Watkins Memorial High School

Summary:

Watkins Memorial High School is a public high school located in Pataskala, Ohio, serving 1,373 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Southwest Licking Local School District, which is ranked 351 out of 839 districts in Ohio and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Watkins Memorial consistently ranks in the top 30% of Ohio high schools, with a current ranking of 202 out of 864 schools. The school's performance on Ohio State Tests is significantly higher than the state and district averages across various subjects, including American Government, American History, and Biology. Watkins Memorial's graduation rate is consistently high, reaching 95.9% in the 2023-2024 school year, well above the state average. The school also performs exceptionally well in supporting its homeless student population, ranking 1st out of 30 Ohio high schools in this category for the past three school years, and ranks highly for its English Language Learner (ELL) students, placing in the top 25 Ohio high schools in this subgroup.

While Watkins Memorial outperforms many nearby high schools, including Licking Heights High School and the schools in the Columbus City School District, in terms of academic achievement and graduation rates, the school's performance for its Asian student population is relatively lower compared to other Ohio high schools, suggesting an opportunity for improvement in supporting this subgroup. Additionally, Watkins Memorial has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 9.8% in 2019-2020 to 26.2% in 2023-2024, which is an area of concern that the school may need to address.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 1954 Warrior Way
       Pataskala, OH  43062-9053


(740) 927-3846

District: Southwest Licking Local

SchoolDigger Rank:
202nd of 864 Ohio High Schools


Feeder schools for Watkins Memorial High School:

Elementary:    Kirkersville Elementary School
    Pataskala Elementary School
    Watkins Intermediate School
Middle:    Watkins Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  23.2 Help
Number of students:  1,373

Racial breakdown:

White:
79.1%
Asian:
6.7%
Two or more races:
5.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  25.7% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Watkins Memorial High School ranks better than 76.6% of high schools in Ohio. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 69.49. (See more...)
Help
The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Watkins Memorial High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high 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:

Watkins Memorial High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Watkins Memorial High School 202nd of 864 Ohio public high schools. (See Watkins Memorial High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Military Connected students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Southwest Licking Local:

SchoolDigger ranks Southwest Licking Local 351st of 839 Ohio school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Watkins Memorial High School?

Rank History for Watkins Memorial High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Watkins Memorial High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 78.93 142nd 681 79.1%
2005 69.92 201st 689 70.8%
2006 60.40 314th 696 54.9%
2007 64.47 300th 756 60.3%
2008 67.53 241st 767 68.6%
2009 67.53 270th 791 65.9%
2010 63.91 357th 819 56.4%
2011 64.77 344th 818 57.9%
2012 68.55 267th 832 67.9%
2013 69.76 203rd 767 73.5%
2014 69.89 207th 769 73.1%
2015 65.39 246th 778 68.4%
2016 67.37 191st 784 75.6%
2017 68.46 165th 773 78.7%
2018 71.55 145th 800 81.9%
2019 73.75 136th 836 83.7%
2021 62.64 254th 819 69.0%
2022 65.42 241st 836 71.2%
2023 61.74 312th 867 64.0%
2024 69.49 202nd 864 76.6%
See the entire list of Ohio High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Watkins Memorial High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 73.67 44th 201 78.1%
2019 76.96 47th 208 77.4%
2021 62.95 79th 211 62.6%
2022 46.74 123rd 222 44.6%
2023 76.58 49th 239 79.5%
2024 80.16 36th 242 85.1%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Watkins Memorial High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 35.69 73rd 119 38.7%
2022 64.65 29th 111 73.9%
2023 65.14 25th 107 76.6%
2024 69.48 22nd 111 80.2%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Watkins Memorial High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 53.76 196th 614 68.1%
2024 42.36 296th 598 50.5%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Watkins Memorial High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 63.82 217th 758 71.4%
2019 70.86 169th 779 78.3%
2021 61.25 251st 763 67.1%
2022 71.64 158th 773 79.6%
2023 71.03 166th 805 79.4%
2024 71.39 187th 822 77.3%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Watkins Memorial High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 97.17 1st 28 96.4%
2019 94.83 3rd 32 90.6%
2021 95.19 1st 22 95.5%
2022 92.55 1st 24 95.8%
2023 97.48 1st 30 96.7%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Watkins Memorial High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 70.07 136th 751 81.9%
2019 79.53 109th 781 86.0%
2021 59.41 319th 775 58.8%
2022 66.79 252nd 794 68.3%
2023 72.87 197th 813 75.8%
2024 75.26 169th 798 78.8%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Watkins Memorial High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 60.80 142nd 550 74.2%
2019 67.80 117th 628 81.4%
2021 44.60 296th 596 50.3%
2022 45.56 267th 606 55.9%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Watkins Memorial High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.33 392nd 538 27.1%
2019 54.25 152nd 272 44.1%
2021 51.29 211th 349 39.5%
2022 64.12 125th 312 59.9%
2023 66.50 106th 308 65.6%
2024 64.47 112th 280 60.0%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Foster Care students at Watkins Memorial High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 94.25 1st 31 96.8%
2021 47.45 7th 13 46.2%
2022 66.60 5th 18 72.2%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Foster Care Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Watkins Memorial High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 54.76 6th 14 57.1%
2024 39.02 9th 15 40.0%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Watkins Memorial High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 67.68 168th 763 78.0%
2019 76.98 143rd 792 81.9%
2021 69.21 199th 778 74.4%
2022 69.74 222nd 808 72.5%
2023 74.06 192nd 819 76.6%
2024 70.77 236th 816 71.1%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Watkins Memorial High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 56.50 44th 76 42.1%
2021 18.90 72nd 84 14.3%
2022 24.34 73rd 87 16.1%
2023 29.66 73rd 86 15.1%
2024 48.06 52nd 78 33.3%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Watkins Memorial High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 86.56 28th 279 90.0%
2019 90.68 19th 303 93.7%
2021 63.33 84th 284 70.4%
2022 88.72 21st 306 93.1%
2023 71.49 76th 323 76.5%
2024 70.59 75th 318 76.4%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Watkins Memorial High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 42.38 149th 239 37.7%
2022 82.25 35th 260 86.5%
2023 74.43 59th 270 78.1%
2024 77.14 49th 273 82.1%
See the entire list of Best Ohio High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Watkins Memorial High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools OH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 65.21 171st 718 76.2%
2019 76.68 137th 739 81.5%
2021 65.44 223rd 727 69.3%
2022 66.76 239th 749 68.1%
2023 72.16 187th 756 75.3%
2024 70.19 213th 754 71.8%
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.

