Three Ashtabula County public school districts received the lowest overall grades on Niche’s 2027 county list, with grades ranging from C to D+.
The report cards show some contrasts that the overall grades miss. One district earned a B− for College Prep and a C− for Resources & Facilities. Another received a B− for Resources & Facilities and a D− for Administration.
Under Niche’s 2027 methodology, Academics accounts for half of the overall grade and Teachers accounts for 15%. The remaining factors include culture and diversity, parent and student surveys on their overall experience, resources and facilities, clubs and activities, and sports. Ohio publishes its own school report cards using a separate rating system.
Conneaut Area City School District — Overall Niche Grade C
College Prep and Sports were Conneaut’s highest category grades, both at B−. Administration and Resources & Facilities came in at C− on the district’s Niche report card. The district serves preschool through 12th grade in Conneaut, with 1,587 students listed across four schools.
| Niche category | Grade |
|---|---|
| Academics | C+ |
| Diversity | C+ |
| Teachers | C+ |
| College Prep | B− |
| Clubs & Activities | C |
| Administration | C− |
| Sports | B− |
| Food | C |
| Resources & Facilities | C− |
Reading Came In Nine Points Above Math
Niche reports that 58% of tested students scored at or above proficiency in reading or English language arts and 49% did so in math. The figures come from Ohio’s 2024–25 testing program, which includes state tests in grades three through eight and end-of-course exams for high school students.
Niche lists a student-teacher ratio of 16 to 1, slightly above the national public-school benchmark of 15.2 to 1 in 2023–24. Niche’s profile gives the testing year and leaves the staffing year unspecified. The ratio compares enrollment with full-time-equivalent teachers across the district. Actual class sizes vary by school and course.
A Route Into Welding and Other Trades
Conneaut High School students can apply to the Ashtabula County Technical & Career Campus, known as A-Tech. The campus offers programs in welding, cosmetology and other fields, alongside academic courses students need to graduate.
A-Tech accepts applications from eligible sophomores and juniors and requires applicants to visit the program they’re interested in. Students who attend A-Tech still earn their diploma from their home high school.
Grand Valley Local School District — Overall Niche Grade C−
Grand Valley’s Niche report card shows a wide gap between two categories. The Orwell-based district earned a B− for Resources & Facilities and a D− for Administration. Grand Valley serves kindergarten through 12th grade, with 814 students listed across its elementary, middle and high schools.
| Niche category | Grade |
|---|---|
| Academics | C |
| Diversity | C |
| Teachers | C |
| College Prep | C− |
| Clubs & Activities | C |
| Administration | D− |
| Sports | C |
| Food | B− |
| Resources & Facilities | B− |
The Highest Reading and Math Figures of the Three
On the 2024–25 Ohio assessments summarized by Niche, 60% of tested Grand Valley students reached proficiency in reading or English language arts and 54% reached proficiency in math. Both figures were the highest among the three districts featured here, even though Conneaut earned a higher overall grade.
Niche lists 15 students per teacher, close to the 2023–24 national public-school benchmark of 15.2 to 1. The district profile leaves the year of its staffing figure unspecified.
How Families Can Ask About Gifted Services
Grand Valley’s published 2025–26 gifted education plan called for districtwide screening in first and fourth grades and allowed parents, teachers and students to make referrals during the school year. The plan described small groups of identified students placed together in regular classrooms in some grades, with advanced coursework available in middle school where offered.
Families can start at the district’s gifted education page and ask the school office about referral forms, screening dates and services for their child’s grade this year.
Ashtabula Area City School District — Overall Niche Grade D+
Ashtabula Area City received a D+ in Academics on Niche’s district academics page and a B+ in Diversity on Niche’s 2027 diversity listing. The district serves preschool through 12th grade in Ashtabula and surrounding communities, with 2,635 students in the federal district directory.
| Niche category | Grade |
|---|---|
| Academics | D+ |
| Diversity | B+ |
| Teachers | C |
| College Prep | Unverified for 2027 |
| Clubs & Activities | Unverified for 2027 |
| Administration | Unverified for 2027 |
| Sports | Unverified for 2027 |
| Food | Unverified for 2027 |
| Resources & Facilities | Unverified for 2027 |
About a Third Reached Reading Proficiency
Niche reports that 36% of tested students reached proficiency in reading or English language arts and 27% reached proficiency in math on Ohio’s 2024–25 assessments. Its 2027 district listing for teachers shows a C in that category and a student-teacher ratio of 20 to 1.
That staffing figure is the highest of the three featured districts and above the 2023–24 national public-school benchmark of 15.2 to 1. The year of Niche’s staffing figure is unspecified.
College Credit Through Kent State Ashtabula
Lakeside High School works with Kent State Ashtabula through Ohio’s College Credit Plus program. Qualified students in grades seven through 12 can earn high school and college credit from the same course. Students can also apply to other participating colleges, each of which sets its own admissions requirements.
Lakeside’s guidance office is a starting point for checking which classes fit a student’s graduation plan. Kent State Ashtabula’s application page lists the materials families need to submit.
Where the Cutoff Fell
Niche’s county page listed seven districts. The cutoff was C, one step below the next district’s C+. The other three districts received a B− or B, and no additional district tied at the cutoff.
The category grades show why it helps to open the full report card. Grand Valley had a lower overall grade than Conneaut but a higher grade in Resources & Facilities. Grand Valley also had higher proficiency figures in both subjects, while Conneaut had the higher College Prep grade.
For families comparing schools, the next step is to look up the school their child would actually attend. Ohio’s school report cards let readers search individual buildings, where they can look for results at the relevant grade level and follow up with the school about programs their child could use.