Best Elementary Schools in Dayton, OH (2025-26)
Every ranked elementary school in Dayton, OH, ordered by SchoolGrade. A grade rewards actual test performance against the projection for each school's student context, so a B in a high-poverty school can outrank an A- elsewhere on impact. Click a column heading to sort, or filter by school, city or district.
Dayton, OH rankings: Elementary Schools
Dayton, OH elementary schools ranked
| Rank | Grade | School | City | District | Actual | Projected | Impact | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | A+ | Harman Elementary School | Dayton | Oakwood City | 92% | 82% | Meets Expectations | 413 |
| #2 | A+ | Smith Elementary School | Dayton | Oakwood City | 88% | 76% | Meets Expectations | 520 |
| #3 | A+ | Dr John Hole Elementary School | Dayton | Centerville City | 86% | 74% | Meets Expectations | 414 |
| #4 | B+ | Normandy Elementary School | Dayton | Centerville City | 78% | 57% | Exceeds Expectations | 419 |
| #5 | B- | Driscoll Elementary School | Dayton | Centerville City | 69% | 54% | Meets Expectations | 268 |
| #6 | B- | Smith Middle School | Dayton | Vandalia-Butler City | 68% | 62% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 453 |
| #7 | C+ | Beverly Gardens Elementary School | Dayton | Mad River Local | 65% | 45% | Exceeds Expectations | 395 |
| #8 | C+ | Saville Elementary School | Dayton | Mad River Local | 65% | 47% | Exceeds Expectations | 379 |
| #9 | C+ | Northwood Elementary School | Dayton | Northmont City | 64% | 49% | Meets Expectations | 323 |
| #10 | C+ | Brantwood Elementary School | Dayton | Mad River Local | 63% | 37% | Greatly Exceeds Expectations | 353 |
| #11 | C | Spinning Hills Middle School 5 6 | Dayton | Mad River Local | 62% | 52% | Meets Expectations | 543 |
| #12 | C | Virginia Stevenson Elementary School | Dayton | Mad River Local | 59% | 42% | Exceeds Expectations | 312 |
| #13 | C- | Pathway School Of Discovery (Charter) | Dayton | Pathway School of Discovery | 50% | 20% | Greatly Exceeds Expectations | 784 |
| #14 | D+ | Rivers Edge Montessori Elementary School | Dayton | Dayton City | 45% | 18% | Greatly Exceeds Expectations | 494 |
| #15 | D+ | Deca Prep (Charter) | Dayton | Deca Prep | 44% | 9% | Greatly Exceeds Expectations | 928 |
| #16 | D+ | North Dayton School Of Science And Discovery (Charter) | Dayton | North Dayton School of Discovery | 42% | 11% | Greatly Exceeds Expectations | 563 |
| #17 | D+ | Horizon Science Academy Dayton (Charter) | Dayton | Horizon Science Academy-Dayton | 41% | 9% | Greatly Exceeds Expectations | 200 |
| #18 | D+ | Eastmont Elementary School | Dayton | Dayton City | 40% | 29% | Meets Expectations | 331 |
| #19 | D | West Carrollton Intermediate School | Dayton | West Carrollton City | 47% | 36% | Meets Expectations | 509 |
| #20 | D | Horace Mann Elementary School | Dayton | Dayton City | 38% | 28% | Meets Expectations | 364 |
| #21 | D | Dayton Smart Elementary School (Charter) | Dayton | Dayton SMART Elementary School | 36% | 11% | Greatly Exceeds Expectations | 81 |
| #22 | D | Northridge Elementary School | Dayton | Northridge Local | 36% | 37% | Underperforms Expectations | 734 |
| #23 | D- | Cleveland Elementary School | Dayton | Dayton City | 31% | 16% | Meets Expectations | 324 |
| #24 | D- | Kemp Elementary School | Dayton | Dayton City | 30% | 15% | Meets Expectations | 270 |
| #25 | D- | Kiser Elementary School | Dayton | Dayton City | 30% | 12% | Exceeds Expectations | 552 |
| #26 | D- | Emerson Academy (Charter) | Dayton | Emerson Academy | 28% | 11% | Exceeds Expectations | 641 |
| #27 | D- | Montgomery Preparatory Academy (Charter) | Dayton | Montgomery Preparatory Academy | 28% | 18% | Meets Expectations | 254 |
| #28 | D- | Louise Troy Elementary School | Dayton | Dayton City | 26% | 7% | Exceeds Expectations | 338 |
| #29 | D- | Ruskin Elementary School | Dayton | Dayton City | 26% | 17% | Meets Expectations | 523 |
| #30 | D- | Charity Adams Earley Girls Academy | Dayton | Dayton City | 24% | 11% | Meets Expectations | 214 |
| #31 | F | Blairwood Elementary School | Dayton | Jefferson Township Local | 22% | 12% | Meets Expectations | 153 |
| #32 | F | Belle Haven Elementary School | Dayton | Dayton City | 20% | 9% | Meets Expectations | 449 |
| #33 | F | Miami Valley Academies (Charter) | Dayton | Miami Valley Academies | 20% | 21% | Underperforms Expectations | 119 |
