The top reported proficiency rate is 83% in Science. The lowest is 58% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln El Sch
Lincoln Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Emmaus, a small Lehigh County borough on the northern slope of South Mountain, a short distance south of Allentown. The borough itself has a walkable downtown anchored by Triangle Park and Main Street, where residents find year-round farmers' markets, local shops, breweries, and civic anchors like the public library. The community blends residential neighborhoods with remnants of 19th-century iron, silk, and manufacturing heritage. Recent infill development includes upscale apartments from a brownfield conversion and new townhome construction on former mill sites, making Emmaus a modest but active town-center place rather than a sprawling suburb.
The school's enrollment sits just under 400 students, distributed evenly across the six grade levels. About two in five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The racial and ethnic composition is predominantly white, with a meaningful share of Hispanic students and smaller Asian and Black populations; data on English learner enrollment was not available.
Academic performance shows a mixed picture. In math, about three in five students in grades three through five scored at the proficient level or above on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment. English language arts proficiency was somewhat lower, just above the halfway mark. Science, by contrast, stands out as a strength: proficiency cleared approximately four in five students tested. The most recent state math and reading results are from the current school year, while the science results date to the prior year, so a family might ask the school for a current science snapshot. When measured against other elementary schools in Lehigh County, Lincoln's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among tested entities in the county, a notable standing.
The school is part of East Penn School District, which serves several municipalities including Emmaus. Two significant district-level developments affect the school's medium-term outlook. In August 2025, the school board suspended a major K-8 grade realignment that had been slated to convert all elementary schools to K-4, moving fifth and sixth graders to middle school starting in 2028-29. The pause was driven by rising construction costs and tax concerns, but the project remains on hold rather than canceled, leaving uncertainty about grade configurations and school sizes for families thinking ahead. Additionally, the district has locked in substantial property tax increases. The 2025-26 budget raised the rate by the maximum amount allowed under state law, and the district's long-range plan calls for continuing such increases for several consecutive years, with the levy projected to climb significantly by 2029-30. For a family considering a home purchase in the Emmaus area, these annual tax rises represent a material, ongoing cost-of-ownership change.
The district also introduced curriculum changes in response to post-COVID learning gaps, including a new math program and instruction based on the Science of Reading for early literacy. These shifts directly shape day-to-day classroom practice and may be worth discussing with teachers and administrators if your approach to math instruction or reading pedagogy matters to your family.
The housing market in the zip code is moderately priced for the region, with median home values above state and national benchmarks, and rents rising at a pace faster than home prices. The area offers solid civic infrastructure: parks, trails, and public library access, plus transit connections to Allentown. For a family weighing Lincoln Elementary, the school itself shows strength in science and reasonable overall proficiency, sits in a real town with downtown walkability and community events, but also sits in a district navigating uncertain grade realignment plans and committed to multi-year tax growth.
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