The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in Science. The lowest is 4% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Hannah Penn
Hannah Penn serves pre-K through grade eight in York, a small historic Pennsylvania city where downtown revitalization is drawing new residents and families. The school sits in York City School District, which in late 2022 became the first Pennsylvania district ever to exit state Financial Recovery status, marking the end of a decade of intensive oversight and a return to local control. That transition, combined with a substantial increase in state funding for 2024-25 under the state's new adequacy formula, has unlocked resources for added staff and programs across the district.
The school enrolls a diverse student body. The composition is roughly half Hispanic and two-fifths Black, with smaller shares of white and multiracial students. All students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting deep economic need. Enrollment spans from pre-K through eighth grade and totals around 660 students, with fairly even distribution across grades. No data was available on the rates of students with IEPs or English learners, which would provide fuller context on the range of learning needs in the building.
Academic performance on state assessments is a significant concern. In math, grades three through eight, proficiency in 2024-25 ran at a very low rate. In English language arts, proficiency was also minimal. Science results from 2022-23 showed somewhat higher proficiency, though still well below state benchmarks. When measured against other districts in York County on an overall proficiency index, Hannah Penn ranks in the bottom quartile. These results reflect the compounded challenges of concentrated poverty, language diversity, and likely deep learning gaps that will require sustained, intensive intervention to address.
The school is a Title I school serving a high-poverty neighborhood. It is a regular public school, not a charter, and part of the York City district proper. The neighborhood around East Boundary Avenue has historically been among the city's densest residential areas. York itself is in a phase of downtown revitalization, with new housing, cultural amenities, and mixed-use development drawing families back to the urban core, though much of the surrounding county's new residential growth is happening in outer townships.
Pennsylvania's funding increase for the district creates an opportunity for Hannah Penn. The state has explicitly directed adequacy funding to schools serving the highest-need students, which describes this school. Whether and how that translates into classroom-level change for reading and math instruction, small-group interventions, and support for students learning English will be crucial for families considering enrollment. A parent should ask the school directly about how this funding is being used, what literacy and numeracy programs are in place, what support exists for English learners, and what trajectory is being set for improvement over the next few years. The school's exit from financial recovery is a positive signal about district-level stability, but the assessment data shows that significant academic work lies ahead.
See more original research from School Decision →