The top reported proficiency rate is 85% in Science. The lowest is 58% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Central Manor El Sch
Central Manor Elementary is a kindergarten-through-sixth-grade school in Washington Boro, a small riverside village in Lancaster County. The school sits on a rural road and serves families across a wide demographic range in a community with deep roots but modest growth.
Washington Boro itself is a low-density, historically built environment along the Susquehanna River. Most residents own their homes and the place has an unusually large stock of pre-World War II architecture. The village has a blue-collar character, with most working residents employed in health care, manufacturing, or construction. There is no commercial downtown; civic life centers on a four-acre riverfront park and the school campuses themselves. The community is essentially stable rather than growing, with population and employment holding steady over recent years. Lancaster, the county seat, is the nearest major employment hub.
The school's enrollment runs across the grade band and draws substantially from both white and Hispanic families, with a meaningful share of Black and Asian families as well. Nearly half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a mix of working-class and lower-income families. The enrollment is moderate for an elementary school serving a small rural area.
On state testing, the school's performance in math and English language arts sits below the state midpoint. In mathematics, about three-fifths of students in grades three through eight met proficiency; in ELA, the rate was just above three-fifths. Science proficiency, measured most recently, was notably stronger, with students showing solid performance. The school sits in the top quartile for overall proficiency among the county's school districts, a position that reflects strength in science offsetting moderate performance in reading and math. A parent may want to ask the school directly about its instructional approach and any interventions in place for students working below grade level in foundational skills.
Penn Manor School District, the parent district, operates across multiple towns and recently completed a major rebuilding of its high school, which opened in 2023 with new STEM, agricultural, and athletic facilities. That capital work signals district investment in infrastructure. The district has also adopted policies on student records (including pronoun documentation) and athletics participation that shape the environment for gender-diverse students and families. The 2024-25 budget included further elementary school projects in the planning stages and a property tax increase to support them. These are material facts for families considering the district long-term.
Central Manor offers a mainstream public elementary education in a stable, working-class community with solid housing affordability compared to state benchmarks. The school's science performance is a strength. Reading and math outcomes are moderate and warrant conversation with school leaders about where students sit relative to standards and what supports exist. The environment is rural and car-dependent rather than walkable or dense, and families should expect a school-centered, rather than downtown-centered, community life.
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