A+ Arts Academy

Summary:

A+ Arts Academy is a public charter elementary school serving grades K-8 in Columbus, Ohio, with a student population of 401 in a predominantly African American neighborhood.

Despite its relatively low student-teacher ratio and per-student spending comparable to nearby schools, A+ Arts Academy has consistently underperformed, ranking in the bottom 10% of Ohio elementary schools with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 17.1% of 5th-grade students were proficient or better in science, compared to the state average of 64%. The school has also experienced alarmingly high chronic absenteeism rates, reaching as high as 80.3% in the 2022-2023 school year, significantly higher than the surrounding schools and the state average.

In contrast, some of the nearby schools, such as South Columbus Preparatory Academy at German Village and Cassingham Elementary School, demonstrate higher academic achievement and lower chronic absenteeism rates. Understanding the factors that contribute to the success of these schools could provide valuable insights for improving the performance of A+ Arts Academy.


Detail:

Public, Charter K-8

 1395 Fair Ave
       Columbus, OH  43205-1543


(614) 725-1305

District: A+ Arts Academy

SchoolDigger Rank:
1493rd of 1,577 Ohio Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,929 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  14.3 Help
Number of students:  401

Racial breakdown:

African American:
92.3%
Two or more races:
4.2%
Hispanic:
2.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  40.8% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details A+ Arts Academy ranks worse than 94.7% of elementary schools in Ohio. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 6.04. (See more...)
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Compare Details A+ Arts Academy ranks worse than 97.7% of middle schools in Ohio. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 4.73. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at A+ Arts Academy is $13,929.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

A+ Arts Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks A+ Arts Academy 1493rd of 1577 Ohio public elementary schools. (See A+ Arts Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:

SchoolDigger ranks A+ Arts Academy 1022nd of 1046 Ohio public middle schools. (See A+ Arts Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
African American students:


A+ Arts Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks A+ Arts Academy 801st of 839 Ohio school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for A+ Arts Academy.

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Rank History for A+ Arts Academy

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Rank History for all elementary school students at A+ Arts Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2011 37.52 1249th 1686 25.9%
2012 55.31 1027th 1709 39.9%
2013 35.35 1275th 1701 25.0%
2014 20.91 1398th 1687 17.1%
2015 25.23 1327th 1684 21.2%
2016 16.51 1401st 1678 16.5%
2017 6.63 1540th 1651 6.7%
2018 5.40 1553rd 1636 5.1%
2019 4.58 1603rd 1676 4.4%
2021 5.97 1539th 1610 4.4%
2022 5.23 1523rd 1588 4.1%
2023 5.87 1505th 1596 5.7%
2024 6.04 1493rd 1577 5.3%
See the entire list of Ohio Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at A+ Arts Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 7.26 1400th 1465 4.4%
2019 5.81 1407th 1465 4.0%
2021 5.90 1363rd 1404 2.9%
2022 6.58 1348th 1419 5.0%
2023 6.15 1379th 1447 4.7%
2024 6.44 1410th 1484 5.0%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at A+ Arts Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 3.85 1473rd 1518 3.0%
2019 3.43 1457th 1502 3.0%
2021 2.45 1462nd 1467 0.3%
2022 3.37 1459th 1488 1.9%
2023 2.69 1467th 1483 1.1%
2024 3.33 1433rd 1466 2.3%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at A+ Arts Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 12.51 976th 1021 4.4%
2019 16.67 879th 956 8.1%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at A+ Arts Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 5.50 1467th 1536 4.5%
2019 3.62 1499th 1535 2.3%
2021 6.10 1404th 1499 6.3%
2022 5.33 1431st 1518 5.7%
2023 6.15 1406th 1498 6.1%
2024 9.18 1346th 1485 9.4%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school African American students at A+ Arts Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.08 498th 598 16.7%
2019 17.24 534th 605 11.7%
2021 18.25 487th 533 8.6%
2022 19.50 515th 601 14.3%
2023 17.64 536th 610 12.1%
2024 18.99 517th 603 14.3%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Ohio Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for A+ Arts Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at A+ Arts Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2007 27.31 672nd 837 19.7%
2008 38.17 628th 835 24.8%
2009 27.76 686th 858 20.0%
2010 45.54 639th 895 28.6%
2011 55.61 564th 925 39.0%
2012 36.77 739th 989 25.3%
2013 23.26 817th 1001 18.4%
2014 30.55 774th 1008 23.2%
2015 28.70 766th 1035 26.0%
2016 25.48 778th 1050 25.9%
2017 16.79 826th 1038 20.4%
2018 21.12 786th 1010 22.2%
2019 19.23 820th 1050 21.9%
2021 12.09 878th 1037 15.3%
2022 7.83 940th 1017 7.6%
2023 4.10 1033rd 1048 1.4%
2024 4.73 1022nd 1046 2.3%
See the entire list of Ohio Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at A+ Arts Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 26.99 717th 924 22.4%
2019 24.45 741st 945 21.6%
2021 13.79 785th 923 15.0%
2022 7.76 890th 947 6.0%
2023 3.67 962nd 974 1.2%
2024 5.10 961st 989 2.8%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at A+ Arts Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 21.44 714th 897 20.4%
2019 25.03 710th 917 22.6%
2021 10.12 789th 910 13.3%
2022 2.55 917th 925 0.9%
2023 2.26 935th 943 0.8%
2024 3.42 925th 942 1.8%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at A+ Arts Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 13.35 628th 658 4.6%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at A+ Arts Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.80 771st 916 15.8%
2019 9.73 840th 933 10.0%
2021 9.39 815th 924 11.8%
2022 10.43 821st 946 13.2%
2023 5.49 911th 963 5.4%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at A+ Arts Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 47.73 179th 384 53.4%
2019 47.01 199th 405 50.9%
2021 30.75 245th 385 36.4%
2022 18.72 352nd 413 14.8%
2023 12.56 415th 436 4.8%
2024 14.94 399th 429 7.0%
See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Ohio Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

