The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in Science. The lowest is 19% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on State El Ctr
State El Ctr serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Larksville, a small residential borough on the west bank of the Susquehanna River. The school's enrollment is drawn almost entirely from families in deep economic need; nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is economically and racially diverse, with substantial shares of white, Hispanic, and Black students alongside smaller numbers of Asian and multiracial students.
The school's academic performance on state assessments is below what the field considers proficient. In the most recent testing year, proficiency in English language arts stood at roughly one in five students, and in math it was even lower, at roughly one in five as well. Science results are stronger and showed roughly half of tested students reaching proficiency, though this assessment data comes from an earlier year. Across the three subjects, State El Ctr's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among the eighteen districts in Luzerne County. A parent considering this school should understand that achievement gaps are substantial and would want to look into what supports and interventions the school has in place to help students catch up, especially in foundational reading and math skills where proficiency is low.
The school is embedded within Wyoming Valley West School District, which covers four small boroughs: Kingston, Forty Fort, Larksville, and Plymouth. The district recently ratified a new teachers' contract after lengthy negotiations, signaling labor-relations stability going forward. Property taxes have been held flat for two consecutive budgets, an affordability signal for families weighing a move into the area, though the district is planning a major capital infrastructure program to renovate or consolidate aging school buildings, with estimates reaching into the millions. That work will likely drive future tax increases and could reshape school attendance boundaries, making it a material consideration for families choosing a home here.
Larksville itself is a declining post-industrial borough where median home values are modest by state standards and rental housing is relatively affordable. The borough's population has contracted from a coal-mining era peak to roughly five thousand residents today. Most homes are older stock: detached single-family houses, some duplexes, many lacking sidewalks in the central neighborhoods. The Susquehanna River and Levee Trail offer outdoor recreation, and Robert Zolner Memorial Park provides ballfields and courts, though residents often look to neighboring Wilkes-Barre and Kingston for shopping and dining. Public transit is available through the Luzerne County Transportation Authority.
State El Ctr is physically located on State Street within the borough's modest civic footprint. The school building itself is older, consistent with the district's aging infrastructure challenge. For families choosing Larksville and State El Ctr, the trade-off is clear: an affordable, stable, working-class community with a school serving highly economically disadvantaged students whose test results lag the region. The school may be the right fit for a family prioritizing affordability and neighborhood rootedness, but parents should enter with realistic expectations about the academic work ahead and should engage directly with the school about what instructional strategies, tutoring, or interventions are available to close achievement gaps.
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