This article will be updated with additional comment from central Ohio schools as they become available.
The 2026 state report cards are out, and here's how central Ohio districts did.
Across Franklin County, the average star-rating was over 3.5 stars, and four schools in the county earned five-star ratings. The five-star schools in Franklin County were Bexley City Schools, Grandview Heights City Schools, Upper Arlington City Schools and New Albany-Plain Local Schools.
Olentangy Local Schools in Delaware County, the state's fourth largest district, also earned five stars and remains the largest school in the state to earn top ratings on state report cards.
Two districts in Franklin County ranked below the state standard of three stars: Columbus
City Schools and Hamilton Local Schools. Columbus City Schools, however, notched a small win this year by gaining a half-star on its report card.
In 2021, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce switched from an A-F model to five-star scale model was adopted, assigning an overall star rating and individual ratings for six components: gap closing, achievement, progress, graduation, early literacy and college, career, workforce and military readiness.
Each category is weighted differently, with 25% of the weight placed on achievement and progress categories, and 12.5% weight to the gap closing, graduation, early literacy and college, career, workforce and military readiness categories.
ODEW Director Stephen Dackin said while report cards "are never an end point," they are a "building block for data-driven decisions that guide where to focus state and local resources, and, most importantly, how best to support Ohio students."
“Meaningful progress happens when we understand where growth is needed and where success can be amplified. We must act with urgency to ensure every student is equipped with the knowledge and life skills they need for the future," Dackin said.
See your district's report card:
Central Ohio districts see growth
Several central Ohio schools notched higher scores this year than last year. Pickerington Local Schools went from 4 stars in 2024-2025 to 4.5 stars in 2025-2026. Pickerington Superintendent Charles Smialek said the results "reflect the daily work happening in classrooms and across our schools."
"We’re proud of the progress our students have made, and we’re grateful to the educators, staff and families who support them every day," Smialek said. "We’ll celebrate this growth while continuing to look for ways to help every student reach their full potential.”
South Western City Schools, which received a three-star rating last year, advanced to 3.5 stars this year. Brian Bowser, assistant superintendent of curriculum, said "the real story behind these results is the people who made this progress possible."
“Our teachers, instructional teams, leaders, and support staff have worked tirelessly to provide students with the instruction, resources, and support they need to thrive," Bowser said.
Columbus City Schools, which has had a string of two-star ratings, was finally able to celebrate forward momentum with a half-star gain. Superintendent Angela Chapman, however, said the district was "not satisfied with 2.5 stars."
“Every day we work to get better in helping our students reach their potential, to learn and grow in a safe environment, and to make the most of this opportunity to become tomorrow’s leaders," Chapman said.
Dublin City Schools, which earned another 4.5-star rating, said in a statement that the result "once again reflect strong student outcomes and the district’s ongoing commitment to high-quality teaching and learning."
State-level scores show five-year highs, improvements
This year, more than 90% of districts earned overall ratings of three stars or higher, meaning they met or exceeded state expectations for performance, the state said.
According to state-level data, 62.2% of students were proficient in English/Language Arts in 2025-2026, up from 60.4% the year prior. Math proficiency scores were also up, recording a proficiency rate 56.4% compared to 55.3% the year prior.
In a statement, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said the state "must keep working to ensure our students grow in all areas of academic achievement and career readiness."
“I applaud the continued dedication from school leaders, educators, and staff who are working hard to provide Ohio students the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life,” DeWine said.
This marks the third consecutive year of declining chronic absenteeism, and the lowest mark since before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2025-2026, the chronic absenteeism rate was 23.9%, down from 25.1% the previous year. That represents an eight percentage point drop from the state's high-water mark of over 30% chronic absenteeism in 2021-2022.
Cole Behrens covers K-12 education and school districts in central Ohio. Have a tip? Contact Cole at cbehrens@dispatch.com or connect with him on X at @Colebehr_report
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio report cards are out. See how your Columbus-area school did
