The top reported proficiency rate is 47% in Science. The lowest is 28% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Charles Sumner #18
Charles Sumner #18 serves kindergarten through fourth grade in Scranton, a mid-sized city and county seat in northeastern Pennsylvania. The school enrolls a small population, with roughly equal numbers across its grade bands. The student body is economically disadvantaged; all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school's racial and ethnic makeup reflects Scranton's broader composition: a substantial plurality identify as Hispanic, with smaller shares identifying as white, Black, Asian, and multiracial.
On Pennsylvania's state assessment, Charles Sumner's results show a clear challenge. In the most recent testing year, about one-third of students in grades 3 and 4 scored proficient or above in mathematics, and roughly one-quarter did so in English language arts. Science proficiency was notably higher at about half, though that data comes from an earlier year and reflects a smaller tested group. Across the three subjects, the school's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among districts in Lackawanna County.
These numbers warrant attention. For a parent enrolling a child here, it is reasonable to ask the school directly about what instructional supports and interventions are in place to address proficiency gaps, how the school uses diagnostic data to target skill-building, and what home engagement looks like. The recent district context helps frame this picture. Scranton School District exited Pennsylvania's financial recovery status in January 2023 after years of structural strain. Since then, state funding increases have allowed the district to restore programs that had been cut—including pre-K, music, art, and additional counseling and social-work staff. These restorations are now in place, which should improve overall support. At the same time, the district has paused plans to close or consolidate additional elementary schools, including Sumner, citing a sharp rise in students receiving special education services. That stability is a concrete benefit to families living in the neighborhood; the school remains open for the foreseeable future. The tradeoff is that classroom capacity is being absorbed by growing preschool and special education needs.
The school sits in Scranton's North Sumner and Swetland area. The neighborhood is part of a city that has seen modest recent revival driven by downtown adaptive reuse—conversion of historic buildings into apartments for students and young professionals—rather than new greenfield construction. Housing values and rental costs in the area are below the state benchmark, and rents have been rising. The broader Scranton economy anchors on health care, higher education, government, and logistics; major employers include health systems, the universities, Amazon and Chewy fulfillment operations, and state government.
For families already in this neighborhood or considering moving to it, Charles Sumner offers a walkable urban setting with access to downtown civic anchors, the Lackawanna County Library System, Nay Aug Park, and public transit via COLTS. It is a small elementary school serving a high-poverty, diverse student population in a city working to stabilize and reorient itself after years of financial strain. The academic proficiency data is below the county middle, and parents should approach enrollment with eyes open to what academic supports are available and what outcomes the school has begun tracking to measure progress.
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