The top reported proficiency rate is 48% in Science. The lowest is 10% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Freeland El/ms
Freeland Elementary/Middle School serves kindergarten through eighth grade in the Hazleton Area School District. The school enrolls a student body that is just under a thousand students, distributed fairly evenly across the nine grades, with a notably high concentration of students from low-income households. Free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility covers the entire student population. The student body is roughly split between Hispanic and white students, with smaller populations of Black, Asian, and biracial students.
The school sits within one of Pennsylvania's fastest-growing districts, which spans three counties: Luzerne, Carbon, and Schuylkill. The district has expanded substantially and recently opened specialized pathways including a cyber academy and an arts and humanities academy. Hazleton Area is undertaking major facilities work, including construction of a new elementary school and possible expansion at Freeland itself to address crowding from enrollment growth. Property taxes in the district rose for the current and upcoming school years, with further increases under consideration due to county market reassessments, particularly in Carbon and Schuylkill counties.
Freeland's state assessment results reflect challenges in early literacy and mathematics. In English language arts across grades three through eight, proficiency was low, with roughly a quarter of tested students meeting proficiency standards. Mathematics proficiency was substantially lower, in the single digits. Science results, from the prior year, showed roughly half of tested students at proficiency. The school's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among Luzerne County's districts.
The school serves an economically disadvantaged student body, with universal free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility. Data on English learner and special education populations was not available. Beyond state testing results, information on programs, staffing, attendance, discipline, and course offerings was not provided.
The town of Freeland sits in Luzerne County in the northeastern part of the state. Housing values in the area are modest relative to state and national benchmarks, and median rents are moderate against household income. The local market offers affordability compared to state averages, which may appeal to families seeking lower housing costs, though this also reflects the region's economic profile.
Freeland Elementary/Middle School is a traditional public school without the specialized focus of the district's newer academies. For families in the school's attendance zone, it is the neighborhood school serving the full elementary and middle grades. The performance data shows meaningful work ahead in foundational reading and math, particularly in the lower grades where these skills form the base for later learning. A parent might want to ask the school directly about literacy and numeracy interventions, small-group instruction, and how the district's recent growth and facilities changes are affecting class sizes and resource allocation at this particular school.
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