A+ Arts Academy Test Scores
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Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
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Data source: Ohio Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1.3)
0%

0%

0%

33%

67%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Open Quote My daughter is currently a student at A+ Arts Academy and after this year she will not be back. I feel the principal Mr. Harrison is more concerned with "throwing his weight around" than the best interest of my child or ant other. The teachers are giving 3rd and 4th grade work to my 5th grader, they NEVER have homework other than work done in class, most of the teachers don't care anything about the children as you get no calls about how they are doing etc. But are more than happy to have plenty of excuses on how many children they have in their classroom so they can not send a simple note on DOJO. Everytime you turn around the school is planning something for the children then cancelling it or postponing it i.e, basketball practice, dance, cheerleading and the principal always has an excuse on why this is the case. Dress down days are more frequent and the children have to pay $1, which is fine, but where is the money going? They don't have books, and if they do they have to stay in the classroom or are shared. Since when don't kids have books? The work that is done in class is mostly xeroxed copies, or printed copies of something the teacher got off line or from a workbook he/she has. It's absolutely RIDICULOUS!! Then they wonder why these kids don't pay attention, THERE BORED!! My daughter does very well in school but she's not challenged. She will not attend this school after this year and I definitely would not recommend it to anyone else. I will say, however, a select few teachers are great..but I can count them on about 3 fingers. Close Quote


by a teacher
Monday, August 13, 2018

Open Quote Staff is uneducated and under educated. Students are being denied an education at this school. Close Quote


by a parent
Thursday, July 7, 2016

Open Quote My children spent two school years at A+ Arts Academy on Fair Ave. After this second year I have decided to pull their registration and look for another school. I feel as a parent I have failed my students, they both are honor roll students with good test scores so I assumed that they were receiving the best educational experience that a public school had to offer and boy was I wrong. At the end of the school year I received the test scores from my daughters state testing which showed that she was above average but was only slightly higher than her scores she received the year prior. This tells me that for a whole school year my daughter learned absolutely nothing new. And to confirm that I took my children to another school that is rated number 7 in the state based off of testing scores and though they excelled in reading and language arts ( something they were doing prior to A+) they didn't meet average in math scores. I am truly disappointed because I believed in A+. Moving beyond testing scores the Fair Ave school is in utter chaos and when parents come to the school with valid concerns(child safety, bullying, issues with staff) the principal Mr.Faulks is very condescending and disrespectful he absolutely doesn't care about the well -being of your child. Furthermore he treats the parents as if we are all under educated garbage. I have two degrees and am a working professional and if I treated any of my clients the way that he is allowed ( I say this because administration is aware of his behavior) to treat parents and students I would be UNEMPLOYED. I am not leaving this review to trash this school they are doing a fine job at doing so themselves. I am leaving this review so that other parents who want more for their children will be aware the A+ does not mean more but less. For those teachers that are excellent educators I feel for you and wish that find a position in a school that appreciates your thirst for teaching and your collective talents. I thank you (Mr.Bell, Dr.Samuels, Mr.Drew, Mr.King,Mrs. Teriaga) you are wonderful and A+ doesn't deserve you Close Quote



