Marion County Schools & Education
Marion County, Ohio
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
13/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Lower Signal
Graduation Rate
61.4%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
61.4%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 88.3%
Per-Pupil Spending
$6,444
National avg $13,239
State avg $7,994
School Score
13/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 54/100
State Score Position
#88
of 88 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Marion County
Measured School Summary
Marion County faces educational challenges with a school score of 13/100 and a graduation rate of 61.4%, falling below typical benchmarks.
Funding Context
At $6,444 per pupil, Marion County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 77% below the Ohio average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 26.9 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 19% lower than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Marion County before comparing districts
County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.
Local context that changes the interpretation
27 public schools and 9 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.
Overall screen
13/100
Lower measured signal. Ranks #88 of 88 Ohio counties with school score data.
Completion
61.4%
26.9 pts below the state average
Funding context
$6,444
$1,550 below the state average
School coverage
27
9 districts represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Marion County has 27 public schools across 9 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.
Verify local rules
Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.
What Marion County school data means before you move
County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.
Choice-program county
Marion County has a visible charter, magnet, or virtual-school layer in NCES records. The practical question is eligibility, lottery timing, and transportation, not just whether a school appears nearby.
State position
#88
of 88 Ohio counties with school score data. The county score is 41 points below the state average.
Data confidence
Usable
3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.
K-12 continuity check
These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.
Marion City
Elementary to high school visible
4,223 students
9 listed schools in this county slice.
TRECA Digital Academy
Other grade structure
2,152 students
1 listed school in this county slice.
River Valley Local
Elementary to high school visible
1,916 students
5 listed schools in this county slice.
Pleasant Local
Elementary to high school visible
1,226 students
4 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Marion City is the largest listed district slice, with 9 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.
What the data cannot tell you
NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.
Questions to ask before choosing an address
Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Marion County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Marion County district systems?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Education Overview
About Schools in Marion County, Ohio
This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.
Marion's System of 27 Public Schools
Marion County operates 27 public schools serving 12,292 students within nine distinct districts. The infrastructure includes 11 elementary schools and a significant number of specialized or digital learning facilities.
Marion City and Digital Academy Leaders
Marion City is the largest traditional district with nine schools and 4,223 students. Interestingly, the single largest school is the TRECA Digital Academy, a charter institution with an enrollment of 2,152 students.
Rural Roots with Large Central Schools
Education here is split between rural settings and centralized towns, with an average school size of 492 students. While many schools are small, Harding High School and Ulysses S. Grant Middle School both serve roughly 1,000 students each.
School Overview
Total Schools
27
in Marion County
Reported Enrollment
12,292
27 schools reporting
School Districts
9
districts
Charter Schools
3
11% of total
School Level Breakdown
9 School Districts in Marion County
Marion City
GuideTRECA Digital Academy
River Valley Local
Pleasant Local
Elgin Local
Ridgedale Local
Tri-Rivers
Buckeye Community School - Marion
Marion Preparatory Academy
27 Public Schools in Marion County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 3 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 20 of 27 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRECA Digital Academy | Profile | TRECA Digital Academy | Marion, 43302Town: Distant | KG–12 | CharterVirtual | 2,152 |
| Harding High School | Profile | Marion City | Marion, 43302Town: Distant | 9–12 | High | 1,050 |
| Ulysses S. Grant Middle School | Profile | Marion City | Marion, 43302Town: Distant | 6–8 | Middle | 998 |
| River Valley High School | Record | River Valley Local | Caledonia, 43314Rural: Distant | 9–12 | High | 517 |
| Tri-Rivers Career Center | Record | Tri-Rivers | Marion, 43302Town: Distant | 10–12 | Vocational | 514 |
| Heritage Elementary School | Record | River Valley Local | Marion, 43302Rural: Fringe | KG–5 | Primary | 495 |
| Elgin Elementary School | Record | Elgin Local | Marion, 43302Rural: Distant | KG–5 | Primary | 490 |
| Pleasant Elementary School | Record | Pleasant Local | Marion, 43302Rural: Fringe | KG–4 | Primary | 475 |
| River Valley Middle School | Record | River Valley Local | Caledonia, 43314Rural: Distant | 6–8 | Middle | 453 |
| George Washington Elementary School | Record | Marion City | Marion, 43302Town: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 448 |
| Liberty Elementary School | Record | River Valley Local | Caledonia, 43314Rural: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 436 |
| Pleasant Middle School | Record | Pleasant Local | Marion, 43302Rural: Fringe | 5–8 | Middle | 425 |
| William H. Taft Elementary School | Record | Marion City | Marion, 43302Town: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 394 |
| Benjamin Harrison Elementary School | Record | Marion City | Marion, 43302Town: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 391 |
| James A. Garfield Elementary School | Record | Marion City | Marion, 43302Town: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 368 |
| William McKinley Elementary School | Record | Marion City | Marion, 43302Town: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 348 |
| Pleasant High School | Record | Pleasant Local | Marion, 43302Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 326 |
| Ridgedale Jr/Sr High School | Record | Ridgedale Local | Morral, 43337Rural: Distant | 6–12 | High | 316 |
| Ridgedale Elementary School | Record | Ridgedale Local | Morral, 43337Rural: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 311 |
| Buckeye Community School - Marion | Record | Buckeye Community School - Marion | Marion, 43302Town: Distant | 9–12 | Charter | 306 |
TRECA Digital Academy
TRECA Digital Academy
Marion, 43302 / Town: Distant
Harding High School
Marion City
Marion, 43302 / Town: Distant
Ulysses S. Grant Middle School
Marion City
Marion, 43302 / Town: Distant
River Valley High School
River Valley Local
Caledonia, 43314 / Rural: Distant
Heritage Elementary School
River Valley Local
Marion, 43302 / Rural: Fringe
River Valley Middle School
River Valley Local
Caledonia, 43314 / Rural: Distant
George Washington Elementary School
Marion City
Marion, 43302 / Town: Distant
Liberty Elementary School
River Valley Local
Caledonia, 43314 / Rural: Distant
William H. Taft Elementary School
Marion City
Marion, 43302 / Town: Distant
Benjamin Harrison Elementary School
Marion City
Marion, 43302 / Town: Distant
James A. Garfield Elementary School
Marion City
Marion, 43302 / Town: Distant
William McKinley Elementary School
Marion City
Marion, 43302 / Town: Distant
Ridgedale Elementary School
Ridgedale Local
Morral, 43337 / Rural: Distant
Buckeye Community School - Marion
Buckeye Community School - Marion
Marion, 43302 / Town: Distant
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$6,444
State avg $7,994
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Marion County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which Ohio counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Ohio?
How should I read the school score in Marion County?
What is the graduation rate in Marion County?
How much does Marion County spend per student?
Frequently Asked Questions
Schools in Marion County, Ohio — FAQ
What does the school system look like in Marion County, Ohio?
Marion County operates 27 public schools serving 12,292 students within nine distinct districts. The infrastructure includes 11 elementary schools and a significant number of specialized or digital learning facilities.
What are the major school districts in Marion County, Ohio?
Marion City is the largest traditional district with nine schools and 4,223 students. Interestingly, the single largest school is the TRECA Digital Academy, a charter institution with an enrollment of 2,152 students.
What is the school experience like in Marion County?
Education here is split between rural settings and centralized towns, with an average school size of 492 students. While many schools are small, Harding High School and Ulysses S. Grant Middle School both serve roughly 1,000 students each.
Counties with Similar School Profile
Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.