Penn Hills Elementary School

Summary:

Penn Hills Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 1,279 students in grades K-5 in the Penn Hills School District in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a predominantly African American student population (around 61%) and is located in a district that is ranked 534 out of 606 districts in the state and rated 1 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger.

Penn Hills Elementary School consistently performs below the state average on standardized tests, with only 19.1% of students proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to the state average of 39.3%. The school's performance in PSSA Science (60.2% proficient) and PSSA English Language Arts (29.9% proficient) also lags behind state averages. As a result, Penn Hills Elementary has been ranked in the bottom 20% of Pennsylvania elementary schools for the past several years. While the school's African American students perform relatively better than the overall student population, the school's White students, low socioeconomic status students, and students with disabilities all perform in the bottom 25% of Pennsylvania elementary schools for their respective subgroups.

Interestingly, nearby schools like Pivik Elementary School and Evergreen Elementary School significantly outperform Penn Hills Elementary on academic measures, with proficiency rates 30-40 percentage points higher. Similarly, the two nearby charter schools, Propel CS-Pitcairn and Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship, also perform better than Penn Hills Elementary, though not as strongly as the top-performing traditional public schools in the area. The school's high poverty rates, with over 99% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, and declining per-student funding, may be contributing factors to its academic struggles.

Detail:

Public K-5

1079 Jefferson Rd
Pittsburgh, PA 15235

(412) 793-7000

District: Penn Hills School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1257^th of 1,534 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,149

Students who attend Penn Hills Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Linton Middle School
High:	Penn Hills Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.6

Number of students: 1,279

Racial breakdown:

African American:

61.0%

White:

23.7%

Two or more races:

9.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Penn Hills Elementary School ranks worse than 81.9% of elementary schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 16.46. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (61%), White (23.7%), two or more races (9.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 99.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Penn Hills Elementary School is 13.6. (See more...)

Compare Penn Hills Elementary School employs 93.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Penn Hills Elementary School is $9,149.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Penn Hills Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Penn Hills Elementary School 1257^th of 1534 Pennsylvania public elementary schools. (See Penn Hills Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

African American students:

White students:

Penn Hills School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Penn Hills School District 534^th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Penn Hills Elementary School.

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Rank History for Penn Hills Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Penn Hills Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile
2017	17.57	1278^th	1547	17.4%
2018	20.87	1234^th	1530	19.3%
2019	28.72	1165^th	1544	24.5%
2021	12.43	1226^th	1433	14.4%
2022	18.70	1230^th	1534	19.8%
2023	16.46	1257^th	1534	18.1%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Penn Hills Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	42.01	65^th	117	44.4%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Penn Hills Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	21.11	1142^nd	1414	19.2%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Penn Hills Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	20.57	872^nd	1043	16.4%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for African American students at Penn Hills Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	45.70	203^rd	437	53.5%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Penn Hills Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	17.31	1112^th	1236	10.0%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Dept of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, April 4, 2019

Penn Hills Elementary School is not a good school. I had to pay a private tutor to teach my child things he should be learning at this school. My son does good in class and is a hard worker, but he is not learning everything he should be to enter the 3rd grade. The gap has been closed by me getting extra help from an outside source. Communication with teachers is okay, but it could be a lot better. I had a few problems with my son and other kids at this school, and things should've been handled in a manner that would be acceptable. Too many times a slap on the wrist. I would not recommend this school to any parent unless they had no other options. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Penn Hills Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2015	450	770	14	32	3	0	131	1400
2016	427	865	13	42	5	0	15	1367
2017	373	769	14	46	1	0	87	1290
2018	361	714	10	43	1	0	100	1229
2019	332	700	10	36	1	1	99	1179
2020	303	705	11	46	0	1	96	1162
2021	329	813	9	63	0	1	116	1331
2022	321	803	9	56	0	1	122	1312
2023	303	780	12	65	0	0	119	1279

