The top reported proficiency rate is 74% in Science. The lowest is 41% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Pittston City Intrmd Ctr
Pittston City Intermediate Center serves grades two through four in Pittston, a small city in the Wyoming Valley of Luzerne County that sits between Wilkes-Barre and Scranton. The school is part of the Pittston Area School District, which has held property taxes flat for six consecutive budget years, a measure that directly affects household costs for families living in the district.
The school's enrollment is around the middle of what a school this size typically holds for its grade band. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the city and surrounding area. The racial and ethnic makeup is predominantly white, with smaller populations of Hispanic, multiracial, Black, and Asian students. The school's special population data on English learners and students with IEPs was not available.
In the most recent state testing cycle, the school showed mixed performance across subjects. On Pennsylvania's assessment in English language arts, about four in ten students tested at proficient levels, placing the school's overall performance profile well above the median when compared with districts across Luzerne County. Mathematics proficiency was slightly higher, with near half of tested students meeting proficiency standards. Science data from an earlier year showed stronger results, with roughly three-quarters of students demonstrating proficiency. The school tests a substantial number of students across these subjects, suggesting broad participation. Average scale scores and participation rates for some subjects were not reported.
Pittston itself is in a slow revitalization after decades of population decline. It remains a mix of residential neighborhoods and a compact downtown organized around Main Street, where recent public investment in streetscaping, public art, murals, and new restaurants and galleries has created a walkable hub. The city's economy is anchored by healthcare, education, logistics and distribution operations in the surrounding corridor, and small manufacturing. Home values are somewhat below the Pennsylvania state median and well below the national median, reflecting the modest local economic base. Rents are similarly affordable relative to income. The broader Pittston Area School District operates as a district complex rather than embedded in the downtown grid, with separate buildings for primary, intermediate, middle, and senior high grades.
A parent considering this school is choosing an intermediate center in a real community with signs of reinvestment, where property taxes have been held steady, but where standardized proficiency rates, particularly in English language arts, remain below what stronger-performing districts achieve. The school is small enough to be part of a coherent K-12 district structure, and the city offers parks, a library that doubles as a community hub, and a river trail, though most growth continues to occur in the surrounding townships rather than in the city proper.
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