SMART Academy

Summary:

SMART Academy is a small public charter elementary school serving grades K-4 in Garfield Heights, Ohio, with a predominantly African American student population of 99 students.

SMART Academy faces significant challenges, including extremely high chronic absenteeism rates reaching up to 60% in recent years, as well as academic performance that is well below state averages. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's 3rd and 4th-grade proficiency rates in Math and English Language Arts ranged from just 10% to 53.8%, compared to state averages of 62.1% to 67.2%. These academic struggles persist despite the school's small class sizes, as the nearby Citizens Academy Southeast serves a similar student population but has a higher student-teacher ratio. SMART Academy's statewide ranking has also steadily declined, from 1610 out of 1610 Ohio elementary schools in 2020-2021 to 1257 out of 1577 in 2023-2024.

However, there are some bright spots - SMART Academy's ranking for its African American student population is slightly better, at 280 out of 603 Ohio elementary schools in 2023-2024, suggesting the school may be providing some support or resources that are benefiting this subgroup. Nevertheless, the school's overall performance remains poor, likely due to the significant socioeconomic challenges faced by its student population, with 96.97% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2022-2023 school year. Addressing the root causes of chronic absenteeism and low academic proficiency will be crucial for improving the educational experience and outcomes for the students at SMART Academy.

Detail:

Public, Charter K-4

4351 E 131st St
Garfield Heights, OH 44105

(216) 714-3801

District: SMART Academy

SchoolDigger Rank:
1257^th of 1,577 Ohio Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,126

Student/teacher ratio: 9.2

Number of students: 83

Racial breakdown:

African American:

94.0%

Hispanic:

3.6%

Two or more races:

2.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 96.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details SMART Academy ranks worse than 79.7% of elementary schools in Ohio. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 19.68. (See more...)

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.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (94%), Hispanic (3.6%), two or more races (2.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 96.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at SMART Academy is 9.2. (See more...)

Compare SMART Academy employs 9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at SMART Academy is $11,126.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

SMART Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks SMART Academy 1257^th of 1577 Ohio public elementary schools. (See SMART Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

African American students:

SMART Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks SMART Academy 660^th of 839 Ohio school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for SMART Academy

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Rank History for all students at SMART Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	OH State Percentile
2021	3.40	1610^th	1610	0.0%
2023	2.01	1593^rd	1596	0.2%
2024	19.68	1257^th	1577	20.3%

See the entire list of Ohio Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at SMART Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	OH State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	2.03	1443^rd	1447	0.3%
2024	25.25	1155^th	1484	22.2%

See the entire list of Best Ohio Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for African American students at SMART Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	OH State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	46.44	280^th	603	53.6%

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.

Data source: Ohio Department of Education

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Enrollment information for SMART Academy

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Year	White	African American	Hispanic	Two or More Races	Total
2019	2	31	0	0	33
2020	2	82	1	1	86
2021	3	120	0	3	126
2022	2	105	2	4	113
2023	1	90	3	5	99
2024	0	78	3	2	83

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 SMART Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	33	13.0	2.5	90.9
2020	86	4.0	21.5	96.5
2021	126	7.0	18.0	n/a
2022	113	11.0	10.2	n/a
2023	99	8.0	12.3	97
2024	83	9.0	9.2	96.4

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 SMART Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	33	13.0	2.5	90.9
2020	86	4.0	21.5	96.5
2021	126	7.0	18.0	n/a
2022	113	11.0	10.2	n/a
2023	99	8.0	12.3	97
2024	83	9.0	9.2	96.4

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 SMART Academy

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$11,294
2022	$9,858
2023	$11,221
2024	$11,126

Data source: Ohio Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on SMART 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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	33	99	200%
African American	31	90	190.3%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	0	3
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	2	1	50%
Two or More Races	0	5
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	90.9%	97%	6.1%

