The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in English language arts. The lowest is 37% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Cedarbrook Ms
Cedarbrook Middle School serves seventh and eighth graders in Wyncote as part of the Cheltenham School District. The school is a regular public middle school with an enrollment spread fairly evenly across both grades. About half its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is diverse, with students who are Black making up the largest racial group, followed by White and Hispanic students, with smaller populations of Asian and multiracial students.
On state assessments, Cedarbrook's performance sits below the midpoint among districts in Montgomery County. In English language arts, proficiency across grades seven and eight is near half. In mathematics, it drops to about four in ten students meeting proficiency. Science proficiency, measured most recently, was near half as well. Taken together, Cedarbrook's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile when compared to other districts in the county. Parents evaluating the school should look directly to the school and district about where students are struggling most and what supports are in place to build skills, particularly in math.
Wyncote itself is a small, affluent, historic residential community in Cheltenham Township with Victorian and early-twentieth-century homes, tree-lined streets, and a strong connection to Arcadia University just across the municipal border. The area is built-out and growing slowly; most new housing is renovation and infill rather than new construction. The Jenkintown-Wyncote SEPTA station is a major commuter hub, and the community has good park access through Curtis Arboretum and Thomas Williams Park. Walkability varies; the historic core near the station is walkable, but other sections lack sidewalks.
The school district is in the midst of a significant structural change. In May 2025 the board voted to close Elkins Park School and reconfigure from a K-4, 5-6, 7-8 structure into K-5 elementary schools and a 6-8 middle school. Permanent additions to Cedarbrook Middle and Glenside Elementary to accommodate this shift are scheduled to be completed by fall 2027. This means families moving to the district now will see their child's school assignment change at multiple grade levels as the reconfiguration rolls out. The district has also streamlined algebra placement criteria to remove barriers to advanced math study and redesigned its elementary report card to align standards across buildings. Recent property-tax increases have been modest; the board has committed to holding future increases to the state Act 1 index cap.
Median home values in the zip code are mid-range for the county. Rental prices have risen modestly. The housing market has active inventory and relatively fast turnover. Most working residents in Wyncote are employed in professional and management roles and commute to Philadelphia or work remotely.
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