The top reported proficiency rate is 79% in Science. The lowest is 42% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on West Penn Twp El Sch
West Penn Township Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in New Ringgold, a very small rural borough in southeastern Schuylkill County. The school enrollment is small, with about two-thirds of the student body. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic realities of the region. The student body is predominantly white, with small numbers of Hispanic and Black students and a handful of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. Data on special education enrollment and English learner enrollment were not available.
The school sits within Tamaqua Area School District, which spans several boroughs and townships across Schuylkill County. New Ringgold itself sits at a rural crossroads between state routes, surrounded by Christmas tree farms and woods, with minimal population growth in recent years. The immediate area is car-dependent with no fixed-route public transit. Housing in the zip code is modestly priced and affordable relative to the national benchmark, though property tax policy in the district has shifted notably. After a property reassessment in 2026, the district has implemented tax increases to manage structural budget pressures driven by declining enrollment and rising salary and health insurance costs. Families moving into the district should expect ongoing pressure on property tax bills in coming years.
The school's most recent test results show mixed performance across subjects. In math, proficiency among students in grades three through five sits at about half the tested cohort. In English language arts, proficiency is somewhat lower, at about two in five students. Science results from the most recent tested year show notably stronger performance, with about four in five students proficient. A parent may want to ask the school what factors account for the difference in performance across these subjects and what supports are in place for students not yet proficient in reading and math.
Relative to other districts in Schuylkill County, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile, meaning West Penn Elementary performs above the typical district in the county on state assessments. The school does not serve grades nine through twelve, so no graduation rate applies.
The district recently adopted a three-year elementary curriculum platform through IXL Learning covering math, English language arts, science, and social studies for both Tamaqua and West Penn elementary schools. This represents a significant shift in daily instruction and instructional tools that will shape learning for younger students through the late 2020s. Parents with children in early grades will be learning alongside a new platform.
For families considering this school, the main variables are the rural setting and small enrollment, modest housing costs offset by rising property tax obligations, and mixed early performance in literacy and math against a stronger science showing. The school's position above county median on overall proficiency provides some grounding, though the current results in reading and math suggest this is an area where students and families may want additional support or clarity about remedial pathways.
See more original research from School Decision →