The top reported proficiency rate is 94% in Science. The lowest is 55% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Rice El Sch
Rice Elementary School serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Mountain Top, an unincorporated residential area spread across multiple townships in central Luzerne County. The school enrolls a diverse student body spanning both younger elementary grades and upper elementary, with a student population that is predominantly white and draws from a community of owner-occupied single-family homes and married-couple households.
The school's academic profile shows mixed but notable strengths. In science, Rice Elementary's proficiency rate is exceptionally strong. In English language arts, proficiency sits at a solid midpoint level, while math proficiency is below that. Across tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among districts in Luzerne County, a meaningful position that reflects performance better than most peers in the region. The school has tested students across grades three through six in recent assessment cycles; complete trend data was not available, so year-over-year movement cannot be measured.
About one in five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mostly above-poverty-level enrollment with some economic diversity. Special education enrollment and English learner status data were not provided; a parent may want to reach out to the school directly for that information if those support categories are relevant to their family.
Rice Elementary's grade span means it serves early childhood through upper elementary without extending to middle school, so there is no separate transition point at the building level. The school sits within the Crestwood School District, which covers multiple townships and boroughs over a sizable geographic footprint. Mountain Top itself is a quiet, auto-oriented suburban enclave between Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton, with most daily life organized along the South Mountain Boulevard corridor rather than around a traditional downtown. Homes dominate the landscape; parks, trails, and state forests at the area's edges provide outdoor recreation.
The community is stable and modestly growing. Housing values have appreciated slightly year over year, placing them slightly below the state median. New construction subdivisions are active, suggesting ongoing residential development, while a major industrial park anchors commercial activity and employment locally. The area has a rural-suburban character with an aging population alongside families, so the school serves a multigenerational community context.
The district approved a tax-free budget for 2026-27, holding the property tax rate steady, though it authorized bond issuance for capital projects including sewer line replacement. This reflects a conscious choice to avoid a property tax increase while funding infrastructure. The district did signal potential staffing reductions in the recent past to manage a budget shortfall, a budget pressure parents in the district are contending with and may want to monitor as it evolves.
Rice Elementary appears to serve a stable, residential, family-oriented catchment with above-average science outcomes and competitive overall proficiency relative to county peers. The school's smaller grade span means families will transition to middle school elsewhere in the district. Readers should confirm directly with the school specifics about special populations services, staff-to-student ratios, and any extracurricular offerings, as those details were not in the data provided.
See more original research from School Decision →