South High School

Summary:

South High School is a public high school in Columbus, Ohio, serving grades 7-12 with a total enrollment of 903 students. The school is part of the Columbus City Schools District, which is ranked 679 out of 839 districts in Ohio and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South High School faces significant challenges, with a student population that is 67.11% African American, significantly higher than the state average. The school consistently ranks in the bottom 20% of Ohio high schools based on the SchoolDigger statewide ranking, and its performance on state assessments is significantly below the state and district averages across various subjects and grade levels. Additionally, the school's four-year graduation rate has declined from 79.7% in 2020-2021 to 65.7% in 2023-2024, and its chronic absenteeism rate reached an alarming 92.2% in the 2020-2021 school year, far exceeding the state and district averages.

In comparison, the nearby Fort Hayes Career Center has a more diverse student population, while Columbus Downtown High School serves a smaller number of students in grades 11-12. Despite the challenges, South High School's spending per student ($10,559 in 2018-2019) is comparable to the district average, suggesting that funding alone may not be the primary driver of the school's academic struggles. Addressing the root causes of chronic absenteeism and implementing targeted interventions to support underperforming student subgroups could be crucial steps in improving the school's overall performance and outcomes.


Detail:

Public 7-12

 1160 Ann St
       Columbus, OH  43206-2876


(614) 365-5541

District: Columbus City Schools District

SchoolDigger Rank:
750th of 864 Ohio High Schools


Student/teacher ratio:  16.7 Help
Number of students:  903

Racial breakdown:

African American:
67.1%
White:
15.6%
Hispanic:
8.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  85% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details South High School ranks worse than 89.7% of middle schools in Ohio. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.01. (See more...)
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Compare Details South High School ranks worse than 86.8% of high schools in Ohio. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.88. (See more...)
Help
The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at South High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

South High School:

SchoolDigger ranks South High School 938th of 1046 Ohio public middle schools. (See South High School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:

SchoolDigger ranks South High School 750th of 864 Ohio public high schools. (See South High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Columbus City Schools District:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbus City Schools District 679th of 839 Ohio school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for South High School

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Rank History for all middle school students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2013 8.49 919th 1001 8.2%
2014 8.83 899th 1008 10.8%
2015 14.01 884th 1035 14.6%
2016 9.03 943rd 1050 10.2%
2017 10.07 905th 1038 12.8%
2018 18.43 805th 1010 20.3%
2019 22.55 801st 1050 23.7%
2021 14.84 828th 1037 20.2%
2022 9.79 902nd 1017 11.3%
2023 8.58 943rd 1048 10.0%
2024 9.01 938th 1046 10.3%
See the entire list of Ohio High School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Multi-racial students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 13.19 222nd 245 9.4%
2024 8.69 245th 254 3.5%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for middle school English Language Learner students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 36.70 73rd 134 45.5%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 18.77 537th 590 9.0%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 24.45 735th 924 20.5%
2019 29.28 713th 945 24.6%
2021 16.45 749th 923 18.9%
2022 10.31 855th 947 9.7%
2023 8.74 892nd 974 8.4%
2024 8.53 903rd 989 8.7%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 16.84 744th 897 17.1%
2019 19.54 742nd 917 19.1%
2021 9.69 795th 910 12.6%
2022 8.68 828th 925 10.5%
2023 7.61 852nd 943 9.7%
2024 5.67 885th 942 6.1%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 7.42 641st 643 0.3%
2019 9.16 653rd 658 0.8%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for middle school Gifted and Talented students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 18.93 157th 164 4.3%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 13.02 793rd 916 13.4%
2019 18.26 766th 933 17.9%
2021 10.61 798th 924 13.6%
2022 5.09 910th 946 3.8%
2023 4.14 944th 963 2.0%
2024 7.54 877th 958 8.5%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.60 217th 384 43.5%
2019 49.26 191st 405 52.8%
2021 21.35 326th 385 15.3%
2022 17.90 361st 413 12.6%
2023 15.48 392nd 436 10.1%
2024 14.52 401st 429 6.5%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 36.42 147th 222 33.8%
2021 36.89 142nd 228 37.7%
2022 15.69 213th 247 13.8%
2024 12.77 212th 239 11.3%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 3.70 756th 781 3.2%
2019 9.28 739th 796 7.2%
2021 13.11 700th 781 10.4%
2022 8.39 756th 809 6.6%
2023 9.47 741st 805 8.0%
2024 12.35 713th 795 10.3%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for White Students!

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

Rank History for South High School

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Rank History for all high school students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 0.22 672nd 681 1.3%
2005 0.27 675th 689 2.0%
2006 8.01 657th 696 5.6%
2007 5.42 718th 756 5.0%
2008 22.35 677th 767 11.7%
2009 6.39 743rd 791 6.1%
2010 21.00 712th 819 13.1%
2011 2.27 787th 818 3.8%
2012 2.40 798th 832 4.1%
2013 0.46 749th 767 2.3%
2014 1.79 743rd 769 3.4%
2015 8.76 716th 778 8.0%
2016 7.31 739th 784 5.7%
2017 12.15 679th 773 12.2%
2018 15.87 669th 800 16.4%
2019 18.40 675th 836 19.3%
2021 12.72 690th 819 15.8%
2022 11.65 703rd 836 15.9%
2023 9.89 740th 867 14.6%
2024 8.88 750th 864 13.2%
See the entire list of Ohio High School Rankings!

