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Northwest Area School District

At a glance

403^rdof 606 Pennsylvania districts▼ 68

Better than 33% of Pennsylvania districts

Elementary 2 High 1Grades PK, KG-12

243 Thorne Hill Rd
Shickshinny, PA 18655-9201·(570) 542-4126·All Pennsylvania district rankings →

Statewide performance 2017–2025

2025: better than 33.5% of districts

Schools

881

Students

Top rankedNorthwest Area High School287^th of 681 Pennsylvania high schools

▲

Biggest riser

Northwest Area High School up 54 spots statewide this year

Compare Pennsylvania districts →See the top-ranked Pennsylvania schools →

Summary:

The Northwest Area School District in Pennsylvania operates three schools: two elementary schools (Northwest Area Intermediate School and Northwest Area Primary School) and one high school (Northwest Area High School). The district serves a population with significant economic challenges, as evidenced by the high free/reduced lunch rates across all three schools.

Among the standout schools in the district, Northwest Area Intermediate School stands out for its relatively strong PSSA Math and Science proficiency rates, which exceed the district and state averages. In contrast, the Northwest Area High School has shown fluctuating statewide rankings, declining from 256th out of 674 Pennsylvania high schools in 2022-2023 to 341st in 2023-2024 before improving to 287th in 2024-2025, suggesting room for improvement in academic outcomes.

The district's schools also exhibit variations in student-teacher ratios, with the Northwest Area Primary School having a higher ratio of 22.1 students per teacher compared to 10.3 at the intermediate school and 11 at the high school. This disparity may contribute to differences in the quality of instruction and individual attention students receive across the district.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Keystone Exams Algebra I (2025)	Keystone Exams Biology (2025)	Keystone Exams Literature (2025)	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	Keystone Exams Algebra I 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Biology 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Literature 11th Grade	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
Northwest Area Intermediate School	Public	3-6	21 Sunset Lake Rd	Shickshinny	18655	Luzerne County	Northwest Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(570) 256-3649	260	24	10.8	55.0%	242 (93.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.8%)	34.8	1031^st of 1511 public elementary schools	31.8%		51.8	837^th of 1526 public elementary schools	45.2%	194				40.3	27.9	73.7	31.6			43.5	27.4	24.6	24.6	43.4			29.9	$20,492	$524	$19,968
Northwest Area Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	417 Shickshinny Lake Rd	Shickshinny	18655	Luzerne County	Northwest Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(570) 864-3461	215	10	21.5	61.9%	200 (93.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.0%)								(n/a)																		$23,177	$593	$22,585
Northwest Area High School	Public	7-12	243 Thorne Hill Rd	Shickshinny	18655	Luzerne County	Northwest Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 542-4126	406	36	11.2	48.8%	381 (93.8%)	2 (0.5%)	7 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.7%)	60.8	287^th of 681 public high schools	57.9%		55.3	341^st of 686 public high schools	50.3%	54	46.7	54.3	63.3					14.5	14.1	14.3					27.4	45.1	36.9	$22,406	$573	$21,833

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Lake-Lehman School District	3.86 mi	4	246^th
Greater Nanticoke Area School District	6.44 mi	4	480^th
Hanover Area School District	8.53 mi	5
Wyoming Valley West School District	8.61 mi	6	493^rd
Crestwood School District	9.08 mi	3	129^th

See the top PA Pennsylvania districts

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.