The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in Science. The lowest is 23% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Midland El/ms
Midland Elementary-Middle School serves grades pre-K through eight in a small Ohio River borough northwest of Pittsburgh. It is the sole school operated by Midland Borough School District, and it enrolls a small group of students drawn entirely from Midland and the immediate surrounding area.
The school's student body reflects the borough's economic realities. All students in the school qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is racially diverse, with roughly half white students, a substantial share of Black students, and smaller shares of Hispanic and multiracial students. The student count sits at about two hundred, distributed across ten grades from pre-K through eighth.
On Pennsylvania's state assessments in math and English language arts for grades three through eight, the school's proficiency rates are well below state medians. In math, proficiency ran in the low twenties; in ELA, it was in the low thirties. Science proficiency, last measured in the prior year, was closer to a midpoint. Across the trio of tested subjects, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Beaver County. A parent may want to look into what remedial and intervention supports the school offers, how class sizes and staffing compare, and what the school's plan is for raising attainment in these foundational areas. State testing data for earlier grade bands was not available, nor were trend data across years that would show whether performance is moving.
The housing market in Midland itself is modest. Home values run well below both state and national medians, and mortgage affordability is strong by national standards, though the local job base has not kept pace with the borough's economic decline from its steel-era past. The borough's population has contracted over decades and sits at a few thousand. There is no public transportation within Midland, and residents rely on cars for daily life. The downtown core centers on Midland Avenue, where civic anchors including the Carnegie Library, Lincoln Park, and the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center sit within walking distance of homes. Beyond the borough, shopping and services are a short drive away.
Education and arts organizations now anchor local employment, but this shift is recent and incomplete. Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, an online school, is headquartered in Midland. The Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center opened less than a decade ago and includes a charter school. A peer in-town high school option, Midland Innovation and Technology Charter School, closed in mid-2025 after operating only a few years, leaving Midland's high school students to attend Beaver Area High School outside the borough or explore other charter pathways.
For families living in or considering Midland, this school offers a small-school setting, full access to free lunch regardless of income, and a racially diverse peer group. It is not a high-attainment school on state measures. Families should explore the school's academic supports, staffing, and improvement strategy before enrolling, and they should understand that the absence of an in-district high school means high school placement will require a departure from the borough or a charter choice.
See more original research from School Decision →