CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Southeastern Local Schools earned an overall four-star rating on the state’s 2025-2026 report card, with the district posting a five-star graduation rate and rankings that exceed state standards in closing achievement gaps and preparing students for college, careers or the military, according to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
The report card, released this month, rates districts from one to five stars in half-star increments across six components. Southeastern Local’s four-star overall mark means the district exceeds state standards.
The district earned three stars in Achievement, with a performance index of 79.4%, and three stars in Progress, meeting the state’s growth expectations overall. In Gap Closing, which measures how well the district is narrowing outcome disparities between student groups, Southeastern Local earned four stars, hitting 55.6% of its annual performance goals.
Graduation was the district’s strongest component, earning five stars for significantly exceeding state standards. Ohio’s Department of Education and Workforce reported 98.7% of Southeastern Local students graduated within four years and 97.2% within five years.
In Early Literacy, the district earned three stars for meeting state standards in kindergarten-through-third-grade reading. All third graders were promoted to fourth grade, while 66.3% demonstrated third grade reading proficiency and 42.6% showed improvement in K-3 literacy.
The district earned four stars in the College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness component, with 79.2% of students rated as ready for life after graduation.
“We are especially proud of the district’s results in Gap Closing, where Southeastern exceeds state standards,” Superintendent Nate Smith and Treasurer Phil Hartman said in a joint statement. “We are also proud of our results in College, Career, Workforce, and Military Readiness, where Southeastern exceeds state standards. Preparing our students for life beyond Southeastern remains one of our most important responsibilities.”
The district leaders said they would use the results to guide next steps, with staff examining the data through professional development to identify areas for improvement, particularly in literacy.
“We have much to be proud of, and we also have important work ahead of us,” the statement said. “Together, we will continue striving to serve every student, every day.”
Southeastern Local’s rating follows a mixed round of results for Ross County school districts on the state’s report cards two years ago, and comes the same month Bright Local Schools in Highland County also earned a four-star overall rating on this year’s report card.
The information contained in this story was obtained from Southeastern Local Schools.
