The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in Science. The lowest is 16% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on West Scranton Intrmd Sch
West Scranton Intermediate School serves grades five through eight in a building on Fellows Street in Scranton. The school enrolls students across a range of family economic circumstances that skew sharply toward need. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is roughly equal parts Hispanic and white, with a substantial share of Black students and smaller shares of Asian and multiracial students.
The school's academic profile shows strain. On the most recent state assessment in English language arts, about one-third of students scored at the proficient level or above. In mathematics, the proficiency rate was much lower, at around one in six students. Science assessment data from a prior year showed a proficiency rate in the low-to-mid range. Placed against other districts in Lackawanna County, West Scranton's overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile, meaning its tested results rank among the lowest in the county comparison group. A parent looking at these numbers may want to understand further what support systems the school provides to help students improve, and whether the building offers any accelerated or advanced pathways for students who are already proficient.
The intermediate school sits within a district that has undergone substantial recent change. Scranton School District exited state financial recovery status in early 2023 after spending more than a decade under that designation. As part of the structural adjustments made during recovery, fifth graders moved from elementary schools into the intermediate-grade buildings, a shift that remade the intermediate experience. Beginning with the 2024-25 school year, the district gained significant new state funding under Pennsylvania's school-adequacy remedy, and used that money to restore middle school arts, music, and electives that had been cut during the recovery period. The district also opened a STEMM Academy serving grades seven through twelve at Scranton High School, an in-district magnet program available by application to students with interest in science, technology, engineering, and medical fields. For families in the West Scranton attendance zone, whether to apply to the STEMM Academy becomes a choice point as students approach seventh grade.
The city of Scranton is a mid-sized post-industrial center anchored by health care, higher education, and public service. Downtown contains the University of Scranton and Lackawanna College, civic institutions, and an active downtown housing redevelopment scene focused on adaptive reuse of historic buildings into apartments. Outside the downtown core, residential neighborhoods are car-dependent. Housing values in the school's zip code are moderate by national standards, and rents have seen recent uptick. The school district serves as one of the area's largest employers.
English learner enrollment data and special education enrollment data were not available for this school. Chronic absenteeism data was also not provided, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about attendance patterns and supports.
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