TOP SCHOOLS — Pugliese West kindergarten students Wayne Lytle, left, and Wesson O’Donnell work on a lesson. Five Steubenville City School District sites were included in the 2025 U.S. News and World Report’s rankings among the best elementary and middle schools. — Contributed
STEUBENVILLE — U.S. News & World Report has released its latest rankings for educational success and Steubenville City Schools once again has made the list.
According to the publication, all four elementary buildings, including East Garfield, McKinley STEM Academy, Pugliese West and Wells Academy, as well as Harding Middle School, were named among the 2025 Best Elementary Schools and Best Middle Schools because they placed among the top 40 percent in Ohio. A total of 59,128 private, public K-8 and public high schools were reviewed among the rankings and each of the Steubenville schools is eligible to display a Best Elementary Schools or Best Middle Schools award badge to celebrate their designation.
“We are incredibly proud of the recognition our schools have received from U.S. News & World Report as some of the top-performing schools in Ohio. This achievement reflects the dedication and hard work of our students, teachers, staff and families across the district. It is a testament to the strong commitment to academic excellence and community collaboration that defines Steubenville City Schools,” Superintendent Melinda Young said.
“To have all four elementary schools — East Garfield, McKinley STEM Academy, Pugliese West, and Wells Academy — along with Harding Middle School ranked among the best in the state is an extraordinary honor. The outstanding rankings, including Wells Academy earning third in the state and Harding Middle School being named a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School, highlight the exceptional efforts of everyone involved in our district’s success,” she continued.
“At Steubenville City Schools, we strive to provide a supportive, innovative and high-quality education for every student. This recognition encourages us to continue raising the bar and ensuring that our students are well-prepared for future success. We are grateful to our educators, students, families and community partners for their unwavering support and dedication, and we look forward to continuing our tradition of excellence.”
Wells Academy earned third in the state, followed by Pugliese West at sixth, McKinley STEM at ninth and East Garfield at 114th in the elementary schools category while Harding was 113th in the middle schools slot.
Wells Principal Tommy Kotsanis was thrilled with the accomplishment of his 347 grades PK-4 pupils and said it was a concerted effort to attain success.
“Receiving this honor is a tremendous acknowledgment of our efforts. Whenever our school is recognized for its achievements, we take immense pride in that recognition. The collaborative work of our students, staff, parents and the board of education contributes significantly to our success, and we celebrate this milestone together,” Kotsanis said. “Being recognized as a top-performing school underscores our unwavering commitment to academic excellence at Wells Academy. This distinction reflects the hard work and dedication of our students, staff and community.”
He added that Wells has been recognized multiple times for its high achievements and each recognition is considered a significant honor which reflects the hard work and dedication of the entire school community.
Pugliese West Principal Lynnett Gorman commented that she was elated to have her building of 457 students in grades PreK-4 make the list.
“We are always honored to have the hard work of our students and staff recognized,” Gorman said. “It’s always an honor to be recognized, but our main focus are our students and putting into place instructional practices that will assist them to learn to read and to become successful students and community citizens.”
She added that Pugliese West has received many accolades. In 2022, the school rated as an Overall Five-Star building in Ohio, was recognized nationally as a 2018 ESEA Distinguished Title I School and was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2021.
McKinley STEM Academy Principal Donnie Reeves said his 176-student school made the list for the first time.
“McKinley STEM is honored as well as thrilled to be recognized,” Reeves continued. “This award shows the hard work and dedication put in on a daily basis by the teachers and staff here.”
East Garfield Principal Tricia Saccoccia was happy her school was selected and said it recognized the commitment the students and staff have to being successful.
“We are incredibly proud to announce that our school, East Garfield Elementary, has earned the prestigious Best Public Elementary badge from U.S. News & World Report. This honor reflects the hard work and dedication of our students, teachers, staff and the entire community. It is a testament to the supportive learning environment we’ve built together, and it motivates us to continue striving for excellence,” Saccoccia commented. “With more than 375 students, we are committed to providing an outstanding education that nurtures every child’s potential. This recognition is not only a celebration of our achievements but a reminder of the importance of education in shaping the future of our students. We are excited to join a select group of schools that have earned this distinction. It only fuels our passion for improving and innovating every day. We want to thank everyone who has contributed to our success — East is succeeding.”
HMS Principal Bryan Mills said he felt proud and accomplished to see his school included among the rankings.
“We set goals every year after self-reflection and analyzing our data, so being ranked as a top school in our state is very rewarding,” Mills said. “Harding Middle School takes pride in the hard work they put in, so every accolade that comes with it gives us appreciation for the people making this all possible. This is a student, teacher and parent and family involvement award. Success is the result of the work of all key stakeholders and it shows we have the support coming from all directions.”
Harding Middle School contains 787 students in grades 5-8 and was recognized as a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School, while other accolades include being named an SREB Schools That Work Pacesetter School and a 2023-24 Project Lead the Way Distinguished School and Distinguished Launch School.
U.S. News’ updated rankings use the same methodology for all included grade levels and schools were assessed on their shares of students who were proficient or above in state mathematics and reading/language arts assessments. The formula incorporates the assessed scores themselves and the test results in the context of socioeconomic demographics. There is no national ranking, officials explained, but there are distinct elementary and middle school rankings calculated at the state and district levels, as well as state rankings specific to charter schools.
The K-8 rankings are based entirely on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education and ranks were assigned in descending order of overall scores. When combined with the 17,656 public high schools U.S. News ranked this year, it has assigned 89,090 state ranks across its elementary, middle and high schools rankings.