The top reported proficiency rate is 90% in Science. The lowest is 55% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on North Pocono Intmd Sch
North Pocono Intermediate School serves fourth and fifth grade students in Moscow, a small residential borough in Lackawanna County about a short distance southeast of Scranton. The school sits at the center of a modest district serving roughly nine municipalities across hilly, mixed rural and suburban terrain in the Pocono foothills. Moscow itself is a quiet, predominantly owner-occupied community with small-town texture and a commercial spine along Main Street; the borough's population is essentially flat. Housing values in the area run notably above the county median, reflecting the community's appeal as a bedroom locale for Scranton-area workers.
The school enrolls students primarily from Moscow and surrounding townships. A meaningful share of the enrollment qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly white, with small numbers of multiracial, Hispanic, and other students. Specific data on special education and English learner populations was not available. The school's grade band and regular public school classification mean it is not subject to high school graduation tracking or alternative accountability frameworks.
On the most recent state testing reported, the school's performance is mixed. In science, proficiency stands notably high, placing the school well ahead of county peers. In English language arts, a slim majority of students score at proficient levels or above. Math proficiency runs below that: less than a majority of students meet the state standard. Taken together across tested subjects, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile relative to other districts in Lackawanna County, a genuine strength for an intermediate-grade setting.
The district has adopted a budget for 2025-26 with property tax increases in both Lackawanna and Wayne Counties, a meaningful ongoing cost for families in the area. The district is also borrowing substantially to install solar panels across all five schools, replace the high school roof, and retrofit lighting districtwide. These infrastructure investments will improve facility quality and long-term operating efficiency, though they drive near-term borrowing costs.
North Pocono serves grades four through five at this building, with middle and high school on separate campuses, one in Moscow and one in nearby Covington Township. The school is housed on the main Moscow campus at Church Street alongside the middle school and elementary center, creating a clustered facility environment rather than a standalone building. A parent weighing this school should weigh the strength in science proficiency and solid overall performance against the lower math proficiency, understand that this is a traditional public intermediate school with no alternative programming, and factor in the property tax environment as a resident cost. The community is stable and established, with modest new residential development, and functions primarily as a commuter base for Scranton.
See more original research from School Decision →