The top reported proficiency rate is 34% in Science. The lowest is 19% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Freemansburg El Sch
Freemansburg Elementary School is a regular public elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in a small, walkable borough on the Lehigh River in Northampton County. The school sits within a dense, compact residential community of row houses and mid-century homes that has grown steadily in recent years as part of the broader Lehigh Valley's suburban expansion. Most working residents commute to jobs elsewhere; the borough itself has no large-scale employers, but Main Street is undergoing revitalization and the community is anchored by Gerald C. Yob Park and access to the D&L Trail.
The student body reflects the borough's demographics: a substantial majority identify as Hispanic, with smaller portions who are white or Black. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating economic need across much of the enrollment. Specific data on English learners and students with IEPs was not available.
Recent state test results show the school is working with limited proficiency levels. On the most recent math assessment, fewer than one in five students scored proficient or above. In English language arts, the proficiency rate was similarly low, just above one in five. Science proficiency was somewhat higher but still under half. Across the three tested subjects, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among districts in Northampton County.
The school is one of seven Bethlehem Area School District buildings flagged for state academic improvement action plans in 2024-25. Freemansburg specifically carries a Targeted Support and Improvement designation, which signals that state regulators have identified need for focused intervention.
On a more positive note, the district has committed to a sustained literacy initiative since 2021, extending research-based reading instruction practices across all grades and content areas. Kindergarten DIBELS benchmark rates improved notably when the district implemented this earlier; parents may want to ask the school whether these gains are visible at Freemansburg and how the expansion into upper grades affects elementary instruction.
A parent considering this school should know that it serves a high-poverty, predominantly Hispanic student population in a tight-knit borough with solid community infrastructure but limited in-borough employment. Academic proficiency is low relative to the county. The school is under state improvement scrutiny. At the same time, the district is investing in literacy instruction, and Freemansburg's role within the wider district pathway is clear: students advance to Northeast Middle School and Liberty High School, both in Bethlehem. The school's strength lies in its community setting and the literacy work underway; the core academic challenge is reversing low test proficiency with the resources and supports available to the school and the families it serves.
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