The top reported proficiency rate is 79% in Science. The lowest is 23% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Musser El Sch
Musser Elementary is a public school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Sharon, a small post-industrial city in western Mercer County on the Pennsylvania-Ohio border. The school enrolls a small student population with substantial economic need. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the enrollment is racially mixed, with a majority Black student population, a meaningful white minority, and smaller Asian and multiracial groups.
On state assessments, Musser shows uneven results. In mathematics and English language arts, proficiency rates fall well below the state midpoint. Math proficiency in grades three through eight sits in the low range, while reading comprehension proficiency is somewhat higher but still modest. Science is an exception. The most recent science data, from the 2022-23 school year, showed a much stronger result, well above the typical performance band. This gap between strong science performance and lower proficiency in math and reading may reflect the school's instructional emphasis, resource allocation, or the specific cohort tested; a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand the pattern.
Positioned against other elementary and combined-grade schools across Mercer County districts, Musser's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint of the comparison set. Graduation rate data does not apply, as this is an elementary school. Chronic absenteeism data was not available.
The school sits in Sharon's residential neighborhoods. Sharon itself is in a slow-growth, reinvestment phase. The city's population has declined over the past two decades following the collapse of steel and iron manufacturing, though downtown has begun to revitalize, with new small businesses, restaurants, and apartments opening along the riverfront. Housing is affordable, with median home values well below the state benchmark and monthly mortgage estimates modest. The city is designated for federal community development block grants and runs repair assistance for low-to-moderate-income homeowners. Employment clusters in healthcare and manufacturing; Sharon Regional Medical Center is the largest employer.
The Sharon City School District has managed structural budget pressure through a property tax increase in 2024-25 and by holding rates flat thereafter, while losing federal pandemic-relief revenue. All students district-wide receive free breakfast and lunch every school day through the federal Community Eligibility Provision, a lasting household benefit. The district also operates its own Sharon City Cyber Academy as a tuition-free virtual option for families seeking alternative scheduling or remote learning within the district system, rather than requiring enrollment in an outside cyber charter.
See more original research from School Decision →