NerdWallet, an internet company has identified Bluffton school district as its 11th “Best School District in Ohio for Your Buck.” That ranking includes 608 Ohio school districts. Those top 11 districts are listed in an attachment at the bottom of this story.

Here’s how Bluffton’s ranking was determined:

• To determine school quality we looked at standardized test scores, college readiness and class size.
• School quality was then weighted against affordability metrics to produce a list that isn't dominated by prohibitively expensive communities.
You can view the full analysis here: click here

Methodology used according to NerdWallet:

We examined 608 unified school districts in Ohio. Our methodology took into account the following four factors:

Graduation rate: We looked at the four-year graduation rate for the class of 2013, as provided by data from the Ohio Department of Education. This constituted 20% of our total score.

Test scores: We equally weighted the 2013 ACT average score and the 11th-grade pass rate for writing and math Ohio Graduation Tests. This information constituted 40% of our total score. Data were provided by the Ohio Department of Education.

Teacher-to-pupil ratio: We looked at the 2008 figures for K-12 regular education pupil-to-teacher ratio, which are the most recent ones available. Data came from the Ohio Department of Education and constituted 10% of our total score.

Housing costs: We equally weighted the 2013 median home value and selected monthly owner costs — including property tax, mortgage payments and utilities — for every school district. Data came from the 2013 U.S. Census American Community Survey. This information constituted 30% of our score.