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Rice Elementary School

Q: Is Rice Elementary School a good school?

Rice Elementary School ranks 500 th of 1511 Pennsylvania elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

500^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,511 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Better than 67% of Pennsylvania elementary schools

Summary

Rice Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Mountain Top, Pennsylvania, serving 752 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the Crestwood School District, which is ranked 129 out of 606 school districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Rice Elementary School consistently ranks in the top 30% of Pennsylvania elementary schools, with strong academic performance on PSSA tests, particularly in Math and English Language Arts. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 54.9% in Math and 57.1% in English Language Arts, compared to the state averages of 41.7% and 48.5%, respectively. The school's performance is especially impressive for low socioeconomic status students, ranking in the top 15% of Pennsylvania elementary schools in this category. This contrasts with the nearby Heights/Murray Elementary School and State Elementary Center, which have much higher percentages of students from low-income families and generally lower academic performance.

Rice Elementary School's success can be attributed to its efficient use of resources, with a relatively low student-to-teacher ratio and higher per-student spending than the state average. The school's ability to achieve these outcomes within the Crestwood School District, which is ranked in the top 25% of districts in Pennsylvania, suggests a well-managed and effective approach to education. Overall, Rice Elementary School stands out as a high-performing elementary school that provides a strong academic foundation for its diverse student population.

735

Students ?

18.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,709

Per pupil spending ?

22.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3700 Church Road
Mountain Top, PA 18707-9803

(570) 868-3161

District: Crestwood School District

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.8%

Hispanic:

4.9%

Asian:

2.9%

See top rated Pennsylvania elementary schools

Compare Rice Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 84th percentile in 2015 → 67th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Pennsylvania average (56% vs 45% meeting standards)

✓Above the Pennsylvania median (67th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 17 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school56%

District avg55%

Pennsylvania avg45%

500^th of 1,511

Pennsylvania public elementary schools ?

Top 33%▼ down 17 pts since 2015

From top 16% (2015) to top 33% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Elementary Schools in the Crestwood School District

129^th of 606Crestwood 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	68.5	500 of 1511	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	74.6	408 of 1526	73.3%	★★★★☆
2023	73.9	406 of 1534	73.5%	★★★★☆
2022	70.1	494 of 1534	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.8	615 of 1433	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	72.8	447 of 1544	71.0%	★★★★☆
2018	72.8	428 of 1530	72.0%	★★★★☆
2017	78.5	317 of 1547	79.5%	★★★★☆
2016	84.2	182 of 1554	88.3%	★★★★☆
2015	81.4	236 of 1474	84.0%	★★★★☆
2014	79.1	253 of 1467	82.8%	★★★★☆
2013	78.8	269 of 1519	82.3%	★★★★☆
2012	78.7	256 of 1599	84.0%	★★★★☆
2011	80.5	197 of 1597	87.7%	★★★★☆
2010	74.3	371 of 1579	76.5%	★★★★☆
2009	74.3	361 of 1549	76.7%	★★★★☆
2008	70.9	454 of 1551	70.7%	★★★★☆
2007	70.0	480 of 1555	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2006	71.8	433 of 1545	72.0%	★★★★☆
2005	76.7	271 of 1299	79.1%	★★★★☆
2004	86.5	125 of 1308	90.4%	★★★★★
2003	86.6	135 of 1302	89.6%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	47.4	478 of 1030	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.0	401 of 1084	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.1	430 of 1043	58.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	70.0	433 of 1466	70.5%	★★★★☆
2024	76.1	334 of 1488	77.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	78.4	187 of 1369	86.3%	★★★★☆
2024	82.6	146 of 1432	89.8%	★★★★☆
2023	81.9	161 of 1414	88.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	64.2	550 of 1475	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.5	458 of 1495	69.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	50.4	622 of 1201	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	60.3	492 of 1229	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.4	521 of 1236	57.8%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)86th percentile+19 vs school

Female (2025)70th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)63rd percentile-4 vs school

Disabled (2025)54th percentile-13 vs school

White (2025)48th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Pennsylvania (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts57%+9 vs state

