The top reported proficiency rate is 64% in Science. The lowest is 19% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Penn-lincoln El Sch
Penn-Lincoln Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Altoona, a former railroad city in the heart of Blair County. The school enrolls roughly mid-sized for its grade band, with a student body that is predominantly white, though nearly a quarter of students are Black, multiracial, or Hispanic. Virtually all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic circumstances of the families the school serves.
Academic performance across math and English language arts is below the midpoint among districts in Blair County. In math, fewer than a quarter of tested students in grades three through five reached proficiency. In ELA, the rate was similarly limited. Science performance was markedly stronger, with about two-thirds of students reaching proficiency on the state assessment, though the test was administered to a smaller subset of grades. A parent may want to look into the school's reading and math instruction directly with the school to understand their approach to building foundational skills, since results in those areas show room for growth.
Altoona itself is a compact city with a historic downtown, grid-pattern streets laid out alongside rail lines, and traditional rowhouse and single-family neighborhoods built during the railroad era. The economy is anchored by UPMC Altoona, Sheetz Inc. (headquartered locally), and government employment. Penn State Altoona sits on a separate campus connected to downtown by bus and bike path. The city's population has declined over decades, though recent development activity has been strong, with new residential projects and downtown economic investment underway. Housing values are well below both state and national benchmarks, and rent is similarly modest. The cost of homeownership relative to median household income is roughly in line with the national average.
The Altoona Area School District, which operates Penn-Lincoln, has navigated a multi-year cycle of property tax increases aimed at addressing budget pressures. After consecutive mid-single-digit tax hikes in recent years, the district approved a budget for 2025-26 with no property tax increase, following unexpected state aid and available fund balance. The district invested in major high school infrastructure, opening a new performing arts and science building in 2020-21. Families considering Penn-Lincoln should weigh both the school's current academic trajectory and the broader district context, including property tax trends that directly affect housing costs.
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