Harrisburg City School District

The Harrisburg City School District in Pennsylvania operates 12 schools, including 5 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 2 high schools, and 1 alternative school. The district as a whole is ranked 575 out of 610 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating significant academic challenges across the system.

While a few schools in the district stand out, such as Harrisburg High School - SciTech Campus, which has higher proficiency rates on state assessments and a strong graduation rate, the majority of schools are struggling. Many elementary and middle schools in the district rank in the bottom 5% of Pennsylvania schools, with very low proficiency rates in Math, Science, and English Language Arts. For example, Downey School and Marshall Academy rank in the bottom 1% of their respective grade levels.

The data suggests that the high levels of poverty, as indicated by the universal free and reduced-price lunch eligibility across all schools, likely contribute to the academic challenges faced by many of the district's students. Targeted interventions and support may be needed to improve outcomes, particularly at the lower-performing schools. Additionally, further investigation into the factors contributing to the success of the higher-performing schools could help identify strategies that could be replicated across the district to ensure all students have access to a high-quality education.