Rank History for high school English Language Learner students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 28.96 75th 107 29.9%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for high school Special Education students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 14.60 576th 614 6.2%
2024 13.38 578th 598 3.3%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.91 625th 758 17.5%
2019 21.98 642nd 779 17.6%
2021 16.13 648th 763 15.1%
2022 14.46 661st 773 14.5%
2023 12.85 693rd 805 13.9%
2024 10.27 722nd 822 12.2%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Female students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 11.50 663rd 751 11.7%
2019 16.97 673rd 781 13.8%
2021 7.66 690th 775 11.0%
2022 7.29 712th 794 10.3%
2023 7.21 726th 813 10.7%
2024 9.01 707th 798 11.4%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for high school Disabled students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 21.30 469th 550 14.7%
2019 19.39 568th 628 9.6%
2021 18.12 519th 596 12.9%
2022 15.90 549th 606 9.4%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 13.66 652nd 763 14.5%
2019 16.08 671st 792 15.3%
2021 11.04 680th 778 12.6%
2022 8.32 715th 808 11.5%
2023 7.90 730th 819 10.9%
2024 4.53 765th 816 6.3%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school African American students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.59 190th 279 31.9%
2019 32.21 209th 303 31.0%
2021 28.76 193rd 284 32.0%
2022 23.21 233rd 306 23.9%
2023 22.87 243rd 323 24.8%
2024 18.69 257th 318 19.2%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.83 138th 184 25.0%
2022 23.39 206th 260 20.8%
2023 29.96 206th 270 23.7%
2024 41.30 174th 273 36.3%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for high school White students at South High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 18.66 610th 718 15.0%
2019 7.10 689th 739 6.8%
2021 13.88 649th 727 10.7%
2022 10.04 670th 749 10.5%
2023 12.38 670th 756 11.4%
2024 8.58 689th 754 8.6%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for White 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.

South High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Ohio Department of Education

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Enrollment information for South High School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 770 746 39 2 2 n/a n/a 0 1559
1989 687 703 49 3 0 n/a n/a 0 1442
1990 608 624 48 1 1 n/a n/a 0 1282
1991 634 587 49 3 1 n/a n/a 0 1274
1992 634 627 46 4 2 n/a n/a 0 1313
1993 571 618 57 6 0 n/a n/a 0 1252
1994 470 573 28 3 0 n/a n/a 0 1074
1995 441 548 14 0 4 n/a n/a 0 1007
1996 441 548 14 0 4 n/a n/a 0 1007
1997 383 510 10 0 7 n/a n/a 0 910
1998 365 484 9 1 4 n/a n/a 0 863
1999 306 494 14 0 2 n/a n/a 0 816
2000 293 640 13 1 2 n/a n/a 0 949
2001 265 690 13 3 3 n/a n/a 0 974
2002 190 628 6 7 7 n/a n/a 0 838
2003 190 628 6 7 7 n/a n/a 0 838
2004 156 590 5 6 3 n/a n/a 0 760
2005 144 650 4 5 1 n/a n/a 6 810
2006 116 595 5 2 2 n/a n/a 2 722
2007 83 524 4 6 1 n/a n/a 4 622
2008 67 468 5 4 3 n/a n/a 4 551
2009 55 423 5 3 3 n/a n/a 8 497
2010 55 476 4 9 2 n/a n/a 6 552
2011 105 381 6 9 0 0 10 0 511
2012 121 340 5 7 0 0 14 0 487
2013 204 500 11 14 0 1 19 0 749
2014 208 539 15 23 1 0 35 0 821
2015 185 635 11 41 0 0 42 0 914
2016 182 651 20 53 2 0 52 0 960
2017 166 652 15 45 2 1 57 0 938
2018 171 673 20 52 1 2 54 0 973
2019 187 652 18 60 1 0 51 0 969
2020 193 648 17 77 4 1 57 0 997
2021 211 663 13 81 2 2 59 0 1031
2022 181 740 10 85 3 0 67 0 1086
2023 141 606 10 80 2 1 63 0 903

