The top reported proficiency rate is 21% in English language arts. The lowest is 5% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Valley Jshs
Valley JSHS serves grades seven through twelve in New Kensington, a small post-industrial city in Westmoreland County northeast of Pittsburgh along the Allegheny River. The school's enrollment is split roughly evenly across middle and high school grades, with a student body where all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The racial and ethnic composition is diverse: roughly equal numbers of white and Black students, with a meaningful population of students identifying as two or more races, and smaller numbers of Hispanic, Asian, and Native American students.
New Kensington itself was once known as the Aluminum City for its dominant Alcoa plant, which closed in the 1970s and left behind a hollowed-out downtown. The city's population has declined steadily since its peak. Today the community is residential, dominated by older foursquares and two-story cottages near downtown and ranch homes on the outskirts. A new Advanced Manufacturing Park is under redevelopment on the former Alcoa site, anchored by Re:Build Manufacturing and housing several tenant companies, paired with a downtown revitalization effort called the Corridor of Innovation tied to Penn State New Kensington. Housing remains affordable by national standards.
The district serving both New Kensington and the neighboring city of Arnold has raised property taxes in each of the last three years in response to budget pressures. The board is also studying a shift from region-based to at-large school board elections after difficulty recruiting candidates for open seats.
On state assessments in 2024-25, Valley JSHS shows very low proficiency. In English Language Arts for grades three through eight, about one-fifth of students tested reached proficiency. In math for the same grades, proficiency was substantially lower, at roughly one-twentieth of students. Among the districts in Westmoreland County, Valley JSHS ranks in the bottom quartile on overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not clear whether this reflects a recent decline or a longer-standing pattern. Graduation rate data for the high school grades was not provided. Special education and English learner enrollment data were not available, so the composition of students receiving those services is not known.
The school operates as a traditional public junior-senior high school with no specialized magnet or charter designation. Program offerings, staffing details, and course access information were not available in the data reviewed, so a parent would want to contact the school directly to learn about the range of academic pathways, career and technical offerings, AP or dual-credit courses, or support services available to students working at different levels.
The affordability of housing in the New Kensington area and the school's full Title I eligibility reflect the economic circumstances of the families served. The ongoing property tax increases in the district are a material factor for any family considering a home purchase in either city, since the millage rate has climbed steadily and will continue to affect the total cost of homeownership.
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