Parents Choose, Students Win: Christian School Outperforms Ohio Test Average at Half the Cost
Every parent wants their child to attend a school that sets them up for a successful future. But for families trapped in Canton City Schools—one of the lowest-performing districts in Ohio, that opportunity has been notoriously difficult to find.
Heritage Christian School (HCS) is changing that reality for Canton families.
The 2026 Ohio State Test scores reveal that Heritage Christian School students outperformed the entire state of Ohio on average, achieving a school average score of 61 percent compared to 60 percent statewide.
What’s more, the student body at HCS comprises:
83 percent free- and reduced-lunch-eligible students
Roughly DOUBLE the Ohio state average
70 percent qualify for free lunch
13 percent qualify for reduced lunch
16 percent English learner students
About TRIPLE the Ohio state average
The majority of HCA’s students can attend only because of the EdChoice Scholarship program and the Ohio Christian Education Network (OCEN) Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) funds. CCV fought to expand these school-choice programs at the Ohio Statehouse.
Heritage Christian School students
Despite receiving less than half of the funding neighboring public schools receive—the Canton City School District's average per-pupil revenue is $15,548—HCS demonstrates that government spending models in public schools do not dictate student success. It’s worth noting again that HCS did not merely outperform a struggling school district. They beat the statewide average, outpacing even wealthy districts!
HCS staff shared their excitement with CCV, adding that they are aiming higher next year.
Not only are the students at Heritage Christian School outperforming their peers across the state, but they are being grounded in the eternal truths God has revealed, including the dignity of life. HCS is also a Silver winner of the 2026 Hartshorn Dignity of Life Award.
Through the strategic expansion of the EdChoice Scholarship program and the OCEN SGO funded by Ohioans redirecting their taxes, CCV and our partner ministries have broken the monopoly of failing public school districts.
When parents have the freedom to choose an education rooted in biblical truth, children succeed.
All school photos from www.heritagechristianschool.org.
For more information, contact CCV at 513-733-5775 or contact@ccv.org. For media inquiries, email media@ccv.org.
As Ohio's largest Christian public policy organization, Center for Christian Virtue seeks the good of our neighbors by advocating for public policy that reflects the truth of the Gospel.
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