Pocono Mountain Sd, PA - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Pocono Mountain Sd

Pocono Mountain School District, which spans parts of Monroe County from its base communities in the Pocono region, serves students across kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district operates nine schools: three elementary centers, two intermediate schools, two junior high schools, and two senior high schools, giving families within its bounds a traditional public school pathway with neighborhood attendance patterns.

The district's student body is diverse. Roughly equal shares of students identify as white and Hispanic, with a substantial Black student population and smaller representation from Asian, multiracial, and Native American backgrounds. The enrollment is moderate in size, with the student population distributed fairly evenly across grades, though high school grades show slightly higher numbers. Data on free- or reduced-price lunch qualification and on the share of students with individualized education plans were not available, limiting a full view of economic need and special education prevalence.

In academic performance, the district faces headwinds. On the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment in grades three through eight, proficiency in math and English language arts both hover around one-third of tested students meeting state standards. Among Monroe County's districts, Pocono Mountain's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. The comparison set includes four other county districts, and this district's results lag noticeably. Parents considering the district may want to look into specific school performance, available support structures, and any targeted interventions underway, since aggregate proficiency rates this low often warrant school-level and individual school conversations with administrators about how those numbers break down across buildings and what remediation or acceleration pathways exist.

Chronic absenteeism sits slightly above the midpoint for its county peers, suggesting that attendance is not dramatically out of line but is an area where the district is neither leading nor trailing significantly. The district spends per pupil in the upper range for its county, which could reflect higher staffing investment, infrastructure costs, or both, though the relationship between spending and proficiency outcomes is not straightforward and depends on how resources are deployed.

The housing market in the district's service area reflects modest appreciation and steady rental demand. Home values center on a mid-range typical for the Poconos, with some variation by neighborhood; the mountain communities and resort-adjacent areas command higher prices while more rural or valley towns offer lower entry points. Mortgage affordability is modest relative to national benchmarks, and rent as a share of income sits at a manageable level, suggesting the area remains accessible to working families. The median household income in the region is solid, and unemployment sits near the national average.

Recent district changes shape the outlook. After holding property taxes flat for an extended period, the school board began approving increases in 2022, a significant shift for homeowners accustomed to no-increase years. That trend has continued, with the millage rate climbing year-over-year through the most recent fiscal year. For families evaluating the area as a place to live, this signals that the era of frozen school taxes has ended and budget pressures are now being met through levy increases rather than reserves or service cuts. At the same time, the district has invested in a K-12 STEAM integration program that earned national recognition in 2025, indicating a deliberate, district-wide pedagogical commitment to infusing science, technology, engineering, arts, and math across all grades rather than offering them as standalone courses. This kind of integrated approach appeals to families who prioritize hands-on, cross-disciplinary learning, though whether it translates to test-score improvement would merit direct inquiry with schools.

The district's schools are spread across the Pocono towns and outlying areas, so assignment depends on residence. The traditional K-12 structure and neighborhood attendance model offer familiarity and walkability options for families already in the region, but the academic performance data suggests the district is in transition—investing in pedagogy and absorbing higher tax bills while working to improve proficiency outcomes that currently trail the county.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

7,874

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 32%

Black 22%

White 40%

Asian 2%

Two+ 4%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

32%

—

Gr 4

31%

—

Gr 5

26%

—

Gr 6

33%

—

Gr 7

29%

—

Gr 8

33%

—

Gr 38

31%

—

Math

Gr 3

37%

—

Gr 4

35%

—

Gr 5

35%

—

Gr 6

26%

—

Gr 7

18%

—

Gr 8

18%

—

Gr 38

28%

—

Schools in this District

9 schools are officially reported under this district.

Clear Run El Ctr

Pocono Mountain West HS

Swiftwater El Ctr

Pocono Mountain West JHS

Tobyhanna El Ctr

Pocono Mountain East HS

Pocono Mountain East JHS

Clear Run Intrmd Sch

Swiftwater Interm Sch

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

1 grade reported

36%

Grades 3-8

English Language Arts

1 grade reported

37%

Grades 3-8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$304,794

Year-over-year change+0.4%

Range across 21 ZIP codes$236K to $447K

vs. state typical1.06x

vs. national typical0.83x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (21 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
18347	Pocono Lake	$279K	-2.2%	15.8%
18466	Tobyhanna	$260K	-0.0%	10.8%
18610	Blakeslee	$311K	-0.4%	9.9%
18325	Canadensis	$328K	+1.7%	9.4%
18360	Stroudsburg	$350K	+0.7%	8.7%
18334	Long Pond	$327K	-0.4%	7.6%
18326	Cresco	$300K	+2.3%	6.5%
18346	Pocono Summit	$281K	+1.5%	5.7%
18332	Henryville	$323K	+1.8%	3.5%
18355	Scotrun	$297K	+3.6%	3.3%

Showing top 10 of 21 ZIP codes by land area weight

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,919/mo

Year-over-year change+9.9%

Range across 3 ZIP codes$1,713 to $2,075/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (3 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
18466	Tobyhanna	$2,075	—	10.8%
18360	Stroudsburg	$1,713	—	8.7%
18301	East Stroudsburg	$1,969	+9.9%	2.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,538/mo

Home price / national median income3.6x

Annual rent / national median income27.5%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$381/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$286,387 (+2.4% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.