The top reported proficiency rate is 43% in English language arts. The lowest is 30% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Blacklick Valley Jshs
Blacklick Valley JSHS is a small, district-owned high school serving grades seven through twelve in Nanty Glo, a historic coal town in Cambria County. The school sits at the center of the borough rather than on an outlying campus, sharing civic space with the public library and the Blacklick Valley School District office. Enrollment is small, with the school and its paired elementary center serving a tight-knit community where most families have deep roots.
The student body is nearly entirely white and economically vulnerable. Every student enrolled qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of widespread economic strain in the district. This profile reflects the borough's post-coal transition; Nanty Glo peaked at a much larger population before the mines closed in the 1980s, and the borough has contracted steadily since. The district's resident population declined measurably between recent census cycles. No major new housing developments are reported, and the housing stock remains largely pre-World War II. Home values in the area are markedly below state and national benchmarks, and affordability is strong relative to national measures, though local income levels are also modest.
Academic performance is below the middle range among Cambria County districts. On the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment for grades three through eight, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile of county districts. English language arts proficiency runs ahead of math. Math proficiency specifically is low, with fewer than a third of tested students reaching the proficient level. ELA proficiency is higher but still under halfway to proficiency. State testing data covers only grades three through eight; results for the high school grades (nine through twelve) are not publicly reported by the state, so no separate picture of upper-level performance is available. A parent may want to ask the school directly about high school course offerings, AP or honors pathways, and college-readiness support.
The school has no reported graduation rate in the available data, which may reflect the way the data was recorded or the district's reporting. Asking the school for its four-year graduation rate and trends would be worthwhile for families planning the secondary pathway. Special education and English learner enrollment data are not available.
Nanty Glo itself is a quiet, compact borough set in a narrow valley along a creek, about a short drive from the county seat and the Johnstown metro area. The Ghost Town Trail, a rail-bed converted to a hiking and biking path, runs through the center of town and serves as the main public gathering space. Employment in the borough is sparse; most working residents commute to Johnstown or Ebensburg, where regional employers include UPMC, the state government, and county offices. The school district itself is the largest visible local employer in Nanty Glo.
This is a school shaped by its place. It serves a stable, homogeneous, economically pressed community in a borough whose population and economy have contracted over decades. The academic performance data suggests the school is facing challenges in foundational math and reading instruction, particularly in the middle grades. For families already in the community, this school is the local anchor and central to civic life. For families considering the area, the combination of low test performance, economic vulnerability, and a shrinking population context would warrant careful inquiry into high school pathways, college preparation, and whether the school's support systems align with a student's needs.
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