Wilkes-barre Area Sd, PA

Original Research by School Decision on Wilkes-barre Area Sd

Wilkes-Barre Area School District is a mid-sized public district spanning Plains and Wilkes-Barre in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, serving students from pre-kindergarten through grade twelve. The district's most visible change in recent years has been the consolidation of three historic city high schools—Coughlin, Meyers, and GAR—into a single new Wilkes-Barre Area High School, which opened in Plains Township for the 2021-22 school year. Every secondary student now attends the same building as a Wolfpack, a shift that has reshaped commutes, program offerings, and school identity across the district.

Academically, the district's performance sits below the midpoint among Luzerne County's districts. In grades three through eight, proficiency rates in the most recent testing cycle show roughly one in five students meeting standards in mathematics and roughly one in three in English language arts. These are areas a family may want to discuss directly with the district. The district's overall proficiency index is below the county median, and state testing data for trends over time was not available, so a parent cannot yet assess whether results are moving. Graduation rates for the high school were not reported in the available data.

The district's student body is diverse, with roughly half the enrollment identifying as Hispanic, roughly one-fifth as White, roughly one-sixth as Black, and the remainder distributed among Asian, multiracial, and other identities. The free-or-reduced-price-lunch count was not available, so the proportion of students from lower-income households is unclear from the data provided. English learner enrollment data was also not available. The district does not report its special education enrollment rate.

Housing in the district's service area is relatively affordable compared to state and national benchmarks. Home values are moderately below the state median, and median rents are reasonable. A typical monthly mortgage payment on a home in the district's area would run roughly several hundred dollars less than the estimated rent for equivalent housing. Property taxes have been a policy focus: the district approved a 2024-25 budget with no tax increase and designed a plan to use a budget surplus to deliver an actual property-tax decrease for homeowners through an expanded state Homestead Exemption, a tangible benefit for families already living in the district.

The district is undertaking a capital renovation program across all buildings except the new high school, including energy-efficient upgrades to lighting and HVAC systems, new ceilings, flooring, and lockers. These improvements are being funded from an existing capital projects reserve without new borrowing, and completion is expected within the next couple of years. For families with children in elementary or middle schools, this means facilities upgrades without the corresponding debt-driven property-tax increase.

Staffing and student support are active planning areas. The district approved a hiring plan to add up to several dozen teachers and support staff over time, with specific focus on reducing elementary class sizes and doubling enrollment in the STEM Academy from roughly twenty new students per year to approximately forty. These are programmatic investments that indicate where the district sees priority, though a parent may want to ask about timelines and current class-size ranges at individual buildings.

Chronic absenteeism in the district is above the county midpoint, meaning attendance challenges affect a larger share of students than in other Luzerne County districts. Per-pupil spending is in the lower range compared to other county districts, a reflection of the district's modest revenue base.

The district website was not available in the data provided, so a family seeking detailed course listings, registration procedures, or real-time program information should visit the district office directly or contact individual schools.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

8,134

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 52%

Black 15%

White 25%

Asian 1%

Two+ 7%

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

37%

—

Gr 4

28%

—

Gr 5

30%

—

Gr 6

29%

—

Gr 7

25%

—

Gr 8

33%

—

Gr 38

30%

—

Math

Gr 3

38%

—

Gr 4

27%

—

Gr 5

29%

—

Gr 6

15%

—

Gr 7

—

Gr 8

—

Gr 38

21%

—

Schools in this District

10 schools are officially reported under this district.

Solomon/Plains El Sch

Solomon/Plains MS

Dodson El Sch

G A R MS

Daniel J Flood El Sch

Heights/Murray El Sch

Dr David W Kistler El Sch

Wilkes-Barre Area SD STEM Academy

Wilkes-Barre Area HS

Wolfpack Early Learning Academy

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

1 grade reported

23%

Grades 3-8

English Language Arts

1 grade reported

33%

Grades 3-8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$191,906

Year-over-year change+2.8%

Range across 9 ZIP codes$175K to $311K

vs. state typical0.67x

vs. national typical0.52x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (9 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
18702	Wilkes-Barre	$175K	+2.3%	66.6%
18661	White Haven	$241K	+5.0%	19.9%
18706	Wilkes-Barre	$179K	+1.2%	4.3%
18705	Wilkes-Barre	$188K	+3.0%	4.3%
18610	Blakeslee	$311K	-0.4%	1.3%
18424	Gouldsboro	$264K	+2.2%	1.2%
18701	Wilkes-Barre	$187K	+9.5%	0.4%
18704	Kingston	$214K	+0.8%	0.2%
18640	Pittston	$208K	+2.0%	0.1%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,241/mo

Year-over-year change+11.3%

Range across 5 ZIP codes$1,088 to $1,418/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (5 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
18702	Wilkes-Barre	$1,245	+11.3%	66.6%
18706	Wilkes-Barre	$1,183	—	4.3%
18701	Wilkes-Barre	$1,200	—	0.4%
18704	Kingston	$1,418	+8.2%	0.2%
18640	Pittston	$1,088	—	0.1%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$968/mo

Home price / national median income2.3x

Annual rent / national median income17.8%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$273/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.