Butler County's 10 public school districts received a mix of results in the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce's annual report card, released Tuesday for the 2025-2026 school year.
Hamilton and Fairfield each improved their overall academic ratings. Fairfield moved from 3.5 to 4 stars, and Hamilton rose from 3 to 3.5 stars, according to the state figures. The two districts together enroll roughly 18,000 students.
Lakota, the county's largest district with about 17,000 students, held at 4.5 stars, matching the prior year. Ross and Talawanda also repeated at 4.5 stars. Ross posted the county's top Performance Index at 89.7%, while Talawanda recorded the second-highest four-year graduation rate at 99.6%, followed by Madison at 99.1%. New Miami, the smallest district with roughly 600 students, reported a 100% graduation rate.
Middletown again earned 2 stars, the county's lowest overall rating, with a 59.1% Performance Rating. Its four-year graduation rate of 89.1% was also the county's lowest, though it improved from 85.8% the previous year.
Statewide, ratings span from one to five stars, with at least three stars indicating a district meets state standards. The reports cover all 611 Ohio public school districts and their individual buildings.
Fairfield Superintendent Billy Smith called the four-star result a tremendous accomplishment, while cautioning that a district should not be defined solely by a report card. Hamilton Superintendent Andrea Blevins noted her district's rating gain came during a year with nearly $10 million in budget reductions, adding that 3.5 stars is not the district's destination.