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 South High School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1559 85.0 18.3 0
1989 1442 82.0 17.5 n/a
1990 1282 82.5 15.5 n/a
1991 1274 77.5 16.4 n/a
1992 1313 71.5 18.3 50
1993 1252 72.5 17.3 44.2
1994 1074 72.5 14.8 50.1
1995 1007 55.0 18.3 0
1996 1007 55.0 18.3 0
1997 910 52.0 17.5 44
1998 863 49.0 17.6 44.1
1999 816 51.0 16.0 51.5
2000 949 52.0 18.3 47.1
2001 974 53.0 18.4 38.6
2002 838 53.9 15.5 61.7
2003 838 53.9 15.5 61.7
2004 760 46.5 16.3 60
2005 810 46.0 17.6 55.8
2006 722 37.0 19.5 45.1
2007 622 30.0 20.7 73.6
2008 551 34.0 16.2 n/a
2009 497 35.0 14.2 76.3
2010 552 34.0 16.2 53.8
2011 511 37.0 13.8 82
2012 487 39.0 12.4 85.2
2013 749 49.0 15.2 77.7
2014 821 55.0 14.9 81.5
2015 914 n/a n/a 89.3
2016 960 59.0 16.2 85
2017 938 70.0 13.4 n/a
2018 973 58.0 16.7 n/a
2019 969 59.0 16.4 n/a
2020 997 60.0 16.6 n/a
2021 1031 59.0 17.4 n/a
2022 1086 57.0 19.0 n/a
2023 903 54.0 16.7 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 South High School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1559 85.0 18.3 0
1989 1442 82.0 17.5 n/a
1990 1282 82.5 15.5 n/a
1991 1274 77.5 16.4 n/a
1992 1313 71.5 18.3 50
1993 1252 72.5 17.3 44.2
1994 1074 72.5 14.8 50.1
1995 1007 55.0 18.3 0
1996 1007 55.0 18.3 0
1997 910 52.0 17.5 44
1998 863 49.0 17.6 44.1
1999 816 51.0 16.0 51.5
2000 949 52.0 18.3 47.1
2001 974 53.0 18.4 38.6
2002 838 53.9 15.5 61.7
2003 838 53.9 15.5 61.7
2004 760 46.5 16.3 60
2005 810 46.0 17.6 55.8
2006 722 37.0 19.5 45.1
2007 622 30.0 20.7 73.6
2008 551 34.0 16.2 n/a
2009 497 35.0 14.2 76.3
2010 552 34.0 16.2 53.8
2011 511 37.0 13.8 82
2012 487 39.0 12.4 85.2
2013 749 49.0 15.2 77.7
2014 821 55.0 14.9 81.5
2015 914 n/a n/a 89.3
2016 960 59.0 16.2 85
2017 938 70.0 13.4 n/a
2018 973 58.0 16.7 n/a
2019 969 59.0 16.4 n/a
2020 997 60.0 16.6 n/a
2021 1031 59.0 17.4 n/a
2022 1086 57.0 19.0 n/a
2023 903 54.0 16.7 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 South High School

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $10,559
2022 $12,167
2023 $14,464

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

Impact of COVID-19 on South High School

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 801st of 1050 Middle schoolsRanks 943rd of 1048 Middle schools
 13.7%
Ranks 675th of 836 High schoolsRanks 740th of 867 High schools
 4.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
7th Grade Mathematics (South High School)346.3
 27.7%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Columbus City Schools District)26.214.7
 11.5%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Ohio)57.547.6
 9.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (South High School)41.726.3
 15.4%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Columbus City Schools District)38.538.2
 0.3%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Ohio)67.764.8
 2.9%
8th Grade Science (South High School)37.727.3
 10.4%
   8th Grade Science (Columbus City Schools District)40.535.8
 4.7%
   8th Grade Science (Ohio)68.264
 4.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (South High School)42.19.6
 32.5%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Columbus City Schools District)35.420.9
 14.5%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Ohio)57.346.4
 10.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (South High School)37.421.1
 16.3%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Columbus City Schools District)32.931.5
 1.4%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Ohio)58.357.5
 0.8%
End of Course American Government (South High School)59.849.4
 10.4%
   End of Course American Government (Columbus City Schools District)58.551.7
 6.8%
   End of Course American Government (Ohio)77.772
 5.7%
End of Course American History (South High School)53.431.1
 22.3%
   End of Course American History (Columbus City Schools District)54.146.5
 7.6%
   End of Course American History (Ohio)78.169.7
 8.4%
End of Course Biology (South High School)48.128.2
 19.9%
   End of Course Biology (Columbus City Schools District)4637.1
 8.9%
   End of Course Biology (Ohio)73.763.7
 10%
End of Course English II (South High School)45.331.7
 13.6%
   End of Course English II (Columbus City Schools District)40.936.3
 4.6%
   End of Course English II (Ohio)66.260.8
 5.4%
End of Course Integrated Math II (South High School)8.70
 8.7%
   End of Course Integrated Math II (Columbus City Schools District)15.63
 12.6%
   End of Course Integrated Math II (Ohio)35.834.5
 1.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students969903
 6.8%
African American652606
 7.1%
American Indian12
 100%
Asian1810
 44.4%
Hispanic6080
 33.3%
Pacific Islander01
White187141
 24.6%
Two or More Races5163
 23.5%


Schools Near South High School









Frequently Asked Questions about South High School

Students at South High School are 67% African American, 16% White, 9% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

South High School ranks in the bottom 13.2% of Ohio high schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 903 students attended South High School.


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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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