The top reported proficiency rate is 88% in Science. The lowest is 57% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Richland El Sch
Richland Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Johnstown, a small former steel city in the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania. The school sits in Richland Township, about five miles east of the city's historic downtown, in the same area where the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and Pennsylvania Highlands Community College are located.
The school enrolls about mid-range for its grade band. Just over a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of students identifying as multiracial, Asian, Black, or Hispanic. Data on students receiving special education services and English learners was not available.
On the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment, math proficiency for grades three through six stands at a solid level, with about two-thirds of students scoring at the proficient level or above. English language arts proficiency is notably lower, with a little more than half of students at proficiency. Science results, from the most recent year tested, showed strong performance at about 88% proficiency. Across tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among districts in Cambria County.
The school is part of Richland School District, which has recently earned significant external recognition. Richland Elementary received the U.S. Department of Education's 2024 National Blue Ribbon School designation, and Richland High School was selected for the same honor in 2025. These back-to-back recognitions, publicly reported, mark the district as the first in Pennsylvania known to achieve this. The district was also named a Great Pennsylvania School by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, a regional first for the Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8 area spanning four counties.
The school's broader context matters for families considering it. Johnstown has experienced long-term population decline but is actively pursuing redevelopment. Housing in the zip code is below the state and national median, making the area relatively affordable. Manufacturing remains the largest economic sector locally, alongside healthcare and retail. The city has a walkable downtown anchored by parks, the Flood Museum, and civic institutions, along with public transit via CamTran. Johnstown Wire Technologies, Lockheed Martin, and other industrial employers provide the local economic base.
One area parents may want to look into further with the school is the gap between math and English language arts proficiency. The difference between the two is meaningful and worth understanding more deeply, whether through conversation with school leadership or classroom observation.
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