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



Data source: Ohio Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)
0%

0%

100%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a student
Sunday, July 18, 2010

Open Quote I am a student. I like this school. It's really small but you know everyone. The school doesn't get much funding so we don't have EVERYTHING. Our sports are horrible. The only things we're good at is track and baseball. Can't wait to get out of there. And there's no diversity what so ever so it's pretty bad being one of the only black people there but everyone is really nice. There hasn't really been too much racism over the years. Nothing I can't handle. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Watkins Memorial High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 988 5 2 3 3 n/a n/a 0 1001
1989 960 5 2 2 4 n/a n/a 0 973
1990 877 8 4 4 11 n/a n/a 0 904
1991 831 13 8 2 6 n/a n/a 0 860
1992 816 20 10 4 4 n/a n/a 0 854
1993 865 16 5 2 5 n/a n/a 0 893
1994 842 17 3 1 4 n/a n/a 0 867
1995 905 14 3 3 6 n/a n/a 0 931
1996 905 14 3 3 6 n/a n/a 0 931
1997 916 11 2 2 2 n/a n/a 0 933
1998 883 13 3 3 2 n/a n/a 0 904
1999 896 9 3 7 3 n/a n/a 0 918
2000 923 8 4 7 4 n/a n/a 0 946
2001 968 7 4 8 4 n/a n/a 0 991
2002 1022 13 3 12 1 n/a n/a 7 1058
2003 1022 13 3 12 1 n/a n/a 7 1058
2004 992 14 6 13 1 n/a n/a 11 1037
2005 976 20 6 10 0 n/a n/a 12 1024
2006 998 20 8 11 4 n/a n/a 14 1055
2007 1068 22 7 13 4 n/a n/a 12 1126
2008 1110 29 7 16 4 n/a n/a 22 1188
2009 1119 32 7 9 8 n/a n/a 26 1201
2010 1075 35 4 14 6 n/a n/a 36 1170
2011 1032 37 6 19 7 1 37 0 1139
2012 1014 38 5 21 7 0 39 0 1124
2013 1027 43 8 23 4 0 41 0 1146
2014 1019 37 8 18 5 0 39 0 1126
2015 1023 31 6 12 4 0 32 0 1108
2016 1025 34 7 16 4 0 37 0 1123
2017 1038 28 11 23 3 1 48 0 1152
2018 1034 27 19 24 2 1 65 0 1172
2019 1095 37 29 35 1 1 72 0 1270
2020 1117 41 46 42 4 2 67 0 1319
2021 1099 53 58 49 5 1 61 0 1326
2022 1136 50 75 60 7 1 60 0 1389
2023 1086 59 92 61 5 1 69 0 1373

