The top reported proficiency rate is 84% in Science. The lowest is 45% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Iron Forge El Sch
Iron Forge Elementary serves third through fifth grade students in Boiling Springs, a small, quiet residential village built around Children's Lake in South Middleton Township, about six miles southeast of Carlisle in the fast-growing Harrisburg metropolitan area. The school sits on a campus at Forge Road south of the historic village core, shared with the district's middle and high schools.
The enrollment is about the size typical for an upper elementary building in a mid-sized district, spread across the three grades. About four in every ten students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Asian, multiracial, Hispanic, Black, and Native American students, and a small population of students from other Pacific Island backgrounds.
On Pennsylvania's standardized assessments, math proficiency sits somewhat below the midpoint among Cumberland County districts, while English language arts proficiency is notably lower. Science proficiency, measured in 2022-23, was strong. Among the county's districts, the school's overall proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades places it above the midpoint.
The school is part of South Middleton School District, which encompasses the township and has announced significant change ahead. The district is planning major renovation and expansion projects across three schools over a three-year period, with preliminary designs that may include additions to Iron Forge to handle enrollment growth of several hundred students expected within a decade. The district is also restructuring secondary academics to add career pathways and examining its middle school team-teaching model. A property tax increase took effect in 2024-25. For families considering the area, the housing market in the Boiling Springs zip code sits above state median values and has appreciated steadily; mortgage costs and rent-to-income ratios both suggest moderate affordability pressure. The township is absorbing substantial new residential development, with multiple subdivisions and mixed-use projects approved or underway.
Iron Forge's specific academic offerings, curriculum approach, and staffing details were not available in the data, so a parent may want to look into those further directly with the school.
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