The top reported proficiency rate is 52% in Science. The lowest is 28% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Francis Mcclure El Sch
Francis McClure Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in McKeesport, a small Rust Belt city south of Pittsburgh that has undergone decades of economic contraction following the closure of the steel mills that once anchored the region. The school enrolls a substantial student body, with roughly equal representation across the grade levels, drawn from a community marked by high economic need; the school reports that every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of concentrated poverty.
The student body is racially and ethnically mixed. About two-fifths of enrollment is Black, a similar share is white, and the remainder is Hispanic or multiracial. No data on English learners or special education enrollment rates were available.
Academic performance is an area of concern. In the most recent state assessments, the school's proficiency in math was in the low range, as was performance in English language arts. Science results, measured in an earlier year, showed about half of tested students meeting proficiency. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency level places it below the midpoint among elementary schools in Allegheny County. This pattern of results reflects substantial gaps in foundational skills that would benefit from targeted intervention.
The district has prioritized math instruction as a specific area for improvement, having implemented a new K-12 math curriculum meant to address proficiency gaps. The district also made a policy change in special education eligibility in the 2023-24 school year, which families with students receiving or seeking IEP services may want to understand further by contacting the district directly.
McKeesport itself is a community in transition. Once a major manufacturing center, the city experienced severe population loss and disinvestment after the closure of the National Tube Works. The housing market remains very affordable, with home values considerably below state and national benchmarks. The city is pursuing incremental redevelopment through adaptive reuse rather than new construction, and it operates under a HUD Consolidated Plan guiding community development investment. Civic life centers on Renziehausen Park, the Carnegie Library, and institutions like UPMC McKeesport hospital and Penn State Greater Allegheny. The district holds property taxes flat year over year, a benefit to families already settled in the region.
For a family considering Francis McClure, the school offers the stability and modest costs of a neighborhood elementary school in an affordable housing market, alongside a student population from similar economic circumstances. The low state proficiency results suggest that a child entering the school would be part of a cohort with significant academic gaps; parents may want to ask the school directly what supports it offers to accelerate learning in math and reading, and what resources are available for families to reinforce instruction at home.
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