The top reported proficiency rate is 90% in Science. The lowest is 52% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Shohola El Sch
Shohola Elementary School is a small public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in a rural, heavily forested township along Pennsylvania's border with New York. The school sits on its own campus in the Twin Lakes section of Shohola, away from any town center, in a landscape where about half the township is publicly held state forest and game lands.
The enrollment is modest and stable, split fairly evenly across the six grades. About two in five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller Hispanic population and very limited racial diversity overall. Data on special education and English learner populations were not available from the state.
On state assessments, the school shows uneven performance. In math and English language arts, proficiency rates hover around the midpoint: students in grades three through eight score just above one-half proficient on the state's Pennsylvania System of School Assessment. Science performance stands out as much stronger, with a majority of tested students meeting proficiency. Shohola's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile relative to the two other districts in Pike County, though the comparison set is very small. Trend data were not available, so it is unclear whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability over time.
The school serves the Delaware Valley School District, which covers five townships and is centered in nearby Milford. The district is contending with multiple rounds of property tax increases in consecutive years, a pattern families considering the area may want to monitor. Additionally, the district has recently enacted a real-property transfer tax effective mid-2026, which adds a one-time closing cost for any home purchase or sale within district boundaries. On the positive side, Delaware Valley has joined three neighboring districts to plan a shared Wayne and Pike County Career and Technical Center, which will eventually give high school students access to a broader range of career and trades pathways than any single district could offer alone.
Shohola itself is a quiet, car-dependent township where daily life revolves around lakes, state game lands, and outdoor recreation rather than commerce or walkable neighborhoods. The area draws full-time residents and second-home owners from the New York City region, and median home values have risen steadily in recent years. There is no public library or public transit within the township; the nearest library is in Milford, about ten miles away. Employment is drawn from broader Pike County rather than from in-township anchors, with management and remote work being common occupations among residents. The overall character is woodsy and peaceful, suited to families seeking a rural, nature-oriented setting rather than a town or suburban feel.
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