The top reported proficiency rate is 89% in Science. The lowest is 57% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Metzgar El Sch
Metzgar Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in New Alexandria, a small rural borough in Westmoreland County where the median home value sits modestly below the state benchmark. The school sits in the Greensburg Salem School District, which in June 2024 ended a four-year tax freeze by raising real estate taxes, part of a shift parents moving to the area would feel in their annual property bill. The district faces ongoing budget pressure from the loss of federal pandemic relief funds and rising costs in special education and cyber charter tuition.
The school enrolls a small group of students distributed fairly evenly across its grade band. The entire student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic stress across the enrollment. The student body is predominantly white, with small numbers of multiracial and Hispanic students and very few students of other racial backgrounds. Data on the share of students receiving special education services or learning English as an additional language was not available.
In the most recent state testing data, Metzgar's third through fifth graders showed mixed results. Reading proficiency sat at about three-fifths of tested students meeting the proficiency standard, while math proficiency was in the mid-range, with about three-fifths meeting the standard. Science results were notably stronger, with the vast majority of tested students scoring at or above the proficiency level in the prior year. Across the tested subjects and grades reported, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among the county's districts, a meaningful strength. State assessment scale scores and participation rates were not available in the data.
The school building sits at 140 CC Hall Drive in New Alexandria, on a borough edge near state routes. New Alexandria itself is a compact walkable village built along a Main Street where small businesses and homes coexist, with heavier commercial activity along US Route 22. The borough's population is small and declining slightly. Most residents own their homes. The area sits between Keystone State Park, which has a 78-acre lake and trails, and Loyalhanna Lake. The borough is planning a connecting trail from the park to a new kayak launch as part of a regional revitalization vision. Mean commute time for residents is moderate, indicating most work outside the borough. No fixed-route public transit serves New Alexandria directly.
Elementary school program details, staffing data, course catalogs for the upper grades, attendance rates, discipline procedures, and the counts of students in special education or English learner programs were not provided in the available data. A parent considering Metzgar would benefit from asking the school directly about those dimensions and about any programs, instructional approaches, or partnerships that shape the learning environment in the early grades.
See more original research from School Decision →