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Rutherford Elementary School

Q: Is Rutherford Elementary School a good school?

Rutherford Elementary School ranks 928 th of 1511 Pennsylvania elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

928^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,511 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Better than 39% of Pennsylvania elementary schools

Summary

Rutherford Elementary School is a public elementary school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, serving 473 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Central Dauphin School District, which is ranked 362 out of 606 school districts in the state.

Rutherford Elementary School consistently performs below the state and district averages in PSSA Math and English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency across all grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's overall PSSA Math proficiency was 43.6%, compared to the district's 36.9% and the state's 41.7%. Similarly, its overall PSSA ELA proficiency was 41.8%, compared to the district's 44.9% and the state's 48.5%. However, the school performs exceptionally well for African American and Hispanic students, ranking in the top 20% of Pennsylvania elementary schools in these subgroups. The school also has a very high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, with over 99% of students falling into this category.

When comparing Rutherford Elementary School to other nearby schools within the Central Dauphin School District, it generally performs worse in terms of academic proficiency, with lower PSSA Math and ELA scores compared to schools like North Side Elementary and Paxtang Elementary. However, Rutherford Elementary School outperforms some of the other nearby schools, such as Lawnton Elementary and South Side Elementary, in certain areas. The nearby Chambers Hill Elementary School has similar performance levels in many areas.

461

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,225

Per pupil spending ?

102.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6500 Clearfield St
Harrisburg, PA 17111-4422

(717) 561-1990

District: Central Dauphin School District

Students who attend Rutherford Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Central Dauphin East Middle School
High:	Central Dauphin East Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

28.2%

Asian:

25.6%

White:

20.6%

See top rated Pennsylvania elementary schools

Compare Rutherford Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 25th percentile in 2015 → 39th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 14 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school43%

District avg41%

Pennsylvania avg45%

928^th of 1,511

Pennsylvania public elementary schools ?

Bottom 39%▲ up 14 pts since 2015

From bottom 25% (2015) to bottom 39% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 13Elementary Schools in the Central Dauphin School District

362^nd of 606Central Dauphin School District among Pennsylvania districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	43.0	928 of 1511	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.2	962 of 1526	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.5	796 of 1534	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.0	954 of 1534	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.1	1023 of 1433	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	50.6	914 of 1544	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.8	1046 of 1530	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	29.2	1170 of 1547	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	34.7	1123 of 1554	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	30.1	1106 of 1474	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	29.0	1172 of 1467	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	41.2	1099 of 1519	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	48.4	1073 of 1599	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	46.1	1097 of 1597	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	41.6	1152 of 1579	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	38.9	1168 of 1549	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	50.4	970 of 1551	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	40.9	1125 of 1555	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	42.4	1102 of 1545	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	59.2	644 of 1299	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2004	28.1	1024 of 1308	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	53.7	696 of 1302	46.5%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	70.0	72 of 413	82.6%	★★★★☆
2024	74.2	70 of 437	84.0%	★★★★☆
2023	90.2	27 of 437	93.8%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	21.0	126 of 151	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.3	143 of 168	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.0	144 of 160	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2024	24.6	845 of 1084	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	67.5	36 of 207	82.6%	★★★★☆
2024	73.9	30 of 200	85.0%	★★★★☆
2023	75.0	32 of 196	83.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	42.2	917 of 1466	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.1	883 of 1488	40.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2024	75.4	86 of 454	81.1%	★★★★☆
2023	82.8	49 of 432	88.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	54.2	659 of 1369	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.5	774 of 1432	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.5	509 of 1414	64.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	43.5	884 of 1475	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.0	978 of 1495	34.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	32.5	880 of 1201	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.6	983 of 1229	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	43.1	765 of 1236	38.1%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

English Language Learner (2025)83rd percentile+44 vs school

African American (2025)83rd percentile+44 vs school

Hispanic (2024)81st percentile+44 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)52nd percentile+13 vs school

Male (2025)40th percentile~ school

Female (2025)37th percentile~ school

White (2025)27th percentile-12 vs school

Disabled (2024)22nd percentile-15 vs school

Asian (2025)17th percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs Pennsylvania (2024-2025) ?

Math44%~ state avg

English Language Arts42%-7 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The teachers here go above and beyond to make sure every child excels. They enforce respect and responsibility in every student. Close Quote

