The top reported proficiency rate is 70% in Science. The lowest is 47% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on North Union Middle School
North Union Middle School sits on the northern edge of Richwood, a small rural village in Union County, Ohio. The school serves grades six through eight in a regular public setting with an enrollment of around mid-range for its grade band. The student body is predominantly white, with nearly half of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic composition of the surrounding area. The region itself is experiencing modest but steady growth, with Union County among Ohio's faster-growing counties and property values in Richwood rising year over year.
The academic performance shows a mixed but reasonable profile. On Ohio's State Tests for 2024-25, students achieved proficiency in language arts at just over half, while science proficiency reached a stronger level near seven-tenths. Mathematics proficiency came in below language arts, at close to half. This pattern suggests students are making solid progress in conceptual and applied learning but face more headwind in procedural mathematics. Against the group of districts in Union County, North Union Middle School sits in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects, meaning its peer districts are performing higher on average. A parent may want to look into the school's approach to mathematics support and where the school targets improvement.
Richwood itself is a blue-collar, historically rooted community with an unusually large stock of pre-World War II buildings and a charming downtown along Franklin Street. Most residents own cars and drive to work, often commuting to jobs in Marion, Marysville, Delaware, and the Columbus region. Manufacturing, health care, and retail trade are the dominant local employment sectors. The Richwood Banking Company, a longstanding local lender, and the school district are among the largest local employers. Civic life centers on a 29-acre park in the historic downtown with recreational facilities, a public library, and recent senior housing investment. The village has no public transit and operates as a car-dependent small town, though the compact downtown provides some walkable street frontage.
Housing in the area is moderately priced compared to state and national benchmarks, making it affordable for families on typical middle-class incomes. Median property values in the zip code sit below the state average, and the estimated monthly mortgage payment is accessible for households with median income. The area attracts people seeking rural or small-town living with lower housing costs and a sense of community rooted in local institutions.
The school itself is a product of this setting: a regular district school serving a small, economically mixed student population in a working-class agricultural and manufacturing region. No specialized programs, magnet designation, or alternative structure are in place. The state testing data are the primary window into academic performance; trend data were not available beyond the current year, so it is unclear whether performance has been stable or changing. The school website address was not provided, so interested families may want to contact the North Union Local School District directly to learn more about curriculum offerings, extracurricular activities, and community involvement.
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