The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in English language arts. The lowest is 12% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Cornell Hs
Cornell HS is a grades 7-12 public school in Coraopolis, a small Ohio River borough west of Pittsburgh. The school enrolls a modest cohort distributed evenly across its six grades. The student body is racially and ethnically mixed, with white students making up roughly half the enrollment, while Black and Hispanic students each represent a significant share. A defining feature is that all enrolled students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community with substantial economic need.
The locale itself is in transition. Coraopolis has experienced steep population decline over decades but is currently undergoing modest revival, with new restaurants, cafes, and breweries opening downtown and development activity bringing apartments and townhomes to the area. Housing values in the zip code are below state and national benchmarks, making it an affordable corner of the Pittsburgh metro. Bus transit connects to downtown and the airport. Riverfront Park and the Montour Trail offer outdoor recreation. The borough has a walkable downtown core along Fifth Avenue, though surrounding terrain is hilly and a car is generally needed for errands beyond the immediate district.
At the state assessment level, proficiency results are low. In mathematics for grades 3-8, roughly one in ten students scored at proficient or above. In English language arts, about one in three achieved proficiency. This places the school in the bottom quartile of proficiency across districts in Allegheny County. The school serves grades 7-12, so only grades 7 and 8 are captured in the state's tested grades; results for high school grades are not available in state reporting.
No graduation rate data appears in the record, and data on special education enrollment and English learners was not reported. These gaps often reflect data limitations rather than actual absence of these populations, and a parent seeking fuller detail on student support services should ask the school directly.
Cornell School District, the parent district, has made two significant recent moves. In 2025-26 the board approved a real estate tax increase, shifting away from the district's traditional low-millage positioning. For homeowners, this represents a direct, recurring cost change. Simultaneously, the district has restructured instruction around the AASA Learning 2025 framework, embedding social-emotional learning, wellness rooms, and a clothing and hygiene closet as core elements of the school day rather than add-ons. The district was publicly recognized by AASA as a national exemplar of positive change in this area. For families evaluating the school, this signals a deliberate turn toward whole-child, equity-focused support alongside academics, a pedagogical choice that extends beyond traditional test-and-teach models.
Given the proficiency data, the universal free-lunch eligibility, and the school's stated emphasis on meeting basic needs, this is a school serving students with high academic and economic need. The state testing results suggest the school is grappling with substantial academic challenges. The district's concurrent investments in social-emotional learning and student welfare indicate an acknowledgment of those challenges and an effort to address root causes. A parent or resident considering enrollment would benefit from discussing with the school directly what academic supports, intervention programs, and pathway options exist for grades 9-12, since state testing does not illuminate high school performance.
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