Three public school districts received the lowest overall grades on Niche’s 2027 Somerset County, Pennsylvania, listing, with grades ranging from D+ to C.
One of the three earned an A− for Resources & Facilities even as it received a C− for College Prep. Two districts tied at C, but their math proficiency rates were 11 percentage points apart.
Under Niche’s 2027 grading formula, Academics makes up half of a district’s overall grade and draws on state test scores, college enrollment data and survey responses. Niche also weighs its Teachers grade and other factors, including feedback from parents and students about their overall experience.
Pennsylvania publishes its own assessment results separately.
Shade-Central City School District — Overall Niche Grade C
Shade-Central City’s Niche report card shows an A− for Resources & Facilities and a C− for College Prep. The district serves Shade Township and Central City Borough.
Niche lists 303 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, and the district’s elementary and junior-senior high schools share a campus in Cairnbrook.
| Niche category | Grade |
|---|---|
| Academics | C+ |
| Diversity | C |
| Teachers | C+ |
| College Prep | C− |
| Clubs & Activities | B |
| Administration | B− |
| Sports | C |
| Food | B+ |
| Resources & Facilities | A− |
Shade-Central City led the three in reading and math proficiency
Niche reports that 46% of tested students reached proficiency in reading or English language arts and 41% did so in math. Those were the highest rates among the three districts featured.
Niche draws the figures from Pennsylvania’s 2024–25 testing program, which includes the PSSA in grades 3 through 8 and Keystone Exams at the high school level.
The district’s reported student-teacher ratio was 9 to 1, below the National Center for Education Statistics’ 2023–24 public-school benchmark of 15.2 to 1. Niche leaves the reporting year of its staffing figure unspecified.
The ratio measures students per full-time-equivalent teacher across the district. Individual class sizes can vary.
Families can request a gifted education evaluation
Through Shade-Central City’s gifted education services, parents can ask the district to evaluate whether their child needs specialized instruction. The district accepts one written evaluation request per school year.
A team reviews the student’s performance data and develops an individual plan if it determines that specialized instruction is needed.
The district says it honors gifted education plans from other Pennsylvania districts and can modify them to fit a student’s needs. Students previously identified as gifted in another state go through local screening or evaluation.
Shanksville-Stonycreek School District — Overall Niche Grade C
Shanksville-Stonycreek’s Niche report card gives the district a B+ for both Food and Resources & Facilities, alongside a C− for College Prep. Niche lists 284 students from prekindergarten through 12th grade. The district serves Shanksville, Indian Lake and Stonycreek Township.
| Niche category | Grade |
|---|---|
| Academics | C |
| Diversity | C− |
| Teachers | B |
| College Prep | C− |
| Clubs & Activities | B− |
| Administration | B− |
| Sports | C |
| Food | B+ |
| Resources & Facilities | B+ |
Reading proficiency was 12 points higher than math
On Pennsylvania’s 2024–25 assessments, 42% of tested students reached proficiency in reading or English language arts and 30% did so in math, according to Niche. Its reading rate was four points below Shade-Central City’s. In math, the difference widened to 11 points.
Niche reports a student-teacher ratio of 12 to 1, below the 15.2 to 1 national public-school benchmark for 2023–24. The district profile leaves the staffing figure’s reporting year unspecified.
Reading support starts in kindergarten
The district’s Title I reading program serves students from kindergarten through third grade who are having difficulty reading. The district uses several criteria specific to each grade to select students, then works with them in small groups or individually.
Families can ask the elementary school which reading skills their child is being assessed on and how the school will share progress if the child receives extra instruction. The program starts before third grade, when students first take Pennsylvania’s statewide reading assessment.
Turkeyfoot Valley Area School District — Overall Niche Grade D+
Turkeyfoot Valley’s Niche report card shows a B− for Resources & Facilities and a D+ for Administration. Niche lists 253 students in prekindergarten through 12th grade.
Based in Confluence, the district also serves Addison and Ursina boroughs and Addison and Lower Turkeyfoot townships.
| Niche category | Grade |
|---|---|
| Academics | C− |
| Diversity | C |
| Teachers | C |
| College Prep | C |
| Clubs & Activities | C |
| Administration | D+ |
| Sports | C |
| Food | C |
| Resources & Facilities | B− |
About one in five tested students reached reading proficiency
Niche reports that 20% of tested students reached proficiency in reading or English language arts and 18% did so in math on Pennsylvania’s 2024–25 assessments. Both figures were the lowest among the three featured districts.
Turkeyfoot Valley’s student-teacher ratio was 12 to 1, the same as Shanksville-Stonycreek’s and below the 15.2 to 1 national public-school benchmark for 2023–24. Niche leaves the year of the district staffing figure unspecified.
High school students can train in forestry
Turkeyfoot Valley’s guidance office directs students to the Somerset County Technology Center for career training. One option is the center’s Forestry Technology program, where students learn how to manage woodland, plant and harvest trees, and saw, dry and grade lumber.
The program takes place at the technology center in Somerset. Turkeyfoot Valley families can ask the high school guidance office about applying and how the program would fit into a student’s schedule.
The Cutoff Was a C, but the Category Grades Tell Different Stories
Two of the 11 districts on Niche’s list received a C, so both made the cutoff alongside the district that earned a D+. The two closest districts outside this group received a C+. The other six earned grades from B− to B+.
Turkeyfoot Valley earned a C for College Prep, a step above both districts that received higher overall grades. Shanksville-Stonycreek earned a B for Teachers, compared with a C+ for Shade-Central City, which had the higher reading and math proficiency rates.
Families can use Pennsylvania’s Future Ready PA Index to look up individual schools and see measures such as academic growth and proficiency.
For a child about to enter kindergarten or choose high school courses, the next question is more specific. Ask what reading support starts in that grade or when students can apply for the career program they want.