Schools Near Rutherford Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSSA Math (2025)							PSSA English Language Arts (2025)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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 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
Rutherford Elementary School	Public	K-5	6500 Clearfield St	Harrisburg	17111	Dauphin County	Central Dauphin School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 561-1990	461	30	15.2	102.6%	95 (20.6%)	130 (28.2%)	69 (15.0%)	118 (25.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (10.4%)	43	928^th of 1511 public elementary schools	38.6%		44.2	962^nd of 1526 public elementary schools	37.0%	34	46.5	42.3	42.3				43.6	33.8	45.5	45.9				41.8	$13,225	$891	$12,334
Chambers Hill Elementary School	Public	K-5	6450 Chambers Hill Rd	Harrisburg	17111	Dauphin County	Central Dauphin School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 561-1655	257	25	10.2	96.5%	63 (24.5%)	47 (18.3%)	42 (16.3%)	74 (28.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (12.1%)	35.1	1026^th of 1511 public elementary schools	32.1%		31.5	1094^th of 1526 public elementary schools	28.3%	68	42.1	33.3	33.4				36.2	46.2	21.5	40.0				37.6	$19,622	$1,261	$18,361
Lawnton Elementary School	Public	K-5	4400 Franklin St	Harrisburg	17111	Dauphin County	Central Dauphin School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 558-9430	310	25	12.5	91.9%	29 (9.4%)	63 (20.3%)	42 (13.5%)	147 (47.4%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (8.7%)	22.4	1165^th of 1511 public elementary schools	22.9%		23.6	1171^st of 1526 public elementary schools	23.3%	6	43.5	30.0	7.9				28.2	29.8	42.5	13.2				28.8	$15,681	$1,928	$13,753
South Side Elementary School	Public	K-5	4525 Union Deposit Rd	Harrisburg	17111	Dauphin County	Central Dauphin School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 657-3204	603	46	13.0	112.1%	82 (13.6%)	176 (29.2%)	128 (21.2%)	136 (22.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	80 (13.3%)	28.5	1102^nd of 1511 public elementary schools	27.1%		24.5	1154^th of 1526 public elementary schools	24.4%	52	45.3	25.8	24.5				32.1	47.8	31.0	25.4				35.0	$13,336	$1,057	$12,278
Infinity Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	5405 Locust Lane	Harrisburg	17109	Dauphin County	Infinity Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(717) 238-1880	256	20	13.1	19.1%	104 (40.6%)	32 (12.5%)	18 (7.0%)	79 (30.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (9.0%)	88.7	142^nd of 1511 public elementary schools	90.6%		91	67^th of 1526 public elementary schools	95.6%	75	85.2	64.5	57.1	56.7	57.2	53.9	62.4	77.8	87.1	78.6	86.2	96.4	92.3	86.4	$10,876	$592	$10,284
Phillips Elementary School	Public	K-5	100 Oakmont Rd	Harrisburg	17109	Dauphin County	Central Dauphin School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 657-3203	393	33	12.0	105.3%	90 (22.9%)	114 (29.0%)	76 (19.3%)	72 (18.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (10.4%)	19.9	1203^rd of 1511 public elementary schools	20.4%		18	1244^th of 1526 public elementary schools	18.5%	41	31.3	22.5	22.0				24.7	29.2	32.3	28.0				29.8	$15,563	$949	$14,614
Kunkel Elementary School	Public	K-5	2401 Fulling Mill Rd	Middletown	17057	Dauphin County	Middletown Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 939-6862	369	32	11.6	59.9%	219 (59.3%)	21 (5.7%)	70 (19.0%)	23 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (9.8%)	62.2	614^th of 1511 public elementary schools	59.4%		70.9	468^th of 1526 public elementary schools	69.3%	146	56.9	53.6	72.5				61.8	41.4	50.0	52.2				48.1	$17,108	$1,934	$15,174
Paxtang Elementary School	Public	K-5	3530 Rutherford St	Harrisburg	17111	Dauphin County	Central Dauphin School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 561-1781	281	19	14.8	99.6%	54 (19.2%)	73 (26.0%)	74 (26.3%)	46 (16.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (11.4%)	31.9	1064^th of 1511 public elementary schools	29.6%		38.9	1020^th of 1526 public elementary schools	33.2%	44	30.6	45.9	27.3				34.2	34.3	54.2	27.3				38.2	$15,877	$948	$14,929
Nye Elementary School	Public	K-5	200 S John St	Hummelstown	17036	Dauphin County	Lower Dauphin School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 566-0300	317	25	12.4	39.4%	241 (76.0%)	5 (1.6%)	44 (13.9%)	7 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.3%)	61	637^th of 1511 public elementary schools	57.8%		63.8	618^th of 1526 public elementary schools	59.5%	19	54.7	55.3	48.1				52.8	57.4	51.8	50.0				53.1	$18,324	$451	$17,873
Tri-Community Elementary School	Public	K-5	255 Cypress St	Steelton	17113	Dauphin County	Central Dauphin School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 939-9591	427	35	12.0	103.0%	76 (17.8%)	151 (35.4%)	118 (27.6%)	45 (10.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	34 (8.0%)	20.4	1192^nd of 1511 public elementary schools	21.1%		23.1	1181^st of 1526 public elementary schools	22.6%	11	47.6	21.9	20.6				30.0	31.8	26.6	17.7				25.4	$14,649	$1,069	$13,581

Frequently Asked Questions about Rutherford Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Rutherford Elementary School?

Students at Rutherford Elementary School are 28% African American, 26% Asian, 21% White, 15% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races.

How many students attend Rutherford Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 461 students attended Rutherford Elementary School.

What district is Rutherford Elementary School in?

Central Dauphin School District

What schools do graduates of Rutherford Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Rutherford Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Central Dauphin East Middle School
High : Central Dauphin East Senior High School

Is Rutherford Elementary School a good school?

Rutherford Elementary School ranks 928^th of 1511 Pennsylvania elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Rutherford Elementary 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.