The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in Science. The lowest is 26% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on A L Wilson El Sch
A L Wilson Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Fairchance, a small declining borough in south-central Fayette County. The school enrolls a small student body of about that size, with the vast majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student population is predominantly white, with a small share of students identifying as multiracial and very few students from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. No data on special education enrollment or English learner status was available.
The school sits in a rural small-town setting at the western base of Chestnut Ridge, part of a community with a blue-collar and white-collar workforce concentrated in office support, healthcare, and manufacturing. Fairchance itself is slowly declining, with median household income below state and national averages and significant poverty. Housing values are well below state and national benchmarks, making homeownership accessible to families on modest incomes, though the long-term population trajectory is downward. The Albert Gallatin Area School District, which operates the school, announced in April 2026 that it would eliminate roughly 24 to 30 positions including about 15 teachers across the district to close a projected budget deficit tied to enrollment decline. Class sizes could rise, capped at 35, and a tax increase remains under consideration.
On state assessments, A L Wilson's proficiency results in 2024-25 show a mixed picture. In English language arts, a little more than one-third of students in grades 3 through 5 tested at proficient or above. In mathematics, proficiency was notably lower, at roughly one-quarter of students. Science results from 2023-24 tell a different story: more than three in five students tested at proficient or above. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile relative to other districts in Fayette County, driven by its stronger science showing, though the math and ELA results are below where many families would hope to see them. A parent may want to look into further with the school what supports are in place for students not yet proficient in mathematics, and what the school sees as drivers of stronger science outcomes that might be leveraged in other subjects.
The school's size and composition are stable, with grade enrollments ranging from about 43 to 71 students per class. No trend data was available to show whether proficiency has been rising, falling, or holding steady from prior years. Course access information, staffing ratios, attendance, and discipline data were not provided. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and operates under Albert Gallatin Area School District governance, which means it shares in the district's current financial pressure and any decisions about class size or staffing that emerge from the district's budget actions.
See more original research from School Decision →