A number of Mahoning Valley schools have been named among the top performing schools, according to a publication that determines the best elementary and middle schools in Ohio and the United States for 2025.

Schools were ranked by US News & World Report this month based on their percentages of students who were proficient or above on their math and reading and language arts assessments, according to an explanation provided by the agency.

However, raw test scores were only half of the assessment.

Test scores on socioeconomic demographics, such as the percentage of students who received free or reduced-price lunches, made up the other half of the rankings. It also considered publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education, taking into account factors such as faculty qualifications and student-teacher ratios.

The award is in its fourth year.

SEABORN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Seaborn Elementary School in Weathersfield ranked 134th in the report. This is the third time Seaborn Elementary School has been recognized by the news outlet as a top performing school, earning recognition in 2022 and 2024.

Eighty-two percent of students scored at or above proficiency for math, and 80 percent scored at or above proficiency for reading, according to the outlet. The school’s students did better in math and reading on this measure than students nationwide, as 57 percent of students tested at or above proficiency in reading and 51 percent tested at or above that level for math in Ohio.

Seaborn Elementary Principal TJ Koniowsky considered the school that received the award to be a “incredible honor”.

“It seems like our kids and teachers and everyone after COVID really stepped up and we’ve been growing ever since.” Koniowski said. “We received the Blue Ribbon School Award in 2022, which was backed up by a five-star award after that, and now we have a five-star award this year. Our kids and staff continue to raise their game, which is pretty remarkable to see and is a testament to the effort of the teachers and the kids and families who are so supportive of education and Mineral Ridge.”

Seaborn Elementary School received a five-star rating in their state report card grades released in September.

The school fell short of perfection, with its early literacy grade receiving four stars, but Koniowsky said it’s a tough area for all schools to improve.

“So it was a three in 2023. It was a three star. So it’s already gone up by one star and that (four) is actually a very, very, very difficult star rating to get.” Koniowski said. “We met our directors yesterday at the county. They talked about this specifically, this is one of the hardest; I think something like only single digit percentages in the state got five stars.”

Koniowsky said he wants the state to test and focus more on how things look in the spring rather than the fall because teachers and staff will have a chance to do their part in affecting scores.

“They put so much emphasis on fall testing of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders because they’re comparing each fall to each other, right?” Koniowski said. “And so a child says, maybe they’re split up in the household and they go live with the opposite parent all summer and they don’t work on their studies and they come back less than expected. Then that’s a sting.”

“Our methods and strategies are proven. Our teachers are great teachers and we care about the kids and usually the scores go down where they do because of that.” he added.

Although he could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon, Weathersfield Superintendent Damon Dohar praised Koniowsky and the school’s students and staff for being recognized a third time in a news release Thursday.

“Their hard work and dedication has been recognized at many levels in educational circles,” Dohar said. “We are all proud to celebrate their accolade, once again, as one of the best elementary schools in Ohio.”

NILES INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL

Niles Intermediate School ranked 517 out of 1,577 in the same ranking, placing it in the top 40 percent of public elementary schools in Ohio. This is also the third time the school has been featured, having also been recognized in 2022 and 2024.

Sixty-one percent of students scored at or above proficiency in math, and 58% scored at or above proficiency in reading, according to US News & World Report data.

Kimberly Barrell, president of the Niles City Schools Board of Education, said they are “beyond delighted” with the school ranking.

“We are grateful and proud of our staff for all their hard work and dedication.” Barrell said. “I think it speaks volumes about how dedicated they are to our students.”

Principal Chris Staph shared that sentiment, also noting their report card scores this year.

“This achievement reflects the dedication of our students, faculty and staff,” Staph said. “Also, achieving a 4.5-star ranking on the Ohio Department of Education’s state report card makes this recognition especially rewarding.”