Wilkes-Barre Area School District

School district data reflects the latest publicly available data from the PA Department of Education. School leadership information is updated on an as needed basis. If you have questions about the data or terms used on this profile, please visit the Terminology page.

This school district serves the following county or counties: Luzerne

District Profile

730 S Main St

Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711-0375

Phone 570-826-7131

Fax 570-826-1514

Includes the municipalities of Bear Creek Township, Bear Creek Village, Buck Township, Laflin Borough, Laurel Run Borough, Plains Township, Wilkes-Barre City, Wilkes-Barre Township.

Square Miles

116.67

Students Enrolled

7,820

Total Number of Schools:

9
  • Daniel J Flood El Sch (K-5)
  • Dodson El Sch (K-5)
  • Dr David W Kistler El Sch (K-5)
  • G A R MS (6,7-8)
  • Heights/Murray El Sch (K-5)
  • Solomon/Plains El Sch (K-5)
  • Solomon/Plains MS (6,7-8)
  • Wilkes-Barre Area HS (9-12)
  • Wilkes-Barre Area SD STEM Academy (9-12)

School district: light blue; Administrative office: medium blue circle; County(ies) served: green dashes.

Total Students

7,820

Ethnicity

American Indian
0.18%
Asian
0.81%
Black
15.82%
Latino
48.49%
Pacific Islander
0.03%
2 or More Races
7.57%
White
27.11%

Gender

Male
50.81%
Female
49.19%

Other Statistics

Special Education
17.39%
English Learner
10.00%

Financials

Median Household Income

$50,013.00

Revenue Sources

Type of Revenue Income Percent of Budget
Local Revenues $72,260,442.00 45.13%
State Revenues $69,774,466.55 43.58%
Federal $17,963,764.41 11.22%
Other $104,078.83 0.06%

Other Tax Stats

Property Taxes Collected by District
$52,267,152.94
Property Values Within District
$112,000.00
Median Home Value

Academic Outcomes

Graduation Rate

77.44%

Rigorous Courses

17
E.g. IB AP

Post-Secondary Plans

55.54%
College/University
2.72%
Other Specialized Learning

PSSA Stats

% of Advanced or Proficient

Grade Level English Language Arts Math Science
Grade 3 38.00% 33.00% N/A
Grade 4 26.40% 17.60% 61.80%
Grade 5 33.70% 17.20% N/A
Grade 6 43.80% 13.90% N/A
Grade 7 33.40% 6.90% N/A
Grade 8 38.80% 12.50% 38.70%

Keystone Results

% of Advanced or Proficient

Grade Level Literature Algebra I Biology
Grade 11 17.28% 14.24% 63.05%

Staff

425

Teachers

23

Administrators

197

Support

Student /Teacher Ratio

18:1

School District Leadership

Superintendent of Schools: Dr. Brian Costello

School Board Directors *

Name Total Years of Service Current Term
School Director Training Certificate
PSBA Provided
Certificate of Board Governance
Continuing Education Badges Earned
Joe Caffrey
Board President
11 2021-2025

Advanced School Director Training (RQD-ADV)

Mark Atherton
Board Vice President
6 2023-2027
Arthur Breese
3 2023-2027
Ned Evans
11 2021-2025
Warren Faust
2 2023-2027
Beth Harris
5 2023-2027
Dr. James Susek
15 2021-2025

New School Director Training (RQD-NEW)

Denise Thomas
11 2021-2025

Advanced School Director Training (RQD-ADV)

Rev. Shawn Walker
11 2023-2027

* School board directors in Pennsylvania are required to complete specific training requirements following their election under Act 55 of 2017 and Act 18 of 2019. Newly elected directors must complete five hours of training within the first year of their first term, while reelected directors must complete three hours of advanced training within the first year of their reelected term. School board director data will be updated as it is made available. Data updates occur regularly and are ongoing.