The top reported proficiency rate is 92% in Science. The lowest is 64% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Lehigh El Sch
Lehigh Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Walnutport, a compact borough along the Lehigh River in Northampton County. The school sits at the center of a community built largely between the 1950s and 1980s, with modest older housing, townhouses, and small businesses. The historic Lehigh Canal runs through town and functions as a walking and biking corridor; the school is a fixture in this settled, small residential landscape rather than a growing one.
Enrollment is modest, with close to five hundred students spread across six grades. The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller Hispanic population and very few students of other backgrounds. About four in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a working-class or mixed-income enrollment base. Data on English learners and students with IEPs were not available from the sources accessed.
On recent state assessments, the school shows strength in science, where proficiency was very high. Math and English language arts proficiency both sit in the mid-range: roughly three in every five students tested met proficiency standards in each subject. These results place the school above the median when compared to other districts across Northampton County, landing in the top quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects. This is solid academic standing, though not exceptional; a parent looking for very high proficiency rates should probably ask the school directly about the gap between science performance and performance in the other two subjects.
The school does not have a graduation rate to report, which is expected given that it serves only elementary grades. State testing data do not include scale scores or participation rates in the current data available.
The broader district context matters considerably here. Northampton Area School District, which operates Lehigh Elementary, is undergoing a major reorganization. Effective for the 2026-27 school year, a new elementary school is being built, several schools are closing, and elementary attendance boundaries are being redrawn. Lehigh Elementary is one of the four remaining K-5 schools after this change. Families currently in Walnutport and surrounding areas should be aware that their assigned school could shift under the new boundary lines; the district has published these boundaries online.
At the same time, the district has adopted substantial property tax increases and is cutting staffing. The 2025-26 budget included a significant tax hike, and the preliminary 2026-27 budget proposes another substantial increase along with the elimination of about thirty positions. For someone considering a home purchase in this area, property taxes tied to school funding are rising and will continue to rise. Pennsylvania's homestead tax relief program provides some offset for eligible homeowners, but not a full one.
The housing market in the 18088 ZIP code shows median home values moderately above the state benchmark. Ownership is prevalent, and the area's affordability for mortgage-carrying buyers is slightly above the national ratio of price to income. This reflects a stable but not booming residential market.
Walnutport itself is largely built out with little new construction within the borough; development is concentrated in surrounding Lehigh Township at higher price points. The community is small and walkable, with the canal corridor serving as a social anchor. The nearest secondary school, Northern Lehigh High School, is located across the river in Slatington, so families here do not have middle and high school options within the borough boundaries.
For families choosing Lehigh Elementary, the profile is a solid elementary program in a small, stable working-to-middle-class community, with academic results in the upper half of the county. The significant shifts ahead in district structure and the ongoing fiscal pressure warrant conversation with the school and district about what those changes mean for specific families' assignments and experience. The school's peer environment is predominantly white and local; a parent should assess whether that aligns with their preferences.
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