The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in Science. The lowest is 16% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Swatara Ms
Swatara MS serves grades six through eight in Steelton, a small, historically industrial borough in Dauphin County about four miles southeast of Harrisburg. The school is part of Central Dauphin School District and operates as a regular public school.
The student body is diverse and economically challenged. Essentially all students at Swatara qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The racial and ethnic composition reflects Steelton itself: students identify as Black, Asian, White, Hispanic, and multiracial in substantial numbers, with no single group forming a majority. The school enrolls roughly that enrollment figure across three grades. Special education and English learner enrollment data were not available.
On state assessments, Swatara shows weak proficiency across tested subjects. On the 2024-25 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment, reading proficiency was low and mathematics proficiency was very low. Science proficiency, measured in the prior year, was also low. Across all three tested subjects, the school's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among the county's districts in Dauphin County.
The weakness in mathematics is particularly pronounced and a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what support and instruction students receive, what interventions are in place, and what the school's plans are to build student competency in this area.
Reading proficiency, while higher than math, still leaves most students below proficiency. Science results were similarly modest. The school's struggles across the board suggest students are entering middle school with academic gaps that the school is working to address, but closure is not yet evident in these latest results.
Steelton itself is a postindustrial town with a mixed character. The dominant employer for more than a century was the steel mill on the riverfront; in 2025, Cleveland-Cliffs permanently closed the rail mill there, a significant shift in the local economy. The borough is pursuing active downtown revitalization centered on the Front Street corridor, with mixed-use development underway including housing, retail, and community spaces. A borough-wide tax relief program and EPA brownfields support are fueling new construction. The town is densely built and walkable, with parks, a skatepark, and transit connections to Harrisburg via rabbittransit.
Housing in the Steelton zip code is below state and national benchmarks. This reflects the postindustrial character of the area and makes it relatively accessible from an affordability standpoint, though rents are modest as well.
The parent district, Central Dauphin School District, has announced two significant changes in recent public reporting. Beginning the 2026-27 school year, the district will transition to full-day kindergarten districtwide, ending its status as the last district in Dauphin County without that option. The district also secured a meaningful increase in state funding under Pennsylvania's new adequacy formula targeting schools with the greatest need, stepping up the district's total state allocation. These shifts affect families with younger children and the district's overall resource picture going forward.
State assessment data for trends and participation rates were not complete; science results were from the prior year. Attendance and discipline data were not available. The school's website address was not provided.
See more original research from School Decision →