| #34 | F | Horizon Science Academy Dayton Downtown (Charter) | Dayton | Horizon Science Academy Dayton Downtown | 19% | 13% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 189 |
| #35 | F | Richard Allen Preparatory (Charter) | Dayton | Richard Allen Preparatory | 19% | 7% | Meets Expectations | 451 |
| #36 | F | Roosevelt Elementary School | Dayton | Dayton City | 19% | 9% | Meets Expectations | 353 |
| #37 | F | City Day Community School (Charter) | Dayton | City Day Community School | 18% | 14% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 199 |
| #38 | F | Dayton Leadership Academies Dayton View Campus (Charter) | Dayton | Alliance Community Schools Inc. dba Dayton Leadership Acade | 18% | 7% | Meets Expectations | 477 |
| #39 | F | Fairview Elementary School | Dayton | Dayton City | 18% | 8% | Meets Expectations | 472 |
| #40 | F | Edison Elementary School | Dayton | Dayton City | 17% | 8% | Meets Expectations | 388 |
| #41 | F | Klepinger Community School (Charter) | Dayton | Klepinger Community School | 16% | 10% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 537 |
| #42 | F | Westwood Elementary School | Dayton | Dayton City | 16% | 8% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 360 |
| #43 | F | Valerie Elementary School | Dayton | Dayton City | 14% | 10% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 547 |
How Dayton, OH's elementary schools compare
A: 3B: 3C: 7D: 17F: 13
14% of the 43 ranked elementary schools in Dayton, OH earn an A or B (3 A grades, 3 B, 7 C, 17 D, 13 F), against 46% of elementary schools nationwide. 35 schools meet or beat the proficiency projected from their student context (81% here, 70% nationally), and 14 exceed it. On average 40% of tested students meet the state bar against a projected 26% (national averages: 46% actual, 37% projected).
The biggest overperformers, by actual proficiency above projection: Deca Prep (44% against 9%, D+), Horizon Science Academy Dayton (41% against 9%, D+), North Dayton School Of Science And Discovery (42% against 11%, D+), Pathway School Of Discovery (50% against 20%, C-), Rivers Edge Montessori Elementary School (45% against 18%, D+).
Districts with the most schools in the top quarter (the top 11): Mad River Local (4), Centerville City (3), Oakwood City (2).
The largest ranked elementary schools: Deca Prep (928 students, D+, #15), Pathway School Of Discovery (784 students, C-, #13), Northridge Elementary School (734 students, D, #22).
Of the top 25, 0 are magnet schools and 5 are charters. Selective and specialised schools tend to post high actual scores; the projection column is the fairer comparison for a neighborhood school.
Elementary schools in Dayton, OH that are not ranked
4 graded elementary schools are listed here rather than ranked, each for the reason given. Every one has its own page with its full SchoolGrade report.
Not yet graded (4)
Our source data has no school-level proficiency results for these schools, so they carry no SchoolGrade yet.
About this ranking
- Scope: public elementary schools in Dayton, OH, as grouped on its schools page; the Ohio ranking covers the whole state.
- Order: SchoolGrade, then actual proficiency, then name; schools with the same grade and score share a rank.
- Ranked: regular public schools that NCES lists as open, not fully online, with at least 30 students. Others are listed with the reason.
- Tags: Magnet and Charter from the NCES school directory; K-12 marks schools serving every grade that are ranked with the elementary schools.
- Grades are the 2025-26 SchoolGrade model. How SchoolGrade works
Questions about elementary schools in Dayton, OH
What is the best elementary school in Dayton, OH?
Harman Elementary School in Dayton ranks first among the 43 ranked elementary schools in Dayton, OH with a SchoolGrade of A+, 92% of tested students meeting the state bar against a projected 82%.
How are elementary schools in Dayton, OH ranked?
By SchoolGrade, the 2025-26 model that scores each school's actual test proficiency against the level projected for its student context, then by actual proficiency to break ties. Regular public schools that are open, not fully online and have at least 30 students are ranked; the rest are listed below the table with the reason.
How many elementary schools does Dayton, OH have?
SchoolGrade grades 47 public elementary schools in Dayton, OH; 43 are ranked here and 4 are listed as not ranked.