The top reported proficiency rate is 94% in Science. The lowest is 54% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Highland El Sch
Highland Elementary serves kindergarten through fourth grade in Ephrata, a walkable historic borough in Lancaster County's northern tier where downtown shops and civic life cluster along Main Street and the surrounding neighborhoods anchor a mix of young families and longer-term residents. The school is a regular public elementary with a cohesive student body of roughly mid-sized enrollment for its grade range, drawing from a community that is mostly white and Pennsylvanian Dutch-influenced but increasingly diverse, with a notable share of students from lower-income households.
On state assessments, Highland's profile shows strength in science, where proficiency was very high in the most recent tested year. Math and English language arts proficiency both landed below the halfway point; a parent looking at those numbers may want to ask the school directly about instructional focus, curriculum changes, or support systems underway. Science results suggest the school has the capacity and structure to build strong achievement at scale when conditions align. Among elementary schools across Lancaster County districts, Highland ranks in the top quartile on overall proficiency when looking across all tested subjects and grades, a position worth noting even as the math and ELA numbers indicate room for growth in those areas.
The school sits in a district managing significant capital investment. Ephrata Area has just completed a major high school renovation that expanded facilities and upgraded systems. Now it is undertaking a substantial HVAC and climate-control replacement project at three elementary schools including Highland; those upgrades are scheduled for 2026 and will modernize the building environment. That work, combined with rising property tax rates driven by debt service, is a real factor for families buying a home in the area. The district has raised the tax rate three years in a row, and further increases may come as construction bonds are paid. Families should understand that investment in facilities comes with a cost to the tax base.
The community itself is stable and modest in growth. Ephrata has a downtown that hosts events and street life, parks including a community pool complex, and trail access. The housing market is competitive with median prices in the mid-range for the region and homes moving fairly quickly. Most students at Highland qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which aligns with the broader economic picture of a town anchored by healthcare, manufacturing, and local retail rather than high-wage sectors. Altogether, Highland is a neighborhood school serving a working-family population in a small Pennsylvania town with solid infrastructure and visible district commitment to long-term physical improvement.
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