The top reported proficiency rate is 91% in Science. The lowest is 83% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Mccullough El Sch
McCullough Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Jeannette, a small working-class city in Westmoreland County, southeast of Pittsburgh. The school enrolls a modest enrollment of students, with a student body that is predominantly white and a meaningful share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of its community.
Academically, McCullough shows solid performance on state assessments. In the most recent 2024-25 testing, students in grades three through five achieved proficiency in English language arts and math at rates in the low eighties. Science results from 2022-23 were notably stronger, with a substantially higher proficiency rate. Across these subjects, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among districts across Westmoreland County, a meaningful measure of how it performs relative to peer schools in the region.
The school sits within Penn-Trafford School District, which spans communities outside Pittsburgh and is currently navigating significant budget pressures. The district has implemented three consecutive property tax increases over consecutive budget cycles, with the cumulative effect raising property tax bills materially. Parents considering a move to the district should factor these ongoing tax hikes into housing cost calculations. The district is investing in infrastructure and pedagogy; it is rolling out Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports across all buildings, adding universal screening tools, and conducting curriculum alignment work, all aimed at creating more consistent, data-driven approaches to identifying and supporting student needs across grade levels.
Jeannette itself is a dense, walkable downtown with brick row houses and double homes built during its manufacturing heyday. The city was founded as a glass-manufacturing town and retains strong industrial roots, though the largest employer today is Elliott Company, a turbine and rotating equipment manufacturer. The downtown along Clay Avenue shows visible signs of revitalization, with newer businesses opening alongside some vacant storefronts. Population has been in long-term decline, but local organizations are pursuing Main Street designation and community investment efforts. McCullough's location keeps it embedded in this small-city fabric rather than isolated on a suburban campus.
The school serves a neighborhood with modest housing values and rents well below state and national benchmarks, and affordability for renters is notably stronger than for mortgage-holders. This reflects a working-class, stable community without pressure from rapid gentrification, though housing stock is aging. For families, McCullough offers solid elementary academics in a traditional public school setting within a real neighborhood, paired with awareness that the district faces structural budget challenges that will continue shaping school resources and property costs going forward.
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