The top reported proficiency rate is 53% in English language arts. The lowest is 26% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln Jshs
Lincoln JSHS is a public middle and high school serving grades 7 through 12 in Ellwood City, a small western Pennsylvania borough about 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. The school is the secondary hub for the Ellwood City Area School District and sits in a community of roughly steady population with a strong industrial heritage and a revitalizing downtown centered on Lawrence Avenue.
The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly white, with about half of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the borough. The enrollment runs approximately balanced across grades, with a slight decline at the high school level, typical of a district-wide demographic pattern in a slowly contracting rural area.
On academic performance, Lincoln JSHS shows uneven results across subjects. In English language arts, the school's proficiency rate sits in the middle range, with about half of tested students meeting state standards on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment. Mathematics proficiency is considerably weaker; only about a quarter of students tested meet proficiency benchmarks, a gap that reflects both the school's position in the county and the district's recent strategic focus on math improvement. When compared to the nine districts in Lawrence County, Lincoln JSHS ranks in the bottom quartile overall. State testing data does not provide graduation rates by school, and no four-year graduation rate is available in the data.
The district is pursuing deliberate instructional changes aimed at improving these numbers. A 2023-2026 comprehensive plan calls for rewriting the math curriculum and bringing in dedicated math support teachers, as well as realigning English language arts to state standards. Beginning in 2026-2027, the district will restrict cell phone and personal electronic device use during the school day, a shift meant to reshape classroom focus. In February 2024, the district also increased graduation requirements from 24 to 25 credits and added a mandatory Communications course, alongside options to take Driver's Education and CPR through a summer Health course.
Families considering the school should be aware that the Ellwood City Area School District approved General Obligation Bonds for capital improvements at the elementary and middle school buildings in November 2025. These bond payments will trigger property tax increases beginning in 2026-2027, part of a multi-year pattern of rising school taxes that affects residents' overall housing costs. The district cited special education costs, cyber charter withdrawals, and debt service as budget pressures.
The town itself is compact and walkable downtown, with a renovated Community Plaza hosting summer concerts and a farmers market, and enrollment in a small, community-embedded school district rather than a sprawling suburban system. Housing in the 16117 zip code is substantially more affordable than Pennsylvania and national benchmarks, and home prices have been rising as buyers from costlier Pittsburgh suburbs seek a slower pace and lower costs. Employment remains tied to manufacturing and industry, alongside health care and retail. No large new housing construction is documented, but the downtown is seeing incremental commercial activity including new retail and the borough's revitalization efforts to attract development.
Lincoln JSHS is a typical comprehensive public secondary school for a struggling small industrial town investing in curriculum and facilities while managing demographic decline and tax pressure. A parent evaluating it would want to look into the school's specific course offerings and support pathways, discuss the ongoing math instruction changes directly with teachers, and understand whether the school's structure and programs align with their child's learning style and post-secondary goals.
See more original research from School Decision →