The top reported proficiency rate is 95% in Science. The lowest is 54% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on New Salem El Sch
New Salem Elementary serves kindergarten through fourth grade in York, Pennsylvania, as part of Spring Grove Area School District. The school enrolls a small population of students, with roughly equal cohorts across its grade span. About one-third of the enrollment qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students, and very few Asian or Native American students.
On state assessments, New Salem shows marked variation across subjects. In math, proficiency sits at a solid level, with about three-quarters of third and fourth graders scoring at or above proficiency. In English language arts, proficiency drops to about half the grade band, a meaningful gap that suggests reading and writing development may need closer attention at this school. Science performance stands out as exceptionally strong, with nearly all tested students reaching proficiency two years ago. Among the county's school districts, New Salem's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile, a noteworthy position that reflects strength in math and science offsetting the lower ELA results.
The school sits in York, a small historic Pennsylvania city in the throes of downtown revitalization. The immediate area around New Salem lies on the city's residential fringes, with the downtown core and its walkable Market District anchored by restaurants, breweries, and arts venues lying a short distance away. York County's employment base is anchored by healthcare, federal employment, and large retailers, with additional employers in manufacturing and food production. Housing values in the area track below the state average and rent levels remain moderate, making the community accessible to families across income bands.
Spring Grove Area School District is navigating budget pressures, having drawn substantially from reserves and raised property taxes for the 2024-25 school year. The district is undertaking a significant curriculum initiative centered on elementary mathematics, with new materials and teacher training rolling out this school year. The district has also adopted a comprehensive instructional framework aimed at standardizing curriculum and assessment across grade levels, while implementing a multi-tiered system to address chronic absenteeism, with a target of meeting state attendance benchmarks by 2028.
Data on special education identification rates and English learner enrollment at New Salem were not available, making it difficult to characterize the school's support structures for these populations. A parent may want to reach out to the school directly about how it serves students with IEPs and English learners, and what supplemental reading support is offered given the ELA proficiency results.
See more original research from School Decision →