CIRCLEVILLE, OH — Circleville City School District earned an overall rating of 3 out of 5 stars on the 2025–2026 state report cards released Thursday by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, meeting overall state standards while demonstrating a sharp contrast between high senior outcomes and lagging elementary growth.
Led by Superintendent Kimberly K. Halley, the district achieved strong 4-star marks across three major categories—Graduation Rate, Gap Closing, and College, Career, Workforce, and Military Readiness—highlighting success in guiding students through high school and onto post-secondary pathways.
However, those high-school achievements were offset by lower scores in foundational academic categories, including a 2-star rating in Early Literacy and a 2-star rating in Progress, signaling significant challenges in elementary reading and year-over-year student growth.
District Category Performance Breakdown:
The Good (Exceeding State Standards):
- Graduation Rate (4 Stars): Exceeds state standards in ensuring students earn their diplomas within four or five years.
- Gap Closing (4 Stars): Exceeds state standards in reducing educational performance gaps among diverse student groups.
- College, Career, Workforce, and Military Readiness (4 Stars): Exceeds state standards in preparing graduates for post-secondary education, trade credentials, or military enlistment.
Meeting State Standards:
- Achievement (3 Stars): Meets state standards for overall student test scores across all tested grade levels.
The Bad (Needs Improvement / Below Expectations):
- Early Literacy (2 Stars): Identified as needing additional support to meet state standards in reading improvement and proficiency for kindergarten through third-grade students.
- Progress (2 Stars): Showed significant evidence that the district fell short of academic growth expectations based on students’ past performance trajectory.
Ohio calculates school district performance on a 1-to-5 star scale in half-star increments across six core components to provide families and communities with a comprehensive overview of school quality.
