Summary:
The Farrell Area School District in Pennsylvania operates two schools: Farrell Area Elementary School/LMS and Farrell Area High School/UMS. Both schools have consistently low performance metrics, ranking in the bottom quartile of schools in the state.
The elementary and high school both have proficiency rates significantly below the state averages across all PSSA and Keystone Exam subjects and grade levels. For example, in 3rd grade math, Farrell Area Elementary School/LMS had a 13.3% proficiency rate, compared to the state average of 51.7%. In Algebra I, Farrell Area High School/UMS had a 12.5% proficiency rate, compared to the state average of 34.1%. Both schools also have extremely high rates of free/reduced lunch recipients, at over 95%.
Despite the relatively high per-student spending and low student-teacher ratios, the schools in the Farrell Area School District continue to struggle. This suggests that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution, and the district should examine how resources are being allocated and utilized to address the underlying factors contributing to the low academic performance, such as demographic disparities and instructional practices.
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