5 public K-12 schools in Independence from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
5 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.
The highest-ranked of Independence's 5 public schools is Alternative Education Academy, scoring 10/100, against a city average of 33.8/100. Computed live across every Independence campus reporting to NCES.
How the Independence Public-School Landscape Breaks Down
Independence, OH enrolls 8,575 students across 5 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, 2 are charter schools, giving families genuine alternatives to the traditional neighbourhood assignment model. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 32.8:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 33.8/100. Schools must report at least five campuses in a city to appear in this listing, which is why very small towns may redirect to the broader county or state view.
The most-resourced campus in Independence on this index is Alternative Education Academy, at 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index with 6,276 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.
Independence spans 3 districts, each filing its own NCES F-33 return, per-pupil spending can vary between neighbouring campuses. Sort the table below by enrollment, level, or district; click any school for its full profile.
Alternative Education Academy accounts for 73.2% of all Independence public-school enrollment
That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Independence a distant remainder — means Independence-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade level: Combined. A dominant campus often anchors a city's program landscape and absorbs a disproportionate share of district capital and staffing decisions. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Independence school enrollment varies 21× across entities
Independence school enrollment ranges from 299 students (lowest) to 6,276 students (highest), a spread of 5,977 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. Per-school staffing, programme depth, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same city based on enrollment shape, a 200-student magnet runs a different operational model than a 2,000-student comprehensive high school.
Independence student-teacher ratio is 32.8:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
student-teacher ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE classroom teachers against total enrollment, push-in specialists, English-language aides, special-education co-teachers, and counselors are not included in most reporting Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.
Independence has higher-than-average charter school authorisation eligibility — 40.0% of the population qualifies for charter-school enrollment options
charter-school enrollment options eligibility is the federal threshold for charter school authorisation funding allocations, established under the state-specific charter law. Areas above 30% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic charter school authorisation formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Independence
Ranked by the Simpson student-body diversity index (0-100) from NCES race and ethnicity data, where higher means a more evenly mixed student body. It measures mix, not quality.
The highest-ranked school in Independence is Alternative Education Academy with a quality score of 10/100. There are 5 public schools in Independence with 8,575 total students.
How many schools are in Independence, OH? ▼
Independence has 5 public schools with a total enrollment of 8,575 students. 2 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 32.8:1.
Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. Quality scores based on student-teacher ratio,
counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance. Schools must have 5+ in the city to be listed.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology, which explains how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
