The top reported proficiency rate is 83% in Science. The lowest is 44% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Penn Cambria Intrmd Sch
Penn Cambria Intermediate School serves grades three and four in Lilly, a small borough in Cambria County positioned in the Little Conemaugh River valley. The school sits at 376 Wood Street within the residential street grid of the borough itself rather than on a separated campus, placing it at the civic center where the district office, library, and school buildings share proximity.
The student body is small, drawn largely from Lilly and surrounding areas. The enrollment is predominantly white, with very limited racial and ethnic diversity. About half the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating moderate economic need in the school's catchment. The school serves only the two intermediate grades, meaning state assessment data reflects performance in a narrow band and there is no graduation rate, truancy, or secondary-program data to report.
In mathematics and English language arts, the school's proficiency rates sit below the midpoint among districts in Cambria County. In math, about four in ten students scored at proficient or above on the 2024-25 state assessment; in ELA, about four and a half in ten did the same. Science results from the most recent available year showed considerably stronger performance, with a majority of tested students meeting or exceeding the standard. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among Cambria County districts, a position lifted by the science strength. A parent may want to look into current performance trends and what instructional supports are in place for reading and math, where the school lags district comparison points.
The school is central to an ongoing district consolidation. Penn Cambria closed its Primary Building at the end of the 2024-25 school year and is building a two-story addition to the high school in Cresson. The plan is to close the Intermediate School in Lilly and the middle school in Gallitzin by the 2027-2028 school year, consolidating all students onto one Cresson campus. This means the children currently in this building will eventually move to the centralized facility, fundamentally changing the enrollment pattern and the local school presence in Lilly.
The district has financed this consolidation project through multiple bond issuances, with additional debt planned. For the 2026-27 school year, the school board raised property taxes to the state's allowable limit to cover budget pressures from capital improvements and a stadium renovation. These are material, recurring costs for families with property in the district's service area.
The community of Lilly itself is experiencing gradual population decline and has a suburban-rural character with many homeowners and retirees. The nearby Lilly-Washington Public Library, part of a 14-library county system, serves as a civic anchor, and a local historical society museum and annual borough events provide community gathering points. Most residents commute out of the borough for work, though the school district is a local public employer. Housing values in the 15938 zip code are below the state average, and mortgage affordability is relatively favorable compared to national benchmarks, making the area accessible for families seeking lower-cost housing, though long-term enrollment trends in the district are downward.
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