Is West Branch Area Elementary School a good school?

West Branch Area Elementary School ranks 953 rd of 1534 Pennsylvania elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend West Branch Area Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 341 students attended West Branch Area Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of West Branch Area Elementary School?

Students at West Branch Area Elementary School are 94% White, 4% Two or more races, 1% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of West Branch Area Elementary School attend?

Students who attend West Branch Area Elementary School usually go on to attend: High : West Branch Area High School

West Branch Area Elementary School

Summary:

West Branch Area Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Morrisdale, PA, serving 341 students in grades K-4. The school is part of the West Branch Area School District, which is ranked 271 out of 606 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 3-star rating.

While West Branch Area Elementary School has a significantly higher percentage of white students (94.43%) compared to nearby schools, it has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Pennsylvania elementary schools, receiving a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's test scores are below the state averages in most subjects and grade levels, with proficiency rates in Math (36.8%) and English Language Arts (52.2%) lower than the state averages of 39.3% and 53.8%, respectively. Additionally, the school has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 39.6% to 50.3% over the past three years, which is higher than the nearby schools like Park Forest Elementary School and Gray's Woods Elementary School.

Despite the higher per-student spending at West Branch Area Elementary School, ranging from $17,708 to $22,385 over the past four years, the school's academic performance remains below the state averages. This raises questions about the effective use of resources and the factors contributing to the school's underperformance, which appears to be more significant compared to its peers in the State College Area School District, Curwensville Area School District, and other nearby districts.

Detail:

Public K-4

356 Allport Cutoff
Morrisdale, PA 16858

(814) 345-5615

District: West Branch Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
953^rd of 1,534 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $22,385

Students who attend West Branch Area Elementary School usually attend:

High:

West Branch Area High School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.8

Number of students: 341

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.4%

Two or more races:

3.8%

Hispanic:

1.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 43.1%

See top rated Pennsylvania elementary schools

Compare West Branch Area Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details West Branch Area Elementary School ranks worse than 62.1% of elementary schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 44.7. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (94.4%), two or more races (3.8%), Hispanic (1.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 43.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Branch Area Elementary School is 10.8. (See more...)

Compare West Branch Area Elementary School employs 31.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Branch Area Elementary School is $22,385.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

West Branch Area Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks West Branch Area Elementary School 953^rd of 1534 Pennsylvania public elementary schools. (See West Branch Area Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

White students:

West Branch Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks West Branch Area School District 271^st of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for West Branch Area Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at West Branch Area Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	11.89	1141^st	1302	12.4%
2004	63.37	558^th	1308	57.3%
2005	38.73	954^th	1299	26.6%
2006	34.54	1216^th	1545	21.3%
2007	39.54	1143^rd	1555	26.5%
2008	43.59	1097^th	1551	29.3%
2009	30.86	1275^th	1549	17.7%
2010	39.34	1183^rd	1579	25.1%
2011	24.38	1360^th	1597	14.8%
2012	37.21	1221^st	1599	23.6%
2013	41.36	1097^th	1519	27.8%
2014	47.69	977^th	1467	33.4%
2015	32.89	1080^th	1474	26.7%
2016	39.24	1085^th	1554	30.2%
2017	53.39	858^th	1547	44.5%
2018	52.68	867^th	1530	43.3%
2019	49.72	930^th	1544	39.8%
2021	45.93	881^st	1433	38.5%
2022	43.07	993^rd	1534	35.3%
2023	44.70	953^rd	1534	37.9%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Branch Area Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	31.85	1040^th	1414	26.4%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at West Branch Area Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	39.94	615^th	1043	41.0%

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

Rank History for White students at West Branch Area Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	26.50	1011^th	1236	18.2%

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

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Enrollment information for West Branch Area Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	719	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	720
1989	705	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	706
1990	717	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	718
1991	652	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	652
1992	699	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	699
1993	678	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	679
1994	672	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	672
1995	665	2	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	667
1996	665	2	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	667
1997	653	4	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	657
1998	676	2	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	678
1999	689	5	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	698
2000	707	3	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	713
2001	705	5	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	713
2002	681	3	0	3	5	n/a	n/a	0	692
2003	681	3	0	3	5	n/a	n/a	0	692
2004	693	2	1	4	5	n/a	n/a	0	705
2005	665	2	0	5	6	n/a	n/a	0	678
2006	563	1	0	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	569
2007	661	1	0	10	3	n/a	n/a	0	675
2008	646	0	0	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	655
2009	591	1	0	7	5	n/a	n/a	0	604
2010	594	1	0	13	3	n/a	n/a	4	615
2011	562	2	0	5	4	0	0	0	573
2012	549	4	0	5	3	0	0	0	561
2013	538	5	1	4	4	0	0	0	552
2014	539	5	1	2	6	0	3	0	556
2015	538	5	1	3	6	0	0	0	553
2016	549	6	1	2	4	0	1	0	563
2017	521	6	1	3	4	0	3	0	538
2018	507	6	1	2	3	0	5	0	524
2019	493	4	0	2	3	0	8	0	510
2020	319	2	0	2	0	0	11	0	334
2021	315	1	0	3	1	0	8	0	328
2022	332	1	0	4	1	0	13	0	351
2023	322	1	0	4	1	0	13	0	341

