The top reported proficiency rate is 34% in English language arts. The lowest is 25% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Octorara Intermediate Sch
Octorara Intermediate School serves grades five and six in Atglen, a small, rural borough in western Chester County where neighbors know each other and life moves slowly. The school sits on a shared campus with the district's other buildings, separated from the town's modest civic core along Main Street.
The school's most recent state testing data shows academic proficiency well below the midpoint for districts in Chester County. In English language arts, a little more than one-third of students tested met or exceeded proficiency. In mathematics, proficiency fell to roughly one-quarter of tested students. These results place the school in the bottom quartile of its county comparison group on overall proficiency across subjects. The data does not provide trend information, so it is unclear whether performance has been stable or shifting. A parent may want to ask the school directly about reading and math supports, intervention programs, and how teachers address the range of skill levels evident in these results.
The student body is almost entirely economically disadvantaged. A near-total share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which reflects the area's economic composition. The enrollment is small, with roughly equal numbers in each grade. Demographically, the student body is majority white, with a substantial share of Hispanic students and a smaller share of Black students. Data on special education enrollment and English learner enrollment were not available.
In March 2025, the district made a significant structural change. The board voted to close Octorara Elementary School and realign grades starting in the 2025-26 school year. Under the new setup, grades three through five now attend the Intermediate School—making Octorara an elementary-intermediate building rather than purely intermediate—and grades six through eight move to the Middle School. The former elementary building is being repurposed for after-school programming and partner services like YMCA care. The district projects this consolidation will yield annual operational savings and reduce the number of school transitions children experience as they move through the grades.
This realignment is a lasting shift in how the district uses its buildings and affects which school serves children at key grade levels. Families considering a move to the area should be aware that a child might attend this building for grades three through five rather than five and six alone, depending on when they enroll.
Property taxes are a practical consideration. Octorara remains one of the highest-taxed districts in its region. The district straddles Chester and Lancaster Counties, and tax rates are set and balanced separately for each county portion based on annual property valuations. Local taxes supply roughly two-thirds of the district's revenue. Housing in the Atglen area carries a market value somewhat above the Pennsylvania state median, though affordability metrics are mixed depending on whether a family buys or rents.
The district has no apparent magnet or specialty program focus at this level. Civil rights data, staffing, attendance, and course breadth were not available for this school. Interested families should contact the district directly to learn about reading intervention, math support, special education services, and any enrichment or elective offerings within the intermediate grades.
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