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Friday, April 28, 2023

10 Best School Districts in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Best School Districts

10 Best School Districts in Pennsylvania

Families often prioritize access to quality education and for a good reason. Our children are our future, and we want to give them the best start in life.

With high test scores and a well-supported school system, Pennsylvania’s public K-12 education ranks no. 17 in US News and World Report. This standing speaks volumes about

the education available to students in Pennsylvania’s public school system.

But access to consistent, high-quality education isn’t uniform across the state. So we’ve dug into the Pennsylvania Department of Education data and independent review sites to find which districts crop up again and again as consistently high-performing. While we can’t include them all, we have pinpointed a top few to guide your search in Pennsylvania.

About Pennsylvania’s Education System

Pennsylvania’s education system is one of the oldest in the nation. The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) supervises over 500 public school districts, more than 170 public charter schools, Career and Technology Centers/Vocational Technical schools, Head Start programs, publicly funded preschools, and community colleges.

Carnegie Mellon University

To assess student performance, Pennsylvania students in grades 3-8 take English Language Arts and Math assessments, while students in grades 4 and 8 are also tested in Science. The grade 11 Keystone Exams are part of Pennsylvania’s graduation requirement. They help schools ensure students meet state achievement standards in Algebra I, Literature, and Biology.

The state served around 1.7 million students while reporting a  14:1 student-teacher ratio  and spending about $19,900 per student in 2022. The statewide graduation rate averaged 88.7%.

To better manage its large public school system, Pennsylvania divides the state into regions called “intermediate units” or IUs. There are 29 IUs in PA. The districts vary widely in size, ranging from 200 students to 140,000 students, and can be tied to a city, township, county, or other defined region.

The PDE does not assign school grades or report cards but publishes graduation rates and assessment performance data each year. The pandemic years are lacking data as assessments were waived, but the 2022 school year testing data was reported. We used some of this data, US News and World Report, Niche.com, and other media to find repeat top districts.

Radnor Township Schools

Old School Classroom

This historic district dates to the 1890s and is proud of its long history of excellence in education. It was Niche.com’s top-rated school district for the 2022-2023 year and often placed high on other independent sites, too. For instance, Newsweek rated it the state’s best school district in 2021.

US News and World Report ranked Radnor High School the third best in the state for 2022. Radnor High School was often near the top on national STEM high school lists, usually among the top 50 in the nation. It’s the only high school in this small suburban district where 71% of its students took at least one AP exam, and 64% passed at least one in 2022. Then high school also ranked no. 270 in the nation. In 2021, the students’ average test scores on the SAT were 1301 and 29.3 on the ACT.

The 3,500 students attend one of five schools. Besides the top-notch high school, there is one middle school and three elementary schools. These lower-level schools have also appeared as top public elementary and middle schools in the state and nation.

Radnor Township is in Delaware County, just 13 miles west of Philadelphia. Its location allows students access to internships, extraordinary extracurriculars, and post-secondary education opportunities in the city. Four universities are within a ten-mile radius, including Bryn Mawr and Villanova. Historic Radnor is close to several state parks and has a rail line station direct to Philadelphia.

Lower Merion School District

Lower Merion’s high standard of excellence spans centuries as one of the nation’s oldest school districts. The top-rated district of 8,700 students operates two high schools, three middle schools, and six elementary schools. The schools are among the lowest student-teacher ratios in the state, averaging 11:1, and over 80% of the instructional staff have advanced degrees.

Township schools

These schools and students attending Lower Merion have earned National Blue Ribbon recognition, top-ranked SAT scores, and National Merit Scholars Recognition.

Lower Merion built the district’s secondary curriculum to provide diverse course offerings to include core subjects, plus music, the arts, technology, and special subjects. Middle school students participate in year-long programs incorporating hands-on, interdisciplinary study. The district also provides uninterrupted foreign language instruction from second grade through high school graduation via its World Languages program.

Supporting this scholarship are world-class facilities that include a college-style lecture hall, science laboratories, a greenhouse for horticultural studies, multi-media production facilities, and a MIDI lab.

The Lower Merion School District (LMSD) serves the residents of Lower Merion Township and the Borough of Narberth, communities considered part of Philadelphia’s historic Main Line suburbs. About 62,000 people live in this region bordering Philadelphia. Inside the Township are Bryn Mawr College and Rosemont College. The Schuylkill River runs along the northeastern border, as does I-76.

Tredyffrin-Easttown Schools

Tredyffrin-Easttown School District is situated in eastern Chester County, about 20 miles west of Philadelphia. It serves nearly 6,000 students from the townships of Tredyffrin and Easttown, plus Berwyn, Chesterbrook, Devon, and parts of Malvern and Wayne.

More than 7,000 students attend one of eight schools operating in the district. Among these was the US News and World Report ranked no. 4 high school in the state, Conestoga High School. This school appeared on several top-ranked lists for school achievements. In 2022, 107 students achieved the designation of AP Scholars with Distinction.

Unlike other top-ranked districts, its elementary schools ran from K-4, and middle schools were grades 5-8.

While it is another Philadelphia Main Line suburb school district, this area is slightly further away from the city. Its Townships are near attractions like Valley Forge National Park and Jenkins Arboretum. Extensive shopping is nearby at King of Prussia.

North Allegheny

This fast-growing school district in McCandless is among the best educational experiences in Pennsylvania. It serves nearly 8,500 students from a population of over 45,000 residents.