Schools Near SMART Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Ohio State Tests Science (2024)		Ohio State Tests Mathematics (2024)						Ohio State Tests English Language Arts (2024)						Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Ohio State Tests Science 5th Grade	Ohio State Tests Science 8th Grade	Ohio State Tests Mathematics 3rd Grade	Ohio State Tests Mathematics 4th Grade	Ohio State Tests Mathematics 5th Grade	Ohio State Tests Mathematics 6th Grade	Ohio State Tests Mathematics 7th Grade	Ohio State Tests Mathematics 8th Grade	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 4th Grade	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 5th Grade	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 6th Grade	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 7th Grade	Ohio State Tests English Language Arts 8th Grade	Total
SMART Academy	Public, Charter	K-4	4351 E 131st St	Garfield Heights	44105	Cuyahoga County	SMART Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(216) 714-3801	83	9	9.2	96.4%	0 (0.0%)	78 (94.0%)	3 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.4%)	19.7	1257^th of 1577 public elementary schools	20.3%		2	1593^rd of 1596 public elementary schools	0.2%	336			30.8	50.0					53.8	10.0					$11,126
Miles School	Public	PK, KG-8	11918 Miles Ave	Cleveland	44105	Cuyahoga County	Cleveland Municipal	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(216) 838-5250	254	15	16.9		2 (0.8%)	229 (90.2%)	12 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	10 (3.9%)	4.3	1527^th of 1577 public elementary schools	3.2%		2.6	1589^th of 1596 public elementary schools	0.4%	62	0.0	20.0	13.3	3.8	0.0	6.7	0.0	8.0	25.0	12.0	45.5	3.3	0.0	4.0	$13,469
Harvard Avenue Performance Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	12000 Harvard Ave	Cleveland	44105	Cuyahoga County	Harvard Avenue Performance Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(216) 283-5100	312	0	9.1		0 (0.0%)	299 (95.8%)	6 (1.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.9%)	45.6	969^th of 1577 public elementary schools	38.6%		26.3	1191^st of 1596 public elementary schools	25.4%	222	56.7	0.0	74.1	50.0	56.7	19.4	23.5	4.2	85.2	57.9	50.0	38.7	20.6	0.0	$12,726
Robert H Jamison School	Public	PK, KG-8	4092 E 146th St	Cleveland	44128	Cuyahoga County	Cleveland Municipal	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(216) 838-5400	360	21	17.1		6 (1.7%)	342 (95.0%)	11 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	3.8	1537^th of 1577 public elementary schools	2.5%		3.3	1569^th of 1596 public elementary schools	1.7%	32	9.4	2.8	5.6	14.3	3.0	5.7	2.5	5.6	16.7	28.6	30.3	5.7	25.0	5.6	$14,985
Citizens Academy Southeast	Public, Charter	K-8	15700 Lotus Dr	Cleveland	44128	Cuyahoga County	Citizens Academy Southeast	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(216) 586-3887	686	27	25.1		0 (0.0%)	669 (97.5%)	9 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.2%)								(n/a)
Charles Dickens School	Public	PK, KG-8	13013 Corlett Ave	Cleveland	44120	Cuyahoga County	Cleveland Municipal	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(216) 838-4200	265	14	18.9		4 (1.5%)	254 (95.8%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	5.3	1506^th of 1577 public elementary schools	4.5%		3.7	1557^th of 1596 public elementary schools	2.4%	51	8.0	17.9	16.7	11.1	20.0	0.0	11.1	3.6	29.2	25.9	19.2	20.7	14.8	10.7	$16,134
Andrew J Rickoff	Public	PK, KG-8	3500 E 147th St	Cleveland	44120	Cuyahoga County	Cleveland Municipal	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(216) 838-4150	422	25	16.8		9 (2.1%)	394 (93.4%)	10 (2.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.9%)	4.8	1520^th of 1577 public elementary schools	3.6%		8.2	1449^th of 1596 public elementary schools	9.2%	71	10.3	6.3	21.7	25.0	10.3	2.6	12.5	0.0	26.1	25.0	23.1	7.9	25.0	3.1	$13,302
Nathan Hale School	Public	PK, KG-8	3588 Martin Luther King Dr	Cleveland	44105	Cuyahoga County	Cleveland Municipal	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(216) 838-4250	394	23	17.1		6 (1.5%)	380 (96.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.5%)	13.9	1338^th of 1577 public elementary schools	15.2%		12.9	1352^nd of 1596 public elementary schools	15.3%	14	15.0	21.7	50.0	16.1	40.0	10.5	6.4	0.0	38.5	25.8	45.0	12.8	23.4	4.4	$14,833
Miles Park School	Public	PK, KG-8	4090 E 93rd St	Cleveland	44105	Cuyahoga County	Cleveland Municipal	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(216) 838-4450	390	19	20.5		13 (3.3%)	363 (93.1%)	11 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	8.7	1435^th of 1577 public elementary schools	9.0%		6.6	1490^th of 1596 public elementary schools	6.6%	55	7.4	9.1	42.3	17.6	18.5	7.7	4.3	6.7	38.5	23.5	25.9	17.9	15.2	13.3	$13,535
Elmwood Elementary School	Public	2-5	5275 Turney Rd	Garfield Heights	44125	Cuyahoga County	Garfield Heights City Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(216) 475-8110	351	19	18.4		21 (6.0%)	290 (82.6%)	15 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.1%)								(n/a)			35.9						38.5						$16,163

Frequently Asked Questions about SMART Academy

Is SMART Academy a good school?

SMART Academy ranks in the bottom 20.3% of Ohio elementary schools.

What district is SMART Academy in?

SMART Academy

What is the racial makeup of SMART Academy?

Students at SMART Academy are 94% African American, 4% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend SMART Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 83 students attended SMART 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.