The top reported proficiency rate is 53% in Math. The lowest is 45% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Swiftwater El Ctr
Swiftwater Elementary Center is a small school serving kindergarten through third grade in a rural-residential pocket of the Pocono Mountains, where the landscape of forest, low-density housing, and forested wetlands is interrupted by a major employer: the Sanofi Pasteur vaccine manufacturing facility, which dominates local employment and shapes the economic anchors of the area.
The school sits within Pocono Mountain School District, which covers a broader geography across Monroe County. In June 2022, the district ended a long property tax freeze with its first increase in more than a decade, and the millage rate has continued climbing through the 2025-2026 fiscal year, materially changing the long-term tax picture for families considering the area. The district has rolled out a K-12 STEAM integration program that earned national recognition, signaling a commitment to woven science, technology, engineering, arts, and math instruction across all grades rather than as a standalone elective.
At Swiftwater Elementary Center itself, nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, pointing to an economically stretched student population despite the presence of the Sanofi facility nearby. The school's enrollment is approximately stable across grades kindergarten through third, with each grade holding roughly comparable numbers. The racial and ethnic composition is diverse, with white students representing the largest group, followed by a substantial share identifying as Hispanic, and meaningful representation of Black students and multiracial students. Specific data on English learners and students with individualized education plans were not available.
In the most recent state testing for grades three through eight, Swiftwater's proficiency rate in mathematics was in the higher range among Monroe County school districts, placing it in the top quartile relative to other schools tested in the county. Reading proficiency, measured as English language arts, was lower, sitting below the median for county peers. This two-subject gap suggests the school may want to focus on literacy instruction alongside its existing math work.
Because Swiftwater Elementary serves only early grades, state testing data come from the handful of third graders who sit at the top of the school's grade span. The school has no graduation rate or high school outcomes to report, as those grade bands fall elsewhere in the district.
The immediate setting is car-dependent; Swiftwater has no downtown of its own, and Tannersville serves Pocono Township's civic and commercial core. The school campuses in the area sit on separated sites rather than within a walkable center. Fixed-route bus service operates through the Monroe County Transit Authority, and school-age students ride free with valid school ID. Housing values in the area have grown modestly and remain below the statewide benchmark, with rents and mortgage affordability tracking near national norms given current mortgage rates.
Growth in the broader township is steady, driven by in-migration from adjacent states, and new multifamily apartments have arrived locally. The combination of a rural-mountain setting, a major biotech employer, and growing residential development means the community is in transition from a quieter mountain residential zone toward a more economically active node. For families drawn to the Pocono region and considering this school, the economics are stretched, the state test results show stronger math than reading, and the district's recent pivot to integrated STEAM instruction offers a distinct pedagogical direction worth discussing with the school directly.
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