The top reported proficiency rate is 66% in Science. The lowest is 35% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Southmoreland El Sch
Southmoreland Elementary School serves grades two through five in Scottdale, a small borough in the foothills of western Pennsylvania about a half hour southeast of Pittsburgh. The school sits in the renovated former Scottdale Joint High School building, part of the Southmoreland School District, which formed in the early 2000s when the local Scottdale district merged with nearby East Huntingdon.
The school enrolls a modestly sized cohort, with enrollment spread fairly evenly across its four grade bands. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic reality of Scottdale itself. Demographically, the enrollment is predominantly white, with very small representation of other racial and ethnic groups. Data on special education and English learner populations was not available.
On state testing, the school's performance is mixed. In mathematics and English language arts on the 2024-25 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment, proficiency rates fell in the low-to-mid range, with roughly a third of tested students in each subject reaching proficient or advanced levels. Science results from 2022-23 were notably stronger, with about two-thirds of tested students meeting proficiency. When these results are averaged together, the school's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among Westmoreland County's districts.
The school serves only grades two through five, so state graduation rates do not apply. Chronic absenteeism data was also not available. A parent wanting to understand the school's full academic trajectory would need to know how students perform after leaving Southmoreland Elementary, particularly at Southmoreland Middle School, which publicly reported that it exceeded state predictions for student achievement and was named a 2025 Pennsylvania Blue Ribbon School by the state, a distinction recognizing performance and progress closing achievement gaps. That recognition suggests the district has institutional strengths that may support students as they advance.
Scottdale itself is a quiet, walkable borough with preserved late-19th and early-20th-century architecture and a compact, tree-lined downtown anchored by Pittsburgh Street. The community includes small parks, a public library, and the Geyer Performing Arts Center, a restored historic opera house. The Coal and Coke Trail, a recreational path built on a former railroad right-of-way, connects Scottdale to nearby Mount Pleasant. The town's economy has contracted from its coke-and-steel heyday; a specialty castings manufacturer remains the largest industrial employer. Housing is affordable relative to state and national medians, reflecting a modest, slow-moving market where homes tend to stay on sale for a while. The area's growth is essentially flat, with population and construction activity minimal.
Property tax is a meaningful cost factor for families considering the district. The school board approved consecutive years of tax increases in recent years, raising Westmoreland County millage rates to support ongoing operations.
For families seeking an elementary school in a small, economically modest Rust Belt community with reasonable affordability and a clear pathway into a middle school that has earned state recognition for strong achievement, Southmoreland Elementary offers that setting. Parents evaluating the school would benefit from discussing directly with the district why the elementary proficiency rates in math and language arts run low compared to the stronger middle-school results that followed, and what academic supports and practices, if any, explain the difference.
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