By Kaitlyn Geiger
CCN Correspondent

NEW WASHINGTON — The Buckeye Central Local Schools Board of Education discussed the district’s grade card, given by the Ohio Department of Education, during the board’s meeting Tuesday evening.

Buckeye Central was given an overall grade of a “B” as a district, which is the highest in Crawford County.

For being a small district, board members said they were happy that their numbers were comparable to bigger schools, such as Lexington Local Schools and Shelby City Schools, which received district grades of a “B” and “C,” respectively.

Of the more than 800 school districts in the state, Buckeye Central ranked the highest in the county in the Performance Index Rankings at 128, which is a “B” letter grade.

According to the ODE website, “The Performance Index is a calculation that measures student performance on the Ohio Achievement Assessments/Ohio Graduate Tests at the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade levels and English I, English II, Algebra I, Geometry, Integrated Math I and Integrated Math II.”

The other five Crawford County schools followed in the rankings with Wynford at 339 with a “C,” Colonel Crawford at 359 with a “C,” Galion at 567 with a “D,” Crestline at 609 with a “D” and Bucyrus at 620 with a “D.”

Districts are also ranked based on “value added,” which according to ODE “is a calculation that uses student achievement data over time to measure the gains in learning students make. It provides a way to measure the effect a school or teacher has on student academic performance over the course of a school year or another period of time.”

Buckeye Central ranked second in Crawford County in that list, ranking 108, an “A,” while just Wynford ranked higher in value added at 53, also an “A.”

The value-added ranks for other county schools included Bucyrus at 371 with a “B,” Galion at 376 with a “B,” Colonel Crawford at 498 with a “D” and Crestline at 502 with a “D.”

The Buckeye Central School Board expressed its excitement that the kids are doing well and are looking forward to any improvements that may be made to better the district for future years.

The ODE website may be accessed here to find additional information on the districts’ grade cards.

The next board meeting is Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.