The Top-Rated Schools in Pittsburgh For 2021: Here’s Why We Need to Think Bigger
As someone who specializes in Pittsburgh residential real estate, especially when it comes to earning an ROI on your investment, I pay close attention to the quality of the local schools.
After all, one of the factors that makes Pittsburgh so great in 2021 is its growing economy that frequently attracts talented professionals from around the world.
Once they arrive in Allegheny County, they want two things:
Great housing at an affordable price.
Great schools for their kids.
Both of these requirements play a major role in the investment decisions we make at Second Avenue, but the second one can become tricky since there are so many variables involved.
Even though Pittsburgh has many great schools, not every community has access to equal resources.
The 5 Top-Rated Schools in Pittsburgh
According to Public School Review, the top public schools in Pittsburgh for Math and Reading scores are:
Fairview Elementary School (Fox Chapel). Fairview Elementary School is in the top 1% of Pennsylvania public schools, with a 90%-94% proficiency in Math and ≥95% in Reading.
Mt. Lebanon Senior High School (Mount Lebanon). Mt. Lebanon Senior High School is in the top 1% of Pennsylvania public schools, with a 92% proficiency in Math and 94% in Reading.
Upper Saint Clair High School (Upper Saint Clair). Upper Saint Clair High School is in the top 1% of Pennsylvania public schools, with a 90% proficiency in Math and 94% in Reading.
Fox Chapel Area High School (Fox Chapel). Fox Chapel Area High School is in the top 1% of Pennsylvania public schools, with an 89% proficiency in Math and 92% in Reading.
Markham Elementary School (Mount Lebanon). Markham Elementary School is in the top 1% of Pennsylvania public schools, with 85%-89% proficiency in Math and 90%-94% in Reading.
From a forward-thinking investment perspective, these numbers don’t tell us much. These regions are already well-known for their beautiful homes and excellent schools, so property values have been high for years already.
Still, to have such highly ranked Pennsylvania schools in our region is great, and it’s something we can take pride in.
In general, though, Pittsburgh elementary and high schools aren’t excellent. The average math proficiency score in Pittsburgh public schools is 48% (the statewide average is 45%) and the average reading score is 65% (versus the statewide average of 63%).
Better, but not by much.
Plus, if you look closely, you’ll notice that the highest-ranked schools are in some of Pittsburgh’s wealthiest neighborhoods, where the schools have greater resources for education.
The average income per individual in Pittsburgh is about $27,500. That’s in stark contrast to the average income in Mount Lebanon ($49,700), Upper Saint Clair ($56,300), and Fox Chapel ($92,500).
Not every public school in Pittsburgh has the luxury of such high incomes.
And these disparities were only heightened during COVID-19. As difficult as the pandemic was for the Pittsburgh public school system (it was criticized, among other things, for spending $1 million to create and distribute paper packets that were often too inconsistent or unreadable for children to learn at home), school districts with fewer resources were left scrambling to catch up.
The problems haven’t been solved for 2021. Facing reduced tax revenues in light of the region’s 2020 layoffs, the PPS board of directors approved a budget for this year that spends more than it collects, planning to pull from their savings to cover costs moving forward.
That’s bad news for schools that are already underfunded and struggling.
In 2019 (before the pandemic), 25 schools reported 60%-75% of students ranked “basic” or “below basic” in English Language Arts. In that same year, 50 schools reported 60% or more of their students were at similar levels in Math.
An Alternative Option to Pittsburgh’s Education Issues
The disparity within Pittsburgh is disheartening. To see one group of children thriving in places like Mount Lebanon and another group of children struggling in places like Homewood makes you wonder: Why can’t we have greater equality within our own community? Why can’t Pittsburgh as a whole be better for the children?
One potential solution is an increase in charter schools, which often provide a hybrid model between public school funding and private school quality.
Although charter schools are publicly funded, they’re run like their own businesses, which means they are often lean and efficient.
And because they need to continually prove themselves to remain open, they often perform very well.
Research on New York charter schools and a similar study on Boston charter schools found they significantly outperform traditional public schools in the same region.
Better yet, many charter schools excel in specialization, which means students receive an even better education in important subject areas.
When my son attended the Environmental Charter School, he enjoyed extremely hands-on learning that often related back to the environment and was up-to-date on the latest research. The lessons he learned and the experience he gained at the school inspired him to even start recycling and composting at home!
While that’s anecdotal evidence of a charter school improving the life of an individual, formal studies have shown charter school graduates often enjoy higher salaries and greater quality of life compared to their peers who graduated from public schools!
Thinking Beyond the Top-Rated Schools in Pittsburgh
Sure, it’s important to understand where the best schools in Pittsburgh are, but it’s even more important to know which communities are underperforming because they are underserved.
Once we’ve identified those communities with fewer resources, we can begin finding financial solutions to boost their success.
This, then, leads to even better outcomes for everyone.
When a neighborhood has better schools, access to fresh produce, and other resources, it becomes a more desirable place to live—something we all benefit from, especially when it comes to investing.
