Solon Schools earn high marks in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 education rankings

SOLON, Ohio – The Solon Schools continue to demonstrate academic excellence with outstanding rankings across all grade levels in the latest U.S. News & World Report education rankings.

The publication released its 2025 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings in November.

Orchard Middle School earned the No. 1 spot among all Ohio middle schools, while Solon Middle School secured No. 4 in the state rankings.

These rankings are particularly noteworthy as districtwide performance significantly exceeds state average, according to a news release from the Solon City School District.

In addition, all three of the district’s elementary schools ranked in the top 10 statewide.

Parkside Elementary led the group at No. 5 in Ohio, followed by Roxbury Elementary at No. 7 and Lewis Elementary at No. 10.

All three elementary schools achieved “Well Above Expectations” ratings in both reading and math performance, with particularly strong showings in math proficiency, in which they tied for No. 1 in the state.

The rankings reflect a comprehensive analysis that evaluates schools on both raw achievement and performance relative to socioeconomic demographics, the news release stated.

Schools are ranked based on their students’ proficiency in state-required mathematics and reading assessments, with half the ranking based on actual scores and half on how schools perform compared to expected levels based on their demographic makeup.

It was previously announced in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 rankings that Solon High School maintained its position as a top performer.

It ranked No. 4 among all Ohio high schools and led the Cleveland metropolitan area as the top-ranked high school in the region.

“These are very impressive results,” Superintendent Fred Bolden told the Solon Board of Education Monday (Dec. 9).

“It’s the result of a lot of hard work by our students, our parents and our teachers. It’s a great job all around.”

Board President Julie Glavin said, “The success of one building directly relates to that of other buildings, as well.

“The high school is as good as it because all the other buildings in the district are performing at this level, too,” she said.

“Absolutely,” Bolden agreed. “The success of our high school is predicated on the performance that happens starting in preschool and kindergarten.”

Glavin added, “We’re certainly proud of all of our buildings. It’s nice validation.”

“It means we’ve just got to work harder,” Bolden said. “When you set a standard, exceeding that standard becomes harder the further on you go.”

New courses approved

Also on Monday, the board approved two additions to the 2025-26 program of studies at Solon High School.

New courses that will be offered next year are The Art of Podcasting, an elective in the English department, and Data Science Foundations, a year-long course in the math department.

English teacher Laura Lagania proposed The Art of Podcasting.

In her proposal, Lagania said the audience for the course will be “avid podcast listeners and students interested in creating their own podcast (and) broadcasting their own ideas.”

“Throughout this course, we will analyze the podcast as an art form, breaking down the ins and outs of what makes a quality podcast, from the art of storytelling to sound mixing and everything in between,” she said in the proposal.

“Then students will have the opportunity to transfer that knowledge to create their own podcasts based on their own interests and hobbies.”

The audience for Data Science Foundation, according to the proposal, is a student who needs a fourth credit in mathematics and is not intending to pursue a career that requires calculus or a career in the STEM field.

Algebra II is a prerequisite for the course.