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 Watkins Memorial High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1001 51.0 19.6 0
1989 973 52.0 18.7 n/a
1990 904 52.0 17.3 n/a
1991 860 50.8 16.9 n/a
1992 854 53.0 16.1 2.1
1993 893 56.5 15.8 1.8
1994 867 54.0 16.1 2.8
1995 931 54.0 17.2 2.5
1996 931 54.0 17.2 2.5
1997 933 55.0 17.0 3
1998 904 56.5 16.0 2.5
1999 918 56.0 16.4 3.5
2000 946 57.0 16.6 2.7
2001 991 57.0 17.4 1.7
2002 1058 62.1 17.0 3.8
2003 1058 62.1 17.0 3.8
2004 1037 62.0 16.7 6.3
2005 1024 58.0 17.7 7.2
2006 1055 59.4 17.8 10.8
2007 1126 63.1 17.8 12.7
2008 1188 60.1 19.8 n/a
2009 1201 62.6 19.2 22.3
2010 1170 64.6 18.1 31
2011 1139 66.0 17.2 35.4
2012 1124 66.4 16.9 37
2013 1146 67.2 17.0 31.8
2014 1126 72.6 15.5 33.3
2015 1108 n/a n/a 29.2
2016 1123 59.0 19.0 26.9
2017 1152 59.5 19.3 26
2018 1172 59.0 19.8 24.5
2019 1270 60.4 21.0 26.2
2020 1319 59.0 22.3 26.5
2021 1326 60.0 22.0 n/a
2022 1389 62.0 22.3 n/a
2023 1373 59.0 23.2 25.7

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 Watkins Memorial High School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1001 51.0 19.6 0
1989 973 52.0 18.7 n/a
1990 904 52.0 17.3 n/a
1991 860 50.8 16.9 n/a
1992 854 53.0 16.1 2.1
1993 893 56.5 15.8 1.8
1994 867 54.0 16.1 2.8
1995 931 54.0 17.2 2.5
1996 931 54.0 17.2 2.5
1997 933 55.0 17.0 3
1998 904 56.5 16.0 2.5
1999 918 56.0 16.4 3.5
2000 946 57.0 16.6 2.7
2001 991 57.0 17.4 1.7
2002 1058 62.1 17.0 3.8
2003 1058 62.1 17.0 3.8
2004 1037 62.0 16.7 6.3
2005 1024 58.0 17.7 7.2
2006 1055 59.4 17.8 10.8
2007 1126 63.1 17.8 12.7
2008 1188 60.1 19.8 n/a
2009 1201 62.6 19.2 22.3
2010 1170 64.6 18.1 31
2011 1139 66.0 17.2 35.4
2012 1124 66.4 16.9 37
2013 1146 67.2 17.0 31.8
2014 1126 72.6 15.5 33.3
2015 1108 n/a n/a 29.2
2016 1123 59.0 19.0 26.9
2017 1152 59.5 19.3 26
2018 1172 59.0 19.8 24.5
2019 1270 60.4 21.0 26.2
2020 1319 59.0 22.3 26.5
2021 1326 60.0 22.0 n/a
2022 1389 62.0 22.3 n/a
2023 1373 59.0 23.2 25.7

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 Watkins Memorial High School

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $8,058
2022 $8,813
2023 $9,092

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Watkins Memorial 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 136th of 836 High schoolsRanks 312th of 867 High schools
 19.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
End of Course American Government (Watkins Memorial High School)90.485.8
 4.6%
   End of Course American Government (Southwest Licking Local)90.583.2
 7.3%
   End of Course American Government (Ohio)77.772
 5.7%
End of Course American History (Watkins Memorial High School)92.888.2
 4.6%
   End of Course American History (Southwest Licking Local)92.886
 6.8%
   End of Course American History (Ohio)78.169.7
 8.4%
End of Course Biology (Watkins Memorial High School)91.677.9
 13.7%
   End of Course Biology (Southwest Licking Local)91.675.3
 16.3%
   End of Course Biology (Ohio)73.763.7
 10%
End of Course English II (Watkins Memorial High School)85.373.6
 11.7%
   End of Course English II (Southwest Licking Local)85.371.9
 13.4%
   End of Course English II (Ohio)66.260.8
 5.4%
End of Course Geometry (Watkins Memorial High School)63.350.6
 12.7%
   End of Course Geometry (Southwest Licking Local)64.949.4
 15.5%
   End of Course Geometry (Ohio)50.141.8
 8.3%
End of Course Algebra I (Watkins Memorial High School)69.563.3
 6.2%
   End of Course Algebra I (Southwest Licking Local)74.667.7
 6.9%
   End of Course Algebra I (Ohio)61.153
 8.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students12701373
 8.1%
African American3759
 59.5%
American Indian15
 400%
Asian2992
 217.2%
Hispanic3561
 74.3%
Pacific Islander11
White10951086
 0.8%
Two or More Races7269
 4.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients26.2%25.7%
 0.5%


Schools Near Watkins Memorial High School









Frequently Asked Questions about Watkins Memorial High School

Watkins Memorial High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Kirkersville Elementary School
Elementary : Pataskala Elementary School
Elementary : Watkins Intermediate School
Middle : Watkins Middle School

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,373 students attended Watkins Memorial High School.

Watkins Memorial High School ranks 202nd of 864 Ohio high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Watkins Memorial High School are 79% White, 7% Asian, 5% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 4% African American.


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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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