Math55%+13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Rice 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 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
Rice Elementary School	Public	K-6	3700 Church Road	Mountain Top	18707	Luzerne County	Crestwood School District	No	No	No	Yes	(570) 868-3161	735	39	18.6	22.4%	660 (89.8%)	9 (1.2%)	36 (4.9%)	21 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.7%)	4 (0.5%)	68.5	500^th of 1511 public elementary schools	66.9%		74.6	408^th of 1526 public elementary schools	73.3%	92	57.7	49.5	66.7	44.1	54.9	47.4	62.9	53.3	64.8	57.1	$15,709	$714	$14,995
GNA Elementary Center	Public	3-5	601 Kosciuszko Street	Nanticoke	18634	Luzerne County	Greater Nanticoke Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(570) 735-1320	513	34	15.2	72.7%	324 (63.2%)	43 (8.4%)	118 (23.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (4.5%)	13.6	1293^rd of 1511 public elementary schools	14.4%		14.1	1296^th of 1526 public elementary schools	15.1%	3	27.3	20.9	17.9		22.0	29.8	18.7	17.9		22.3	$15,312	$1,934	$13,378
Kennedy Early Childhood Center	Public	PK, KG-2	513 Kosciuszko St	Nanticoke	18634	Luzerne County	Greater Nanticoke Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(570) 735-6450	505	35	14.3	101.4%	312 (61.8%)	46 (9.1%)	104 (20.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	39 (7.7%)								(n/a)											$14,845	$1,968	$12,878
Fairview Elementary School	Public	K-6	117 Spruce Street	Mountain Top	18707	Luzerne County	Crestwood School District	No	No	No	Yes	(570) 474-5942	612	31	19.5	26.3%	502 (82.0%)	16 (2.6%)	45 (7.4%)	24 (3.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.8%)	77.3	334^th of 1511 public elementary schools	77.9%		74.7	401^st of 1526 public elementary schools	73.7%	67	76.5	67.2	48.8	55.1	60.6	58.8	61.2	59.8	65.3	61.6	$15,718	$858	$14,860
Hanover Green Elementary School	Public	1-2	561 Main Rd	Hanover Township	18706	Luzerne County	Hanover Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(570) 824-3941	318	20	15.9	76.4%	140 (44.0%)	51 (16.0%)	110 (34.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.3%)								(n/a)											$13,045	$2,302	$10,743
Lee Park Elementary School	Public	3-4	99 Lee Park Ave	Hanover Township	18706	Luzerne County	Hanover Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(570) 824-4741	322	23	14.0	71.4%	152 (47.2%)	52 (16.1%)	101 (31.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.0%)	21.3	1179^th of 1511 public elementary schools	22.0%		31.6	1093^rd of 1526 public elementary schools	28.4%	86	31.7	22.4			27.1	34.2	35.9			35.1	$16,231	$2,333	$13,897
Lyndwood Elementary School	Public	PK-K	2 Collet St	Hanover Township	18706	Luzerne County	Hanover Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(570) 820-4301	268	18	14.6	77.2%	104 (38.8%)	40 (14.9%)	106 (39.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.7%)								(n/a)											$23,173	$3,236	$19,937
Dr David W Kistler Elementary School	Public	K-5	301 Old River Rd	Wilkes Barre	18702	Luzerne County	Wilkes-Barre Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(570) 826-7230	961	55	17.3	100.9%	126 (13.1%)	153 (15.9%)	589 (61.3%)	8 (0.8%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (8.6%)	32.1	1062^nd of 1511 public elementary schools	29.7%		27.9	1127^th of 1526 public elementary schools	26.1%	65	40.4	28.4	38.2		36.1	34.5	33.3	43.1		36.8	$13,405	$1,302	$12,102
Heights/Murray Elementary School	Public	K-5	1 S Sherman St	Wilkes Barre	18702	Luzerne County	Wilkes-Barre Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(570) 826-7256	838	50	16.8	100.6%	95 (11.3%)	151 (18.0%)	506 (60.4%)	3 (0.4%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (9.3%)	22.1	1171^st of 1511 public elementary schools	22.5%		17.8	1247^th of 1526 public elementary schools	18.3%	76	42.7	20.7	26.1		30.3	37.2	17.4	25.0		27.1	$13,832	$1,477	$12,355
State Elementary Center	Public	K-5	355 State Street	Larksville	18704	Luzerne County	Wyoming Valley West School District	No	No	No	Yes	(570) 779-5381	1,376	88	15.6	95.4%	565 (41.1%)	246 (17.9%)	394 (28.6%)	4 (0.3%)	5 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	162 (11.8%)	12	1318^th of 1511 public elementary schools	12.8%		15.4	1282^nd of 1526 public elementary schools	16.0%	36	21.8	20.1	15.6		19.1	22.5	25.6	18.2		21.8	$17,523	$2,923	$14,600

Frequently Asked Questions about Rice Elementary School

Is Rice Elementary School a good school?

Rice Elementary School ranks 500^th of 1511 Pennsylvania elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Rice Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 735 students attended Rice Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Rice Elementary School?

Students at Rice Elementary School are 90% White, 5% Hispanic, 3% Asian, 1% African American.

What district is Rice Elementary School in?

Crestwood School District

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Schools in Mountain Top, PA

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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.