The top reported proficiency rate is 56% in Science. The lowest is 22% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Joanna Connell Sch
JoAnna Connell School serves children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Erie, Pennsylvania. The school enrolls a diverse mix of students, with substantial numbers of white, Black, Asian, and multiracial children. All students enrolled at Connell qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the school's location in a neighborhood where families face significant economic constraints. The school's overall enrollment sits at a size typical for an elementary school serving its grade band.
On state testing in mathematics and English language arts, Connell's proficiency results fall well below both state and county medians. In the most recent mathematics assessment, fewer than one in three students met or exceeded proficiency. English language arts performance was even lower, with about one in five students proficient. Science results are brighter: a majority of students tested met proficiency in the most recent science assessment. Across its tested subjects, the school ranks in the bottom quartile relative to other schools in Erie County. A parent weighing Connell should view these numbers as a real academic challenge. The gap between English language arts and mathematics proficiency, with language arts notably weaker, is worth discussing directly with the school to understand their literacy instruction and support plans.
The school operates within Erie City School District, which covers the city of Erie. The district has faced sustained financial pressure tied to the wind-down of federal COVID relief funds and what district leadership characterizes as inadequate state education funding. Property taxes have risen in three consecutive years as part of a five-year balanced budget plan, and that trajectory is expected to continue unless state funding shifts. Families considering a move into the district should anticipate this pattern. Additionally, the school board is currently studying whether to undo a consolidation from several years ago that converted two other high schools into middle schools and concentrated all ninth-through-twelfth grade students at Erie High. Overcrowding at the high school is a stated concern. No changes are imminent for elementary grades, but this signals the district is actively wrestling with its building capacity and structure.
Erie itself is a mid-sized lakefront city with a downtown core that functions as the regional civic and business hub. The surrounding neighborhoods consist largely of close-set historic houses. Manufacturing, insurance, and healthcare are major parts of the local economy. The broader Erie County population has been shrinking due to out-migration, yet the downtown has entered a reinvestment cycle in recent years, with historic properties being redeveloped as mixed-use residential and commercial space and the waterfront area seeing new development and improved pedestrian access. Housing values in the school's ZIP code are moderate relative to state and national benchmarks, and rents are relatively affordable. The neighborhood around Connell is car-oriented rather than highly walkable, though some residential pockets of Erie offer walkable access to schools and shops.
For a family choosing Connell, the main question is whether the school's current academic performance and the district's financial and structural uncertainties align with their needs. The school serves a fully economically disadvantaged population and shows real gaps in reading and math. At the same time, science performance is solid, and the school has the resources of a full public school system. A parent concerned about foundational academics may want to look into the school's specific literacy and numeracy programs, current staffing, and recent year-over-year trends to understand where the school is headed.
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