The district administers education in 12 schools, including one intermediate high (9-10) and one senior high (11-12). It spent around $21,050 per student in 2020-2021. Of the graduating class of 2022, 19 were National Merit Finalists, and 39 were Commended students.

North Allegheny is about 12 miles northwest of Pittsburgh in the beautiful rolling North Hills region. It covers an area of 48 square miles, including the expansive North Park and some state game lands. Inside the boundaries are Bradford Woods Borough, Franklin Park Borough, Marshall Township, and the Town of McCandless.

Fox Chapel Area

This district serves 30,000 residents living ten miles northeast of Pittsburgh. The Fox Chapel Area School District ranks high on Niche.com and other state academic performance lists.

For 2023, over 4,000 students were enrolled in one of the six schools: four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. Fox Chapel Area schools have received National Blue Ribbon recognition and individually frequently rank on top lists from Niche.com, Pittsburgh Business Times, US News and World, and other organizations. The district has been honored by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMA) and the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools.

Fox Chapel Area School District covers approximately 36 square miles and includes six municipalities: Aspinwall, Blawnox, Fox Chapel, Sharpsburg boroughs, and Indiana and O’Hara townships. It’s a broad area from Allegheny Riverfront communities to Hartwood Acres Park. The communities and townships each have perks, from county clubs and sports parks to convenient access to I-76 or the Lindsay Highway.

Mt. Lebanon

Mt. Lebanon School District is a century-old award-winning school district just six miles south of Pittsburgh. It serves around 8,000 students from a highly suburban area in Allegheny County.

The district contains seven elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. It’s been recognized by the USDE Blue Ribbon Schools Program twice and has been named in the top five of the region’s best school districts by the Pittsburgh Business Times since 2005. The high school received a silver award from US News and World. Other recognitions include music education, financial reporting, and sustainability.

Mt. Lebanon is proud of its small-town feel, downtown business district, and close-knit neighborhoods. The district is in the South Hills region, but only around 34,000 people live in the school zone. Mt. Lebanon is served by a rail line and Highway 19 for getting around the Pittsburgh metro.

Unionville-Chadds Ford

Unionville-Chadds Ford is in southeastern Pennsylvania at the heart of the Brandywine Valley region. It serves around 4,000 students across ten schools and covers parts of southern Chester County.

According to US News and World Report and The Pittsburgh Business Times, UCFSD is a top-ranking Pennsylvania school district. Unionville High School was the no. 5 high school in the state on US News and World Report for 2022, and it’s a frequent feature near the top of its rankings.

Part of what makes UHS high-performing is its students access a thorough college preparatory curriculum with honors programs, Advanced Placement, and dual enrollment through partnerships with West Chester University, University of Rochester’s Project Lead The Way, and Chester County Technical College High School for career and technical education. Additionally, it has three international immersion and exchange programs that provide opportunities for both hosting exchange students and traveling abroad. In testament to its rigor, 90% of the AP test takers in 2022 scored a 3 or above.

The high school also has over 92 clubs, social organizations, and 28 interscholastic programs with state-qualifying teams.

Unionville-Chadds Ford School District is vast, covering 77 square miles in the beautiful Brandywine Valley region an hour from Philadelphia. The highly affluent townships and communities range from farmland and golf courses in Chadds Ford to vast tracts of forest and hillsides in Newlin Township. The Brandywine Valley is well-known for its wineries, resorts, and attractions like Longwood Gardens and battlefield sites. It’s about 30 minutes to Wilmington, Delaware, and Baltimore, Maryland.

Upper St. Clair

Heading south of Pittsburgh, Upper St. Clair is another high quality district in Allegheny County and near Mt. Lebanon, as mentioned earlier. It serves around 4,000 students from the Upper St. Clair and Peters Township areas. All its elementary and middle schools were top ten in the state on US News and World lists. Pittsburgh Business Times ranked it the best school district in the state for 2022.

The six schools include three elementary (K-4), one middle grades 5-6, one middle grades 7-8, and one high school. Around 79% of the staff hold a master’s degree or above, and the district has a high volunteerism and parent involvement rate. It reviews its curriculum each year to ensure it is challenging and meets student needs.

Upper St. Clair township has roots dating to 1788. Around eight miles from downtown Pittsburgh, the township is renowned for being an affluent suburb. It’s cracked past lists as one of the best communities to live in the nation.

Other PA Top-Performing School Districts

By no means are these the only top-performing school districts in Pennsylvania. A few other districts we saw mentioned across multiple lists included, but are not limited to:

  • School District of Upper Dublin (Philadelphia metro)
  • South Fayette Township (Outer Pittsburgh metro)
  • Wallingford-Swarthmore (Philadelphia metro)
  • Garnet Valley (Philadelphia metro)
  • Wissahickon (Philadelphia)
  • State College Area (Central Pennsylvania)
  • Great Valley (Philadelphia metro)

Top-rated high schools and programs are found across Pennsylvania. And even districts that appear to be average or lower-performing can have excellent schools within them. Take Philadelphia City Schools’ Julia R. Masterman Secondary, the US News and World Report’s best high school in the state and no. 10 in the nation. And second-place Downingtown STEM is in Downingtown Area School District just outside the greater Philadelphia metro.

Beyond the list of schools and districts included here, you can search for information on specific school districts or schools at Future Ready PA. This will help you gauge the quality of the education in the Pennsylvania community you are considering.

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