The Students

Enrollment

In 2016, about 1,200 (29%) of Massillon’s students attended the high school, about 600 were enrolled at the two-grade junior high, and about 900 at the three-grade intermediate school. Enrollment in the elementary schools varied: about 350 at Gorrell, about 400 at Whittier, and about 600 at Franklin, the PK-3 school.

District enrollment comprises a majority of White students from working-class families, with about one quarter of the school population from other racial and ethnic groups. From 2012 to 2016, the racial and ethnic proportions of enrollment changed only slightly, with a small percentage increase in Hispanic and Multiracial students along with a proportional decrease in the percentage of White students.

Identified Subgroups

Across the five school years from 2012-13 to 2016-17, the number of students identified as confronting economic disadvantage grew steadily, with one sudden large increase of about 30%. The reason for the increase remains unclear.

In 2016-17, almost all of Massillon’s students were identified as confronting economic disadvantage—a figure that may overstate to some degree the extent of poverty in the district. Across all five years, the proportion of students identified both as having a disability and confronting economic disadvantage ranged from about 12% to 15%. During that time period, the number of students exhibiting limited English proficiency increased five-fold, from 0.5% of total enrollment in 2012-13 to 2.7% in 2016-17.

Identified subgroups are not evenly distributed across Massillon’s schools. In 2016-17, Gorrell Elementary was the least culturally diverse school, with a nearly 90% White enrollment. Franklin Elementary, was the most culturally diverse, with about 54% White, 20% Black, 10% Hispanic, and 16% Multiracial enrollment. The elementary schools draw their enrollment from their respective neighborhoods. Washington High, Massillon Junior High, and Massillon Intermediate, which enroll students from across the district, have proportions of subgroup enrollment similar to those for the district as a whole.

The proportion of students identified with disabilities is lowest in Massillon’s elementary schools, around 10%. The district-wide schools show proportions roughly twice those of the elementary schools, with the highest proportion (about 19%) at the junior high. The proportion of LEP students is highest at Franklin Elementary (5.4%), and more than 50% lower at the district-wide schools.