Original Research by School Decision on Clear Run El Ctr
Clear Run Elementary Center serves kindergarten through second grade in Tobyhanna, an unincorporated community nestled in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. The school sits on the Clear Run campus on Memorial Boulevard in Coolbaugh Township, part of the Pocono Mountain School District.
The student body is economically disadvantaged and ethnically diverse. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The population is nearly half Hispanic or Latino, with roughly a quarter Black, a fifth white, and smaller populations of Asian, multiracial, and Native American students. The overall enrollment spans roughly equal numbers across the three grades served.
State testing data for this school are not available in a usable form. Pennsylvania assessed fourth grade in the year for which records exist, but the testing cohort was too small for results to be publicly reported; consequently proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science were suppressed. Because the school serves only the earliest grades, K through 2, it falls outside the regular state testing window entirely. This is typical for schools at this grade span in Pennsylvania. A parent seeking to understand academic performance at this level would need to work directly with the school on classroom assessments and progress monitoring.
Tobyhanna itself is a car-dependent rural-suburban landscape without a traditional downtown or walkable core. The area grew as a Pocono vacation and residential corridor served by major highways; commuters reach jobs in New York and Philadelphia. Tobyhanna Army Depot, a large military electronics maintenance facility, is the dominant regional employer. The community includes private lake developments and has experienced ongoing in-migration, with new housing construction and short-term rental activity continuing to reshape the local landscape. Housing values in the area run somewhat below the state benchmark; rental costs account for roughly a quarter of median household income.
The Pocono Mountain School District ended an unusually long property tax freeze in 2022 with a tax increase, and millage rates have continued to climb since, moving to a notably higher level by the 2025-26 fiscal year. This shift matters for families considering whether to settle in the area, as it marks a change in the long-term property tax trajectory. The district has also rolled out a K-12 STEAM integration curriculum that earned national recognition from the National School Boards Association in 2025, signaling a sustained pedagogical focus on integrated science, technology, engineering, arts, and math instruction across every grade level rather than as a standalone course.
For families with young children in the earliest grades, Clear Run offers a neighborhood elementary experience in an economically diverse, immigrant-welcoming community with substantial need. The absence of recent state test data reflects the school's grade band, not a gap in performance reporting.
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