The top reported proficiency rate is 43% in English language arts. The lowest is 29% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mid Valley Secondary Center
Mid Valley Secondary Center serves grades seven through twelve in Throop, a small mixed residential-industrial borough adjoining Scranton in Lackawanna County. The school draws its enrollment from a consolidated district that united three former borough districts in the 1980s, and functions as the secondary campus for a community where housing is affordable, employment anchors include regional logistics and distribution centers, and outdoor recreation is tied to municipal parks and the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail.
The school enrolls a student body that is nearly entirely economically disadvantaged. All enrolled students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a condition that reflects both the district's eligibility mix and the economic character of the Throop area and surrounding communities it serves. The enrollment is fairly evenly distributed across the grade span, with slightly larger cohorts in grades seven through ten and smaller ones in the upper grades. The student population is predominantly white, with a smaller but meaningful share identifying as Hispanic, and smaller still populations of Black students, students of two or more races, and Asian students. Data on students with individualized education plans and English learners was not available.
Academic performance at Mid Valley Secondary Center sits below the midpoint among Lackawanna County's districts on overall proficiency. In the most recent state assessment reporting, English language arts proficiency was near the county median, with about four in ten students meeting or exceeding proficiency standards. Mathematics proficiency was substantially lower, with roughly three in ten students meeting standards. This gap between ELA and math proficiency is common across many schools and suggests that a parent may want to look into further what mathematics support and intervention structures the school has in place. State testing at this school covers only grades three through eight, so no high-school-level state assessment results are available. A graduation rate for the school was not reported in the data received.
The school benefits from a significant recent infrastructure investment completed by the district: a rebuilding of the athletic complex in Throop that added synthetic turf football and multi-sport fields, new baseball and softball diamonds, four tennis courts, and LED lighting on a resurfaced track. This project, publicly reported as roughly a major capital expenditure, replaced chronically deteriorating outdoor facilities and was funded in part through taxpayer support, giving every secondary student access to upgraded PE and athletic infrastructure.
The housing market in the Throop area is notably affordable relative to state and national benchmarks. Median home values in the zip code are substantially below the Pennsylvania state average and well below the national median, making home ownership achievable for families with middle-range incomes. Rents are similarly accessible. This affordability has attracted modest population growth and stable demand, though Throop itself shows only slow population movement rather than rapid new residential development. The borough's character remains anchored in its industrial past—coal and silk manufacturing—and today functions as part of the greater Scranton metro economy, with major warehousing and logistics operations in adjacent industrial parks providing regional employment.
Civically, Throop centers on municipal recreation at Washington Street Park, the Community Civic Center hosting after-school programs, and access to the county bus system connecting to Downtown Scranton. The annual Cow Flop, a Booster Club fundraiser for youth baseball and softball, is the signature community event. These assets shape a small-town peer environment where student life is embedded in a working-class, stable community with accessible recreation and modest economic resources.
Program offerings at the school were not detailed in the data received, so a parent interested in understanding course breadth, career pathways, dual-credit options, or specialized tracks should contact the school directly. The school's website was also not provided. Mid Valley Secondary Center is a regular public school, not a charter, and serves a neighborhood where affordability and community stability are the defining features, alongside the challenge of closing the mathematics proficiency gap.
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