DELAWARE COUNTY — The results are in for how Delaware County schools performed on their state report cards for the 2025-26 school year.
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce released its annual report cards Tuesday, evaluating districts and individual schools across six areas of academic performance.
The report cards use data reported by districts and schools to measure:
- Achievement: How well students perform on state tests.
- Progress: How much academic growth students make based on their past performance.
- Gap closing: How well schools reduce educational disparities among student groups. The measure also considers chronic absenteeism and opportunities and performance among gifted students.
- Graduation: The percentage of students who graduate within four or five years.
- Early literacy: Reading improvement and proficiency among students in kindergarten through third grade.
- College, career, workforce and military readiness: How prepared students are for opportunities after high school.
All six components receive a rating of one to five stars based on annual performance. This year’s ratings reflect data from the 2025-26 school year.
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Olentangy Local Schools
Olentangy Schools earned a five-star rating for the fourth consecutive year on the 2025-26 Ohio School Report Cards. A five star rating means the district “significantly exceeds state standards,” according to the report.
The district is one of 61 of Ohio’s 607 school districts to receive the state’s highest overall rating this year, according to a press release from the district.
The score breakdown is:
| Achievement: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Progress: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Gap closing: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Graduation: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Early Literacy: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| College, career, workforce and military readiness: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
Within the high schools, Berlin scored a 4.5, Olentangy scored a 5, Liberty scored a 5 and Orange scored a 4.5.
Freedom Trail Elementary, Cheshire Elementary, Indian Springs Elementary, Glen Oak Elementary and Arrowhead Elementary all scored a 4; the lowest scores in the district.
Olentangy has a chronic absenteeism rate of 9.2%, which is below Ohio’s 2025–2026 school year goal to keep chronic absenteeism at or below 14.5%.
Chronic absenteeism is defined in Ohio as missing 10% or more of school for any reason, which translates to missing 18 days throughout the year, excused or unexcused.
READ MORE:
Olentangy remains five-star district on state report card
Delaware City Schools
The Delaware City School district scored an overall score of 4.5, with a score breakdown of:
| Achievement: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Progress: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Gap closing: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Graduation: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Early Literacy: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| College, career, workforce and military readiness: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
The score marks a 0.5 improvement compared to the 2024-25 school year’s score of a 4.
Notably, the district increased its ratings by one star in graduation and college, career, workforce and military readiness.
The district has a chronic absenteeism rate of 18.4%, which is higher than Ohio’s 2025–2026 school year goal to keep chronic absenteeism at or below 14.5%.
The district’s four-year graduation rate is 96.8%.
In the district, Ervin Carlisle Elementary School and Rutherford B. Hayes High School scored the highest at 4.5.
James Conger Elementary School scored the lowest at 3 stars.
Buckeye Valley
Buckeye Valley’s district scored 5 stars, marking its third consecutive year achieving the highest score.
The score breaks down as follows:
| Achievement: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Progress: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Gap closing: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Graduation: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Early Literacy: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| College, career, workforce and military readiness: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
Compared to last year, all scores remained the same except for early literacy, which decreased by one star.
Within the district’s four schools, Buckeye Valley Local High School and Buckeye Valley West Elementary School both scored 5.
Buckeye Valley Local Middle School scored 4.5 and Buckeye Valley East Elementary School scored 3.5.
The district has a four-year graduation rate of 96.9% and a chronic absenteeism rate of 13.9%.
Big Walnut
The Big Walnut local school district scored 4 stars — a score it has maintained for four years. It breaks down as follows:
| Achievement: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Progress: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Gap closing: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Graduation: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Early Literacy: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| College, career, workforce and military readiness: | ⭐️⭐️ |
The score breakdown is identical to last year’s report card.
Chronic absenteeism in the district stands at 12.1% and the four-year graduation rate is 98.2%.
Big Walnut Middle School, General Rosecrans Elementary and Prairie Run Elementary School all scored 4.5 stars, marking the highest individual school scores.
Big Walnut Intermediate School scored the lowest at 3.5.
The Delaware Area Career Center
Career centers are scored differently compared to traditional school districts.
The Delaware Area Career Center received an overall score of 5, which breaks down as follows:
| Achievement: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Graduation Rate: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Career and post-secondary readiness: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Post-program outcomes: | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
DACC also scored 5 stars last year, but the achievement score improved by one star.
Rather than the six typical criteria, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce rates four components for career centers, two of which are still graduation rate and achievement.
The other two are career and post-secondary readiness, and post-program outcomes.
Career and post-secondary readiness measures how well-prepared Ohio’s students are for all future opportunities.
Post-program outcomes looks at the proportion of students who are employed, in an apprenticeship, join the military, enter a service program or are enrolled in post-secondary education or advanced training in the six months after leaving school.
