The top reported proficiency rate is 84% in Science. The lowest is 48% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Franklin Twp El Sch
Franklin Township Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Cashtown, a small rural hamlet in the foothills of western Adams County, set among apple and peach orchards about eight miles west of Gettysburg. The school draws from a tight community tied to farmland and a few civic anchors, with most families reaching employment or services by driving to Gettysburg or Chambersburg.
The school's enrollment sits at a modest size for its grade band, with a fairly even distribution across grades. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a working-family population with economic pressures. The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller Hispanic population and very small shares of other backgrounds. The district has not reported the number of students with Individual Education Plans or English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those populations and how they are served.
On state academic assessments, the school shows uneven performance. In math and reading, roughly half of students in grades three through five met proficiency in the most recent testing year. Science is considerably stronger, with a solid majority of students demonstrating proficiency. That split suggests the school has worked to build science knowledge but faces challenges in literacy and numeracy. Without multi-year trend data, it is unclear whether these gaps are stable, widening, or narrowing. A parent might ask the school about what instructional changes are underway in math and reading, and what support is available for students below proficiency.
When compared to districts across Adams County, Franklin Township's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile, which reflects the strength in science and the modest-but-real proficiency rates in other subjects. The school does not serve high school grades, so graduation rate data do not apply. Chronic absenteeism data were not available.
The school opened on a campus setting rather than within a town center, using an Orrtanna mailing address but sitting physically within the Cashtown census-designated place. The building is located on Old Route 30, and the area is car-dependent with no public transit. Families walk, bike, or drive to reach the school.
Gettysburg Area School District, the parent district, has announced significant property tax increases for the coming years. After years of minimal operating increases, the district approved a notable tax increase for 2026-27 to close a deficit driven largely by special education costs, and has committed three consecutive years of additional increases to fund the future expansion of Adams County Technical Institute, a career and technical education hub. These rising bills will affect families in the Cashtown area. The district has also completed recent renovations at two of its other elementary schools, improving their physical infrastructure.
The school's calendar and curriculum reflect elementary practices typical of the region. The district has launched a cyber school option for middle and high school grades, but no alternative program specific to the elementary level was identified. Program information beyond what state testing covers was not available.
Housing in the surrounding Franklin Township area remains active, with a modest median home price and average market time, though the overall population is stable to slightly declining. Zoning in the township emphasizes preserving farmland and allows small-scale retail but limits large new subdivisions, which shapes the slow-growth context families choose when they remain in or move to the area.
For a family choosing this school, the combination is one of a small-scale elementary serving a rural, working farm community with mixed academic performance and a district facing budget pressures that will likely raise property taxes over time. The school's science performance stands out; its reading and math results warrant conversation with the school about classroom supports and instructional direction.
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