The top reported proficiency rate is 79% in Science. The lowest is 46% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Bellevue El Sch
Bellevue Elementary serves a small student body from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in Pittsburgh's 15202 zip code, within Northgate School District. The school's enrollment is steady but modest for an urban elementary setting. Virtually all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, marking the school as serving a very low-income neighborhood. The student population is majority white, with substantial Black and multiracial enrollment and smaller Asian and Hispanic populations.
On the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment, Bellevue's results in 2024-25 show mixed performance across grade levels. In English language arts, slightly fewer than half of students tested met proficiency standards. Math proficiency runs somewhat higher, with roughly half achieving that threshold. Science proficiency, measured most recently in 2023-24, is considerably stronger, with a substantial majority meeting standards. Across all three tested subjects, the school's overall proficiency rate places it above the midpoint among districts in Allegheny County, a meaningful position given the economic context of the school's enrollment.
The school's setting is Pittsburgh proper, part of an older industrial city organized around distinct neighborhoods rather than a uniform suburban pattern. Housing in the school's zip code is modestly valued and rents are fairly stable. The local real estate market in Allegheny County shows mixed activity, with inventory expanding and median days on market remaining low. The broader Pittsburgh economy is anchored in healthcare and education, with major employers including UPMC, the University of Pittsburgh, PNC Bank and Highmark Health. The downtown area is undergoing significant residential conversion, with new mixed-income housing projects under development.
From a district funding perspective, families considering Bellevue should know that Northgate School District has implemented successive property tax increases near the state maximum allowable level in recent years. The district did not pursue a referendum to shift some burden from property tax to earned income tax, so the tax structure continues to rely heavily on property values. This is material to the cost calculation for any family evaluating a move into the school's attendance area.
Data on special education enrollment, English learner enrollment, chronic absenteeism, discipline practices, and detailed staffing patterns was not available. The school's science results are the strongest indicator of academic coherence across grades, while the results in ELA and math suggest areas where some students are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks and may benefit from closer examination of instructional practice.
See more original research from School Decision →