PLYMOUTH – There are fewer than 600 students across Plymouth-Shiloh Local Schools. Supt. Brad Turson said he sees that as an advantage and it’s part of why the district exceeded state’s expectations in its state report card.
“We average 15 to 17 students per classroom, so we can really give that individual attention,” Turson said. “I think that really helps our students.”
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce issues a yearly report card to each of the state’s public schools. Each is graded on a five-star scale.
Districts are graded on six categories: achievement, progress, gap closing, graduation, early literacy and CCWN (college, career, workforce and military) readiness.
Plymouth-Shiloh Local received four stars as a district. Below are their district grades in each category:
- Achievement: 3 stars
- Progress: 3 stars
- Gap Closing: 4 stars
- Graduation: 4 stars
- Early Literacy: 3 stars
- College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness: 5 stars
Plymouth High School and Shiloh Middle School earned 3.5 stars, while Shiloh Elementary School earned 4.5 stars. The individual schools received five-star ratings in CCWM readiness (high school), gap closing (elementary and high school) and progress (elementary school).
“One of our goals is to make sure that our students are leaving our district so that they can be successful beyond their time here,” Turson said. “Our high school staff has made a lot of changes throughout the years, and they try to help our students and help guide them into areas where they will be successful once they leave.
“I’m from Plymouth. I graduated from here. We want to make sure (our students have long-term success), 100%.”
What do school report card components mean?
Achievement is a measure of how well students in grades 3 through 12 performed on state tests.
Progress measures how much growth students are making, based on state test results from prior years. For the 2025-2026 report cards, ratings are based on three consecutive years of data.
Gap Closing measures how well schools close achievement gaps for students of different races, students with disabilities and students from economically disadvantaged families. The gap closing metric is also impacted by chronic absenteeism rates and how well the district serves gifted students.
Graduation is determined by a high school’s four-year graduation rate (60 percent of the score) and its five-year graduation rate (40 percent of the score).
Early Literacy is a measure of reading improvement and proficiency for students in kindergarten through third grade.
College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness is a measure of how prepared Ohio’s students are for future opportunities, including entering the workforce, enlisting in the military or pursuing additional education. Districts get points for students who do things like pass the ACT or SAT, earn an honors diploma, complete college courses or earn industry recognized credentials.
The Big Red’s other strong point was gap closing, seeing two of three schools in the district earn five stars, and the third earn four.
“Those are economically disadvantaged students, and we try to provide some intervention during the school day for all of our students that need that,” Turson said. “We also provide tutoring after school.
“We really try to concentrate on the individual student, see exactly where they are and where they need to be, and then try to develop a program so that they can be successful throughout their career.”
The district isn’t without its spaces for improvement, though. Plymouth High School received a one-star grade on progress, indicating failure to meet state expectations.
Progress indicates academic growth, with an emphasis on state testing. Plymouth High School’s state testing grades fell short of student growth expectations by a “larger magnitude” in algebra, geometry and American government.
“We continue to look at our progress, and that’s very important to us,” Turson said. “We can continue to put the emphasis on progress and make sure that those students are growing.”
Turson is excited about his district’s future. Even with a one-star grade, it’s worth noting that the district had four five-star grades and a four-year graduation rate of 95.3%.
“I love this little district; I’ll tell you that. I think everyone knows that about me,” Turson said.
“It’s a great district. It’s a gem in Northern Richland County. I really am proud of how we can individualize that education for all of our students; we are blessed right now to be able to have small classes.”
