Fort Cherry School District

The Fort Cherry School District in Pennsylvania is home to two schools: Fort Cherry Elementary Center and Fort Cherry Junior/Senior High School. The elementary school stands out as a high-performing institution, consistently ranking in the top 25% of Pennsylvania elementary schools and demonstrating exceptional proficiency rates on standardized tests, particularly in math, English language arts, and science. In contrast, the junior/senior high school faces some challenges, struggling with math proficiency on PSSA tests in grades 7 and 8, despite maintaining a strong 96.6% 4-year graduation rate and a low 0.6% dropout rate.

The elementary school's success is evident in its consistently high performance on PSSA tests, with proficiency rates significantly above the state averages in math and English language arts across grades 3-6. The school's 4th-grade science proficiency rate of 93.7% is particularly impressive, far exceeding the state average of 74.1%. Meanwhile, the junior/senior high school performs better on PSSA English Language Arts and Keystone Exams, with proficiency rates at or above the state average.

Socioeconomic factors also play a role, as the elementary school has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at 46.37%, compared to 38% at the junior/senior high school. This suggests a greater concentration of students from lower-income families in the lower grades. The district may want to investigate ways to replicate the success of the elementary school at the secondary level and ensure equitable resource allocation across all grade levels.