The top reported proficiency rate is 96% in Science. The lowest is 52% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Lake-noxen El Sch
Lake-Noxen Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Harvey's Lake, a small residential borough on a glacial lake in the Back Mountain region of Luzerne County. The school draws about half its enrollment from the immediate lakeshore area and the remainder from surrounding rural townships in the Lake-Lehman School District.
The student body is predominantly white, with about half the enrollment qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mix of middle and lower-income families. The school enrolls a small share of Hispanic students and a handful of students identifying as multiracial or Asian; civil rights data on special education and English learner populations were not available.
Academically, Lake-Noxen shows uneven results. On the most recent state assessments, students in grades three through six scored at proficiency in math at a rate above the median among Luzerne County schools, placing the school in the top quartile of county elementary schools when proficiency across all tested subjects is combined. Reading and language arts proficiency, however, fell below that threshold. Science proficiency, measured in the prior year, was very strong. This split—solid to strong performance in math and science, weaker in reading—is a pattern a parent may want to discuss directly with the school, particularly around what reading supports or interventions exist and how the school works with students who fall short of proficiency in that subject.
The school is housed in a rural campus setting rather than within the borough itself. Harvey's Lake has no walkable downtown or public transit; it is a ring of homes and small businesses around the lake, with the school located on its own grounds in nearby Lake Township. Families here drive to work and to school. The area is quiet and seasonal, with most economic activity and larger employers located in the Wilkes-Barre area roughly 15 miles away. Housing values in the local zip code are moderate, below the state and national benchmarks. The community includes year-round residents, seasonal homeowners, and a notably high concentration of artists, designers, and remote workers, mixed with blue-collar employment.
One financial note: the Lake-Lehman School District, which includes Harvey's Lake and surrounding townships in Luzerne County, raised property taxes for its Luzerne County homeowners in the 2025-26 fiscal year after holding rates mostly flat for several years prior. This reflects inflation, teacher and bus driver contract costs, and capital needs. Families buying into the area should expect ongoing tax pressure, particularly if the district continues to face budget constraints.
The school is a traditional public elementary with no specialized programs or magnet focus mentioned in available information. It serves as the feeder elementary for Lake-Lehman Jr./Sr. High, located on a separate campus also outside the borough. With an enrollment of about 250 students across seven grades, it is a small to mid-sized elementary school for its region.
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