The top reported proficiency rate is 91% in Science. The lowest is 62% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Newton-ransom El School
Newton-Ransom Elementary serves kindergarten through fourth grade in Clarks Summit, a small borough in the Abingtons region northwest of Scranton. The school enrolls a small, predominantly white student body from a community that blends tree-lined residential streets with suburban convenience. Most students come from households above the median income line for the area; only a modest share qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
The school's recent state assessment results show strength in math and science. In math for grades three and four, proficiency runs well above the midpoint among Lackawanna County districts. Science proficiency is particularly strong. English language arts performance is lower: just over three-fifths of tested third and fourth graders met proficiency in the 2024-25 school year. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile relative to districts in Lackawanna County. A parent may want to look into the ELA results further with the school to understand what supports are in place or planned for that subject area, since the gap between math and reading proficiency is noticeable.
The school operates within Abington Heights School District, which serves Clarks Summit, Waverly, and Chinchilla. The district has adopted Great Minds' Wit & Wisdom as its K-8 English language arts curriculum, a knowledge-building program centered on carefully chosen core texts. This change is part of the district's 2021-2026 curriculum plan and shapes how reading and writing instruction works across the elementary schools. Families receive module-based tip sheets to track what their children are learning.
A context worth noting: the district has raised property taxes in two consecutive years, both to address expiring federal pandemic relief funds and increased salaries and benefits. This has materially lifted the cost of homeownership across the Abingtons region for school-district residents.
Clarks Summit itself sits in an active real estate market. Home values in the area are stable and modest compared to state and national benchmarks. New residential development continues around the borough's edges through subdivisions like The Preserve at Gravel Pond and RD Noto's Ridgewood community. The town centers on State Street, where most shops and restaurants cluster; the school sits a short distance from that commercial spine on a residential street. Civic life includes the Abington Community Library, founded over a century ago, which serves the broader community with a maker space and a sizable collection. Interstate 476, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension, terminates near the borough and connects residents to employment centers in Scranton and beyond.
The major employers in the area include Clarks Summit State Hospital, a public psychiatric hospital serving a multi-county region, and Keystone Community Resources, a disability services nonprofit. Health care, educational services, and manufacturing anchor the local economy. Clarks Summit University, a longstanding local employer, closed in summer 2024. Most working residents commute to jobs in Scranton or surrounding areas.
Newton-Ransom's enrollment is small, with roughly equal-sized classes across the grade band. Student demographics reflect the borough's composition: the vast majority of students are white, with very few students from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. No data on English learners or special education enrollment was available. The school's civil rights status and detailed staffing information were not provided in available records.
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