The top reported proficiency rate is 77% in Science. The lowest is 36% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Valley El Sch
Valley Elementary is a public elementary school in Bensalem serving kindergarten through sixth grade, with an enrollment of about six hundred students in a mixed-income, multicultural setting. Roughly two-thirds of students are white, with smaller shares of Hispanic, Asian, and Black students. The school is part of Bensalem Township School District, which serves the most populous township in Bucks County, a mature suburb shaped by highways, shopping centers, casino gaming, and mid-twentieth-century residential neighborhoods.
The school's state test results in math and English language arts sit below the midpoint among the county's school districts. In math, about a third of students in grades three through six scored at proficiency or above on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment. In ELA, the rate was slightly higher, around two-fifths. Science results, assessed only in a subset of grades, showed much stronger performance, with about three-quarters of tested students proficient or above. The discrepancy between science and reading or math proficiency suggests uneven strengths across the curriculum or possibly differences in how students are prepared for different assessments.
All students at Valley El qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, meaning the school serves an economically vulnerable population. State data on special education enrollment and English learner enrollment was not available, so a parent or guardian interested in understanding whether the school has robust support for students with identified disabilities or developing English proficiency should ask the school directly about those programs and staffing.
Bensalem itself is an auto-oriented community where families get around by car. Transit options exist: SEPTA regional rail has four stations serving the township, and bus routes connect to Philadelphia. Housing in the zip code is moderately priced relative to the broader region, with home values and rents both appreciating at a modest rate. The median household income in the state stands around middle-class level. That said, the district is pursuing a series of property tax increases to fund curriculum updates and new staff. School taxes already make up the bulk of property tax bills in Bensalem, and a proposed increase for the 2025-26 school year significantly exceeds the state's allowable index, with the district seeking state approval to bypass a voter referendum. Families considering the area should factor in this trajectory of rising school taxes alongside housing costs.
The district is implementing a new elementary math curriculum beginning in 2025-26 and rolling out seven new teaching positions. Teachers are also adopting structured literacy, an evidence-based reading instruction model required by Pennsylvania and designed to support early decoding and students with dyslexia. Both changes suggest the district is responding to weaknesses in foundational academics. No-cost breakfast and lunch for all students continues district-wide, a sustained family-budget benefit regardless of income. A parent evaluating Valley El should note the below-county-average reading and math proficiency, inquire about the new math program and how it is being implemented at the building level, and ask directly about special education and English learner services, since those enrollment figures were not publicly reported.
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