Enrollment information for A+ Arts Academy

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2005 13 99 0 0 0 n/a n/a 4 116
2006 18 145 0 3 0 n/a n/a 5 171
2007 17 137 0 3 0 n/a n/a 4 161
2008 13 111 0 3 0 n/a n/a 8 135
2009 7 124 0 2 0 n/a n/a 6 139
2010 8 140 0 2 0 n/a n/a 4 154
2011 4 274 2 2 0 0 2 0 284
2012 10 264 3 4 0 0 9 0 290
2013 8 287 3 6 0 0 6 0 310
2014 5 348 0 11 1 0 18 0 383
2015 3 446 0 9 1 0 19 0 478
2016 10 625 0 26 2 0 29 0 692
2017 4 589 0 17 1 0 18 0 629
2018 3 643 0 12 1 0 8 0 667
2019 2 688 0 7 1 0 3 0 701
2020 8 622 1 3 1 0 2 0 637
2021 8 543 1 4 1 0 2 0 559
2022 7 527 1 5 1 0 9 0 550
2023 5 370 0 8 1 0 17 0 401

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at A+ Arts Academy

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2005 116 8.0 14.5 62.5
2006 171 10.0 17.1 63.3
2007 161 12.4 13.0 69.4
2008 135 8.5 15.9 n/a
2009 139 9.1 15.3 81.2
2010 154 12.0 12.8 82.7
2011 284 17.7 16.0 81
2012 290 20.7 13.9 0
2013 310 16.4 18.8 87.1
2014 383 16.3 23.4 0
2015 478 n/a n/a 72.2
2016 692 28.0 24.7 49.6
2017 629 27.8 22.6 n/a
2018 667 17.0 39.2 n/a
2019 701 6.0 116.8 40.8
2020 637 28.0 22.7 n/a
2021 559 30.0 18.6 n/a
2022 550 39.0 14.1 n/a
2023 401 28.0 14.3 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio A+ Arts Academy

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2005 116 8.0 14.5 62.5
2006 171 10.0 17.1 63.3
2007 161 12.4 13.0 69.4
2008 135 8.5 15.9 n/a
2009 139 9.1 15.3 81.2
2010 154 12.0 12.8 82.7
2011 284 17.7 16.0 81
2012 290 20.7 13.9 0
2013 310 16.4 18.8 87.1
2014 383 16.3 23.4 0
2015 478 n/a n/a 72.2
2016 692 28.0 24.7 49.6
2017 629 27.8 22.6 n/a
2018 667 17.0 39.2 n/a
2019 701 6.0 116.8 40.8
2020 637 28.0 22.7 n/a
2021 559 30.0 18.6 n/a
2022 550 39.0 14.1 n/a
2023 401 28.0 14.3 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for A+ Arts Academy

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $5,700
2022 $9,832
2023 $12,129
2024 $13,929

Data source: Ohio Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on A+ Arts Academy

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 1603rd of 1676 Elementary schoolsRanks 1505th of 1596 Elementary schools
 1.3%
Ranks 820th of 1050 Middle schoolsRanks 1033rd of 1048 Middle schools
 20.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (A+ Arts Academy)13.69.8
 3.8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Ohio)67.162.2
 4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (A+ Arts Academy)25.325.5
 0.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Ohio)66.762.3
 4.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (A+ Arts Academy)21.816.7
 5.1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Ohio)74.366.8
 7.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (A+ Arts Academy)13.321.4
 8.1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Ohio)63.358.9
 4.4%
5th Grade Science (A+ Arts Academy)1211.4
 0.6%
   5th Grade Science (Ohio)6563.9
 1.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (A+ Arts Academy)13.37
 6.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Ohio)62.556.6
 5.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (A+ Arts Academy)30.727.9
 2.8%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Ohio)69.867.4
 2.4%
6th Grade Mathematics (A+ Arts Academy)25.46.5
 18.9%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Ohio)60.150
 10.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (A+ Arts Academy)20.916.1
 4.8%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Ohio)56.155
 1.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (A+ Arts Academy)37.90
 37.9%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Ohio)57.547.6
 9.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (A+ Arts Academy)38.26.1
 32.1%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Ohio)67.764.8
 2.9%
8th Grade Science (A+ Arts Academy)34.35.7
 28.6%
   8th Grade Science (Ohio)68.264
 4.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (A+ Arts Academy)48.10
 48.1%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Ohio)57.346.4
 10.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (A+ Arts Academy)31.40
 31.4%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Ohio)58.357.5
 0.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students701401
 42.8%
African American688370
 46.2%
American Indian11
Asian00
Hispanic78
 14.3%
Pacific Islander00
White25
 150%
Two or More Races317
 466.7%


Schools Near A+ Arts Academy









Frequently Asked Questions about A+ Arts Academy

A+ Arts Academy ranks in the bottom 5.3% of Ohio elementary schools.

Students at A+ Arts Academy are 92% African American, 4% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic, 1% White.

In the 2022-23 school year, 401 students attended A+ Arts Academy.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Ohio Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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