Total enrollment
19,638
-961 (-5%) vs SY 2017-18
Portage County
Ohio · Public K-12
Portage County in Ohio has 48 public K-12 schools in service today, collectively responsible for roughly 19,638 students with Kent City the largest district. The level mix is 21 elementary, 12 middle, and 12 high schools.
7-year change in Portage County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
46
-2 (-4%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
79%
was 85%
% Hispanic
4%
was 2%
% Black
8%
was 6%
% Asian
3%
was 2%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
48
13 districts
Enrollment
19,638
NCES CCD
Median income
$75,766
Above Ohio avg
Free/reduced lunch
37.9%
Below Ohio avg
Elementary
21
7,778 students
Middle
12
4,341 students
High
12
6,584 students
Combined / other
3
935 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Kent City
3,233 students · 13 districts in Portage County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Portage County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
32.5%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
6.9%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
5.3%
civilian labor
Median age
40
18.2% under 18
Test scores in Portage County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 39 schools ranked. Ohio state average: 59.8%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Aurora High School· 93.5%
- Harmon Middle School· 88.6%
- Leighton Elementary School· 83.1%
- Suffield Elementary School· 77.0%
- Rootstown Elementary School· 76.0%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Brown Middle School· 38.1%
- Windham High School· 40.7%
- Windham Junior High School· 43.2%
- Katherine Thomas Elementary School· 43.5%
- Southeast Junior High School· 49.5%
Cities in Portage County
About Portage County
Portage County is a moderately sized Ohio county of about 161,956 residents, home to 48 public schools and roughly 19,638 students.
Looking at the wider area, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $75,766, roughly 33% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the federal-poverty share is near 7%. That income level is 9% higher than the Ohio median.
For a sense of the school types, Portage County is built around 21 elementary schools (7,778 students), 12 middle schools (4,341), 12 high schools (6,584), and 3 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in Portage County is Kent City, which alone enrolls about 3,233 students.
Over the past 7-year window. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment declined 5%: 20,599 students in SY 2017-18 versus 19,638 in SY 2024-25. Portage County now counts 46 public schools, down from 48 in SY 2017-18. The White share of public-school enrollment declined from 85% to 79%.
On this page, the community for Portage County discusses open enrollment windows, redistricting talk, and busing logistics. Parents, students, and educators in the area can post or comment.
Frequently asked questions
Portage County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data