather than a downtown location, consistent with Akron's pattern of dispersed school sites across residential zones.

Manchester Middle is a regular public school with straightforward district governance. The data provided does not include information on special education services, English learner programming, student discipline, attendance rates, or staffing. A parent interested in those details would want to contact the school or district directly.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grades 3-874%

School 74% · District 79% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

English language arts

Grades 3-880%

School 80% · District 84% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Science

Grades 3-887%

School 87% · District 88% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 673%

School 73% · district not reported

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

This schoolManchester Local, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 5Lower-income93%Higher-income97%4 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income55%Higher-income83%28 pp gap