The top reported proficiency rate is 58% in Science. The lowest is 27% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Heights/murray El Sch
Heights/Murray Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, as part of the Wilkes-Barre Area School District. The school enrolls a substantial student body with enrollment distributed fairly evenly across its grade span, and serves a community with significant economic need. All students at the school qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student population is diverse: a strong majority are Hispanic, with meaningful representation of Black students and smaller populations of students who identify as white, multiracial, Asian, or Native American.
State assessment results show the school facing academic headwinds in the tested subjects. In mathematics, roughly two in five students in grades three through five performed at proficient or above on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment. English language arts performance ran lower, with about one in four students meeting proficiency. Science results, drawn from a more recent assessment year, were substantially stronger at roughly three in five students proficient or above. Across tested subjects, the school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among Luzerne County's elementary schools, a positioning worth noting given the economic challenges the school navigates.
The school's reading in math and reading specifically calls for attention. These are subjects where the vast majority of students are not yet meeting grade-level standards, and a parent may want to look into how the school is addressing gaps in early literacy and numeracy with the classroom teachers and leadership. At the same time, science performance suggests the school has instructional strengths to build on.
The broader district context shapes what Heights/Murray offers. The Wilkes-Barre Area School District has committed to hiring additional teachers to reduce elementary class sizes and is undertaking capital renovations across its buildings, including new ceilings, flooring, lockers, and energy-efficient HVAC and lighting. These investments touch the school's physical environment and teaching capacity. The district also approved its 2024-25 budget with no tax increase and a path toward a property-tax decrease for homeowners through the Homestead Exemption.
Wilkes-Barre itself is a mid-sized northeastern Pennsylvania city with a revitalized downtown anchored by Public Square, two college campuses, and a growing mixed-use residential base. The city's downtown is walkable and hosts schools, libraries, civic facilities, and transit hubs within tight proximity. Home values in the area are well below state and national medians, and rental costs are correspondingly lower. The combination of affordable housing, downtown walkability, and lower cost of living makes the area accessible to families managing tight household budgets.
The school enrolls students from a community with substantial economic challenges and multilingual households. Its test results show uneven performance across subjects. Families considering Heights/Murray should talk directly with the school about literacy and mathematics instruction, progress monitoring, and any interventions or support available to students not yet meeting grade-level expectations. The district's emphasis on reducing class sizes is a step that could support classroom instruction, and the ongoing facility upgrades will improve the physical learning environment. For a family seeking an elementary school in this part of Wilkes-Barre, Heights/Murray is the neighborhood option; its strengths in science and its position above the county midpoint in overall proficiency offer some foundation to build on, though early literacy and numeracy warrant direct inquiry.
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