The top reported proficiency rate is 98% in Science. The lowest is 78% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln El Sch
Lincoln Elementary School sits in Pittsburgh's Mt. Lebanon School District, one of the oldest suburban districts in Allegheny County. The school serves kindergarten through fifth grade and enrolls about four hundred students, with a student body that is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Asian, Hispanic, and Black students represented. About a fifth of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a modest rate that reflects the district's middle- to upper-middle-class setting.
Academically, Lincoln's proficiency results are strong. On the most recent Pennsylvania System of School Assessment for grades three through five, proficiency rates in English language arts were in the upper range, and math proficiency also reached into the solid performance zone. Science proficiency was particularly high when last tested. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among Allegheny County's districts, a meaningful position that reflects consistent solid achievement in the elementary grades where the school operates.
The housing market in the school's zip code reflects middle-to-upper suburban character: median home values sit in the mid-range for the county, with modest year-over-year changes. Median rents are stable. The market has moderate supply relative to demand, so families looking to move into or within the district will find reasonable inventory but will compete with others seeking entry into this established suburb. Properties spend a typical amount of time on market before selling.
Mt. Lebanon School District, which encompasses Lincoln and surrounding elementary and secondary schools, faces significant financial headwinds. The district has operated under structural budget deficits for multiple years, with its fund balance below policy thresholds and projected toward depletion. The board has passed economic-furlough resolutions in three consecutive years, signaling ongoing strain on staffing and programming. In the current year, Mt. Lebanon was granted permission to raise property taxes above the state index using a special education cost exception, a decision that directly increases homeowners' annual school tax bills and reflects the district's fiscal pressure. For families considering a move into the area, this trajectory matters: families pay higher taxes to sustain the school system, and the district continues to face difficult tradeoffs between programming and budget balance.
Curriculum-wise, beginning with the current school year, Mt. Lebanon elementary schools including Lincoln are transitioning to Pennsylvania's new STEELS Standards (Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability), a substantial pedagogical and content shift that will reshape what elementary students encounter in science and related learning.
Lincoln's location is in Pittsburgh's Ralston neighborhood. The broader city is a dense, topography-driven place of distinct neighborhoods organized around a compact downtown, with strong street life in walkable corridors like the Cultural District and converted warehouse neighborhoods, though many outer residential areas are less walkable. The region's economy centers on education, health care, finance and growing technology sectors. Pittsburgh Regional Transit operates buses, a light-rail system and historic inclines, though service density varies by neighborhood and outer areas depend more on cars.
For families drawn to an established suburban elementary school with solid test results and a settled, middle-class peer environment, Lincoln offers that pathway. The tradeoff is entry into a district managing genuine financial stress, where annual tax increases and staffing uncertainty are current realities that may influence the cost-benefit calculation for families deciding whether to commit to the area.
See more original research from School Decision →