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 West Branch Area Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	720	40.0	18.0	n/a
1989	706	37.0	19.0	n/a
1990	718	36.0	19.9	0
1991	652	39.0	16.7	n/a
1992	699	35.5	19.6	n/a
1993	679	36.0	18.9	n/a
1994	672	35.0	19.2	n/a
1995	667	37.5	17.8	n/a
1996	667	37.5	17.8	n/a
1997	657	38.0	17.3	n/a
1998	678	38.5	17.6	n/a
1999	698	39.7	17.6	n/a
2000	713	39.0	18.3	40.3
2001	713	40.0	17.8	39.3
2002	692	42.5	16.3	38.6
2003	692	42.5	16.3	38.6
2004	705	43.0	16.4	41.3
2005	678	44.0	15.4	39.4
2006	569	39.0	14.6	51.5
2007	675	43.0	15.7	41.9
2008	655	45.0	14.6	45.2
2009	604	45.0	13.4	49.2
2010	615	35.0	17.5	47.6
2011	573	44.0	13.0	40.7
2012	561	44.6	12.5	42.4
2013	552	41.6	13.2	42.4
2014	556	36.5	15.2	51.1
2015	553	40.0	13.8	52.1
2016	563	39.0	14.4	47.8
2017	538	40.0	13.4	46.3
2018	524	40.0	13.1	50.6
2019	510	39.0	13.0	46.9
2020	334	30.7	10.8	37.4
2021	328	30.0	10.9	50.3
2022	351	29.5	11.8	39.6
2023	341	31.5	10.8	43.1

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 West Branch Area Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	720	40.0	18.0	n/a
1989	706	37.0	19.0	n/a
1990	718	36.0	19.9	0
1991	652	39.0	16.7	n/a
1992	699	35.5	19.6	n/a
1993	679	36.0	18.9	n/a
1994	672	35.0	19.2	n/a
1995	667	37.5	17.8	n/a
1996	667	37.5	17.8	n/a
1997	657	38.0	17.3	n/a
1998	678	38.5	17.6	n/a
1999	698	39.7	17.6	n/a
2000	713	39.0	18.3	40.3
2001	713	40.0	17.8	39.3
2002	692	42.5	16.3	38.6
2003	692	42.5	16.3	38.6
2004	705	43.0	16.4	41.3
2005	678	44.0	15.4	39.4
2006	569	39.0	14.6	51.5
2007	675	43.0	15.7	41.9
2008	655	45.0	14.6	45.2
2009	604	45.0	13.4	49.2
2010	615	35.0	17.5	47.6
2011	573	44.0	13.0	40.7
2012	561	44.6	12.5	42.4
2013	552	41.6	13.2	42.4
2014	556	36.5	15.2	51.1
2015	553	40.0	13.8	52.1
2016	563	39.0	14.4	47.8
2017	538	40.0	13.4	46.3
2018	524	40.0	13.1	50.6
2019	510	39.0	13.0	46.9
2020	334	30.7	10.8	37.4
2021	328	30.0	10.9	50.3
2022	351	29.5	11.8	39.6
2023	341	31.5	10.8	43.1

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 West Branch Area Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$534 (2.9%)	$17,853 (97.1%)	$18,387
2020	$744 (4.2%)	$16,964 (95.8%)	$17,708
2021	$2,169 (10.3%)	$18,882 (89.7%)	$21,051
2022	$2,629 (11.7%)	$19,756 (88.3%)	$22,385

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West Branch Area 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 930^th of 1544 Elementary schools	Ranks 953^rd of 1534 Elementary schools	1.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (West Branch Area Elementary School)	54	53.6	0.4%
3rd Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	56	51.7	4.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (West Branch Area Elementary School)	50.7	62.3	11.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	61.9	54	7.9%
4th Grade Math (West Branch Area Elementary School)	27.8	18.8	9%
4th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	46.2	46.5	0.3%
4th Grade Science (West Branch Area Elementary School)	80.5	73.4	7.1%
4th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	77.8	74.1	3.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (West Branch Area Elementary School)	47.3	41.5	5.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	63.6	51.8	11.8%
All Grades Math (West Branch Area Elementary School)	41.9	36.8	5.1%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (West Branch Area Elementary School)	80.5	73.4	7.1%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (West Branch Area Elementary School)	60.7	52.2	8.5%
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	510	341	33.1%
African American	4	1	75%
American Indian	3	1	66.7%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	2	4	100%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	493	322	34.7%
Two or More Races	8	13	62.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	46.9%	43.1%	3.8%