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Penn Hills Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	1400	98.0	14.2	67.3
2016	1367	97.0	14.0	72.9
2017	1290	84.0	15.3	71.5
2018	1229	81.5	15.0	99.5
2019	1179	78.0	15.1	99.8
2020	1162	74.0	15.7	99.8
2021	1331	79.3	16.7	99.9
2022	1312	85.8	15.2	99.8
2023	1279	93.5	13.6	99.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Penn Hills Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	1400	98.0	14.2	67.3
2016	1367	97.0	14.0	72.9
2017	1290	84.0	15.3	71.5
2018	1229	81.5	15.0	99.5
2019	1179	78.0	15.1	99.8
2020	1162	74.0	15.7	99.8
2021	1331	79.3	16.7	99.9
2022	1312	85.8	15.2	99.8
2023	1279	93.5	13.6	99.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Penn Hills Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,449 (8.7%)	$15,184 (91.3%)	$16,634
2020	$1,536 (10.0%)	$13,770 (90.0%)	$15,306
2021	$1,785 (13.5%)	$11,409 (86.5%)	$13,194
2022	$2,234 (24.4%)	$6,915 (75.6%)	$9,149

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Penn Hills Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1165^th of 1544 Elementary schools	Ranks 1257^th of 1534 Elementary schools	6.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Penn Hills Elementary School)	35.3	22.9	12.4%
3rd Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	56	51.7	4.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Penn Hills Elementary School)	42.7	36.7	6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	61.9	54	7.9%
4th Grade Math (Penn Hills Elementary School)	36.4	23.6	12.8%
4th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	46.2	46.5	0.3%
4th Grade Science (Penn Hills Elementary School)	75.4	60.2	15.2%
4th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	77.8	74.1	3.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Penn Hills Elementary School)	50.7	25.4	25.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	63.6	51.8	11.8%
All Grades Math (Penn Hills Elementary School)	35.8	19.1	16.7%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (Penn Hills Elementary School)	75.4	60.2	15.2%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Penn Hills Elementary School)	46.7	29.9	16.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.9	53.8	7.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1179	1279	8.5%
African American	700	780	11.4%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	10	12	20%
Hispanic	36	65	80.6%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	332	303	8.7%
Two or More Races	99	119	20.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	99.8%	99.9%	0.1%

