The top reported proficiency rate is 66% in Science. The lowest is 40% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Frances Willard #32
Frances Willard #32 is a full-enrollment elementary school serving kindergarten through fourth grade in Scranton. The school sits in a neighborhood with solid walkability—downtown and its civic anchors, including the Albright Memorial Library and multiple universities, are reachable by foot or short transit ride—and the surrounding area is dense residential with mixed commercial activity.
The school population is entirely eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body reflects Scranton's demographic mix: roughly two-fifths Hispanic, roughly one-third white, roughly one-seventh Black, and smaller shares Asian and multiracial. The school's enrollment is stable within its grade band.
On state testing, Frances Willard's most recent results show students performing below the state norm. In math and English language arts tested in the school year ending 2025, proficiency rates sat at less than half the student body. Science results from 2023, the most recent available, were notably stronger, with performance substantially above half. The science score reflects capacity in one tested domain; parents may want to explore with the school what that success looks like and what reading and math instruction would benefit from. Across the county's districts, Frances Willard's overall proficiency sits above the midpoint, suggesting the school is performing better than some peers but still in territory where many students are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks.
The school feeds into Scranton's intermediate school system, which in recent years underwent reconfiguration to accommodate a substantial and growing special education population. The district as a whole has been rebuilding after exiting financial recovery in 2023. Starting this school year, funding increases allowed the restoration of pre-K and expanded kindergarten support, plus restoration of middle school arts and additional social-emotional staff—changes that reshape what the district can offer as children move through the system.
The neighborhood's housing market is mixed in character and affordability. Home values in the zip code are below state and national medians, and rents are modest by national measures, making this a relatively affordable pocket within Pennsylvania. Rental costs in the immediate area have been climbing year over year, however, reflecting downtown apartment conversion activity aimed at young professionals and students. Schools of this size and configuration are common in dense older cities; Frances Willard serves as a neighborhood elementary anchor in a community with strong walkability but also real constraints on learning outcomes that a family moving to the area would be entering into directly.
See more original research from School Decision →