The top reported proficiency rate is 64% in Science. The lowest is 17% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Thomas W Holtzman Jr El Sch
Thomas W. Holtzman Jr. Elementary serves students in grades 3 through 5 in Harrisburg as part of Susquehanna Township School District. The school enrolls students drawn from the township, which surrounds but extends beyond the city itself. Harrisburg is a state capital with a downtown anchored by government offices, a growing arts and restaurant scene, and civic life organized around Riverfront Park and downtown corridors. The broader region is suburban in character, and state government employment provides economic stability alongside health care and service industries.
The school's student body reflects the diversity of the region. The enrollment is split nearly evenly across three grades, with families drawn from multiple backgrounds. The school serves a majority of students from households that qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating high economic need in the catchment area. Asian, Black, Hispanic, and white students each make up a material share of enrollment, along with a smaller proportion identifying as two or more races.
Academic proficiency is a soft spot. On the most recent state assessment in math, fewer than a fifth of students met or exceeded proficiency. In English language arts, results were slightly better but still showed only around a fifth of students proficient. Science results from an earlier year were stronger, at about two-thirds proficient. Across tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint relative to districts in Dauphin County. A parent weighing this school may want to look into how the school addresses these lower math and ELA results, what additional support exists for students who are struggling, and whether there are interventions or programs aimed at lifting proficiency. Average scale scores in science were provided; math and ELA average scores were not available in the data.
The school sits in a context of immediate facility pressures. Susquehanna Township voters rejected a referendum in November 2025 that would have funded a new elementary building. As a result, the school operates well beyond designed capacity, with roughly twenty modular trailers serving as classrooms. The district has announced plans to repurpose a recently purchased building on Deer Path Road to house fifth and sixth graders, which may open by the following school year and would relieve some crowding at Holtzman. For families considering the school, this continued overcrowding is a lasting condition to understand and weigh.
Housing in the township's zip code is modestly priced relative to state and national benchmarks, and rental costs remain relatively modest as well. The area is suburban, anchored by the township rather than the denser walkable neighborhoods of downtown Harrisburg proper. Median household income county-wide is solid, though high proportions of the school's enrollment qualify for free or reduced lunch, reflecting concentration of lower-income families in the school's attendance zone.
The school is a regular public school with no charter, magnet, or special designation. It serves only grades 3 through 5, so there is no graduation rate or secondary academic data. English learner and special education enrollment counts were not available. The school's website location and detailed program offerings were not provided in the available data.
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