Schools Near Penn Hills Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				PSSA Math (2023)							PSSA Science (2023)			PSSA English Language Arts (2023)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSSA Math 3rd Grade	PSSA Math 4th Grade	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA Science 4th Grade	PSSA Science 8th Grade	PSSA Science All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 4th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Penn Hills Elementary School	Public	K-5	1079 Jefferson Rd	Pittsburgh	15235	Allegheny County	Penn Hills School District	No	No	No	Yes	(412) 793-7000	1,279	94	13.6	99.9%	303 (23.7%)	780 (61.0%)	65 (5.1%)	12 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	119 (9.3%)	16.5	1257^th of 1534 public elementary schools	18.1%		18.7	1230^th of 1534 public elementary schools	19.8%	27	22.9	23.6	10.1				19.1	60.2		60.2	36.7	25.4	27.8				29.9	$9,149	$2,234	$6,915
Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship	Public, Charter	K-8	2501 Main Street	Pittsburgh	15235	Allegheny County	Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship	Yes	No	No	Yes	(412) 793-6471	456	38	12.0	100.0%	46 (10.1%)	345 (75.7%)	23 (5.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (8.8%)	38.3	1045^th of 1534 public elementary schools	31.9%		42.1	1001^st of 1534 public elementary schools	34.7%	44	34.0	35.3	6.5	31.3	8.0	10.0	21.3	64.7	43.9	55.4	43.8	58.8	40.5	60.5	50.0	41.5	49.5	$16,755	$1,925	$14,830
Wilkins Elementary STEAM Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	362 Churchill Rd	Pittsburgh	15235	Allegheny County	Woodland Hills School District	No	No	No	Yes	(412) 824-3231	416	43	9.6	100.0%	80 (19.2%)	270 (64.9%)	20 (4.8%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (10.1%)	17.1	1252^nd of 1534 public elementary schools	18.4%		13.9	1289^th of 1534 public elementary schools	16.0%	37	22.7	25.0	19.6				22.6	52.5		52.5	26.6	28.8	37.3				30.9	$24,362	$2,154	$22,208
Evergreen Elementary School	Public	K-4	3831 Evergreen Dr	Monroeville	15146	Allegheny County	Gateway School District	No	No	No	Yes	(412) 373-5842	305	22	13.7	100.0%	111 (36.4%)	95 (31.1%)	29 (9.5%)	29 (9.5%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (12.5%)	70.8	478^th of 1534 public elementary schools	68.8%		67.8	544^th of 1534 public elementary schools	64.5%	66	71.7	60.6					65.2	78.7		78.7	65.2	60.6					62.5	$17,396	$1,193	$16,203
Dr Cleveland Steward Junior Elementary School	Public	K-4	5000 Gateway Campus Blvd	Monroeville	15146	Allegheny County	Gateway School District	No	No	No	Yes	(412) 373-5874	327	28	11.5	100.0%	138 (42.2%)	112 (34.3%)	14 (4.3%)	13 (4.0%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (14.1%)	54.5	792^nd of 1534 public elementary schools	48.4%		55.9	773^rd of 1534 public elementary schools	49.6%	19	44.4	63.6					53.0	84.0		84.0	46.5	52.3					49.0	$18,916	$1,857	$17,059
Propel Cs-East	Public, Charter	K-8	1611 Monroeville Ave	Turtle Creek	15145	Allegheny County	Propel CS-East	Yes	No	No	Yes	(412) 325-7305	346	27	13.0		86 (24.9%)	212 (61.3%)	12 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (10.1%)	23.2	1188^th of 1534 public elementary schools	22.6%		18.9	1228^th of 1534 public elementary schools	19.9%	40	35.8	8.8	5.4	15.8	9.5	14.3	15.0	74.3	40.5	55.9	38.5	34.3	29.7	42.1	26.2	46.5	36.3	$18,285	$2,155	$16,129
Turner Intermediate School	Public	3-6	1833 Laketon Rd	Wilkinsburg	15221	Allegheny County	Wilkinsburg Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(412) 731-5883	305	31	9.8	100.0%	12 (3.9%)	273 (89.5%)	7 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.3%)	11.4	1335^th of 1534 public elementary schools	13.0%		19	1226^th of 1534 public elementary schools	20.1%	109	17.0	17.9	22.3	8.6			16.3	38.6		38.6	21.1	22.8	24.1	31.0			24.9	$16,153	$6,358	$9,795
O'Block Elementary School	Public	K-4	201 Center New Texas Rd	Pittsburgh	15239	Allegheny County	Plum Borough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(412) 795-4420	492	33	14.9	34.3%	390 (79.3%)	43 (8.7%)	18 (3.7%)	11 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.1%)	66.1	573^rd of 1534 public elementary schools	62.6%		79.8	291^st of 1534 public elementary schools	81.0%	282	67.5	55.0					61.0	77.0		77.0	60.5	59.4					59.9	$5,856	$151	$5,705
Turtle Creek Elementary STEAM Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	126 Monroeville Ave	Turtle Creek	15145	Allegheny County	Woodland Hills School District	No	No	No	Yes	(412) 824-2450	561	43	12.9	100.0%	166 (29.6%)	301 (53.7%)	39 (7.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (9.3%)	38.6	1042^nd of 1534 public elementary schools	32.1%		40.8	1019^th of 1534 public elementary schools	33.6%	23	41.6	41.2	33.4				38.6	70.6		70.6	43.6	44.9	44.0				44.2	$22,077	$1,952	$20,125
Propel Cs-Pitcairn	Public, Charter	K-8	435 Agatha Street	Pittsburgh	15140	Allegheny County	Propel CS-Pitcairn	Yes	No	No	Yes	(412) 325-7305	209	19	11.0		35 (16.7%)	142 (67.9%)	5 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (12.4%)	25.9	1162^nd of 1534 public elementary schools	24.3%		8.4	1385^th of 1534 public elementary schools	9.7%	223	25.0	4.5	22.2	16.7	0.0	18.1	13.4	81.8	40.9	61.4	30.0	36.4	50.0	33.3	7.1	36.4	30.6	$24,623	$3,054	$21,569

Frequently Asked Questions about Penn Hills Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Penn Hills Elementary School?

Students at Penn Hills Elementary School are 61% African American, 24% White, 9% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic.

Is Penn Hills Elementary School a good school?

Penn Hills Elementary School ranks in the bottom 18.1% of Pennsylvania elementary schools.

What district is Penn Hills Elementary School in?

Penn Hills School District

How many students attend Penn Hills Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,279 students attended Penn Hills Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Penn Hills Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Penn Hills Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Linton Middle School
High : Penn Hills Senior High School

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.