Schools Near West Branch Area 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 All Grades	PSSA Science 4th 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 All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
West Branch Area Elementary School	Public	K-4	356 Allport Cutoff	Morrisdale	16858	Clearfield County	West Branch Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(814) 345-5615	341	32	10.8	43.1%	322 (94.4%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.8%)	44.7	953^rd of 1534 public elementary schools	37.9%		43.1	993^rd of 1534 public elementary schools	35.3%	40	53.6	18.8			36.8	73.4	73.4	62.3	41.5			52.2	$22,385	$2,629	$19,756
Philipsburg Elementary School	Public	K-5	1810 Black Moshannon Road	Philipsburg	16866	Centre County	Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(814) 342-2870	406	33	12.4	59.4%	396 (97.5%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	72.4	445^th of 1534 public elementary schools	71.0%		71.2	478^th of 1534 public elementary schools	68.8%	33	67.6	62.5	52.1		60.9	84.4	84.4	67.5	67.2	56.3		63.7	$13,571	$1,454	$12,117
Osceola Mills Elementary School	Public	K-5	400 Coal St	Osceola Mills	16666	Clearfield County	Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(814) 339-6812	295	27	10.9	59.3%	283 (95.9%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	2 (0.7%)	3 (1.0%)	66.7	559^th of 1534 public elementary schools	63.6%		71.8	462^nd of 1534 public elementary schools	69.9%	97	62.3	55.5	50.0		56.2	71.1	71.1	64.2	60.0	68.8		64.4	$17,583	$1,884	$15,699
Clearfield Area Elementary School	Public	K-6	700 High Level Rd	Clearfield	16830	Clearfield County	Clearfield Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(814) 765-5511	1,059	92	11.5	100.0%	998 (94.2%)	3 (0.3%)	15 (1.4%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (3.6%)	32.4	1109^th of 1534 public elementary schools	27.7%		33.9	1085^th of 1534 public elementary schools	29.3%	24	46.4	44.6	20.7	23.0	33.7	69.1	69.1	40.4	39.0	31.8	39.6	37.8	$17,273	$2,438	$14,835
Mountaintop Area Elementary School	Public	K-5	100 School Dr # 865	Snow Shoe	16874	Centre County	Bald Eagle Area School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 387-6861	116	10	11.6	40.5%	112 (96.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.6%)	80.1	280^th of 1534 public elementary schools	81.7%		65.9	574^th of 1534 public elementary schools	62.6%	294	66.6	62.6	79.0		69.9	93.8	93.8	61.1	62.5	79.0		67.9	$25,124	$364	$24,761
Port Matilda Elementary School	Public	K-5	209 Locust Street	Port Matilda	16870	Centre County	Bald Eagle Area School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 692-7429	100	10	10.2	41.0%	93 (93.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	6 (6.0%)	71.7	460^th of 1534 public elementary schools	70.0%		67.8	542^nd of 1534 public elementary schools	64.7%	82	76.9	46.2	65.0		63.0	84.6	84.6	69.2	30.8	80.0		63.1	$25,245	$457	$24,788
Moshannon Valley Elementary School	Public	K-6	5026 Green Acre Rd	Houtzdale	16651	Clearfield County	Moshannon Valley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(814) 378-7683	407	33	12.3	100.0%	390 (95.8%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.7%)	37.3	1060^th of 1534 public elementary schools	30.9%		47.8	930^th of 1534 public elementary schools	39.4%	130	40.7	42.6	16.7	39.2	33.8	79.2	79.2	30.9	51.9	28.4	51.0	39.7	$16,150	$1,670	$14,479
Curwensville Area Elementary School	Public	K-6	650 Beech St	Curwensville	16833	Clearfield County	Curwensville Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(814) 236-1101	536	45	11.9	57.1%	529 (98.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	77.3	332^nd of 1534 public elementary schools	78.4%		81	274^th of 1534 public elementary schools	82.1%	58	62.8	63.4	50.7	60.0	59.4	91.4	91.4	60.3	76.5	62.6	92.7	71.2	$17,276	$723	$16,553
Gray's Woods Elementary School	Public	K-5	160 Brackenbourne Drive	Port Matilda	16870	Centre County	State College Area School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 235-6100	369	26	14.0	11.9%	330 (89.4%)	2 (0.5%)	6 (1.6%)	14 (3.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.1%)	74.5	395^th of 1534 public elementary schools	74.3%		81.5	262^nd of 1534 public elementary schools	82.9%	133	60.3	64.3	72.1		65.8	91.1	91.1	48.4	61.4	79.4		63.7	$18,489	$608	$17,881
Park Forest Elementary School	Public	K-5	2181 School Dr	State College	16803	Centre County	State College Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(814) 231-5010	430	30	14.1	19.3%	328 (76.3%)	15 (3.5%)	22 (5.1%)	28 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (8.6%)	85.6	180^th of 1534 public elementary schools	88.3%		79.2	303^rd of 1534 public elementary schools	80.2%	123	88.5	80.0	49.2		73.1	97.5	97.5	72.9	73.4	76.5		74.2	$20,639	$788	$19,851

West Branch Area Elementary School

West Branch Area Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

West Branch Area School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for West Branch Area Elementary School

Rank History for all students at West Branch Area Elementary School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Branch Area Elementary School

Rank History for Disabled students at West Branch Area Elementary School

Rank History for White students at West Branch Area Elementary School

Enrollment information for West Branch Area Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at West Branch Area Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio West Branch Area Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for West Branch Area Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on West Branch Area Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near West Branch Area Elementary School