The top reported proficiency rate is 56% in English language arts. The lowest is 52% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Jackson Primary Sch
Jackson Primary School serves kindergarten through third grade in Williamsport, a small city in North Central Pennsylvania and the county seat of Lycoming County. The school enrolls a small student body drawn from the surrounding community, with a majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting economic conditions in the city. The student body is diverse: just under half identify as white, with substantial shares identifying as multiracial, Black, or Hispanic.
State assessment data from the most recent school year show proficiency in English language arts slightly above proficiency in mathematics. In ELA, about half of third-grade students tested reached proficiency on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment. In mathematics, proficiency was somewhat lower. Both results sit at the upper end of proficiency performance among district and county schools, placing Jackson in the top quartile of proficiency across Lycoming County's schools. Science testing does not apply to most grades at this school given its primary focus.
Jackson Primary is one of two primary schools in the Williamsport Area School District serving the K-3 band. The district closed its third primary building in 2022 and redrew attendance boundaries, a change that reshaped which neighborhoods feed to which school. Parents considering Jackson should understand that they are enrolling in the early-elementary pathway of a district that has held property taxes flat for four consecutive years through the 2025-26 budget, a constraint that likely shaped staffing and resources; the district's proposed 2026-27 budget signals an end to that freeze with a proposed millage increase.
Housing in the 17701 zip code where the school sits is affordable relative to state and national benchmarks. Rental costs are moderate, and home values have appreciated modestly in recent years. Williamsport itself is a compact downtown with dense residential neighborhoods, including the Victorian-era Millionaire's Row Historic District within the city. The city is known as the birthplace of Little League Baseball and has a walkable downtown core anchored by restaurants, cafes, and specialty shops. Local anchors include Pennsylvania College of Technology and Lycoming College, both located in or near downtown, plus the James V. Brown Library and the Susquehanna River Walk.
The broader community context shows active reinvestment: new retail, housing construction, and adaptive reuse projects have accelerated in recent years, though the city's population has declined from its lumber-era peak over the past century. Employment is anchored by healthcare, government, education, and manufacturing sectors. For families in early elementary grades, Jackson Primary offers a small-school setting in a diverse, economically mixed urban neighborhood with access to downtown institutions and amenities.
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