The top reported proficiency rate is 13% in Science. The lowest is 1% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on East Ms
East MS is a public middle school serving grades six through eight in Erie, Pennsylvania. The school's location on Atkins Street places it in a city anchored by downtown reinvestment, manufacturing, insurance, and healthcare, with sprawling older residential neighborhoods of 19th-century houses built close together. The wider Erie region is experiencing population decline, though downtown itself has been in a sustained redevelopment cycle over the past several years.
The school's enrollment is small to moderate for its grade band. The entire student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. Racially and ethnically, the enrollment is diverse, with roughly equal representation from Black, white, and other backgrounds including Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial students, with a small number of students identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native.
State assessment results show proficiency rates that are very low across tested subjects. In mathematics, fewer than one percent of tested students met or exceeded proficiency. In English language arts, the rate was somewhat higher but still single-digit. Science proficiency, measured in the prior year, reached roughly a tenth of students. When compared against other districts in Erie County on an overall proficiency index, East MS ranks in the bottom quartile, well below the county median. These numbers signal that most students are not meeting grade-level standards in core academic areas, and a parent should speak with the school directly about what support systems exist for students who are not yet proficient and what the school's approach is to closing these gaps.
The district itself has faced financial pressures. Erie City School District has raised property taxes in three consecutive years as federal COVID relief funding has wound down and state funding has fallen short; the board's financial consultants built this increase into a five-year balanced-budget plan. Families considering the district should be aware that further property tax increases may be on the horizon.
A notable development at the district level may affect building assignments. In January 2026, the school board voted to review the current grade structure. The board previously consolidated high schools into a single comprehensive high school and converted two former high schools, including East, into middle schools. Overcrowding at the remaining high school has prompted the board to study whether to undo that consolidation. For families with students who will eventually attend high school, this signals that the building landscape may shift over the next few years.
Data on special populations such as students with IEPs or English learners was not available. Information about staffing levels, course offerings, discipline practices, and attendance rates was not provided in the available sources. A parent considering this school would benefit from requesting those details directly and discussing with the school how it addresses the low proficiency rates evident in state testing.
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