8 of the Best School Districts in Lancaster County
July 6, 2017Learning about school districts is paramount when considering moving to a new state or town. If you have children, you will want to make sure you find a school district with outstanding educational opportunities as well as extracurricular activities. Luckily, if you’re considering moving to the Susquehanna Valley we have plenty of fantastic school districts for you to choose from. In no particular order, these are the best school districts in Lancaster County:
1. Penn Manor School District
The Penn Manor school district is in a rural and suburban area that includes Fairview Farm Estates. This district has one high school, two middle schools, and seven elementary schools. The property tax is 18.0100 mills, and the district ranked 184th out of all public Pennsylvania school districts. The capita per resident is $20,529, and the family income is $55,708. Graduation rates from 2005 to 2016 have fluctuated between 89 – 97%. About 88.7% of residents in Penn Manor have high school diplomas, and 25% of residents are college graduates.
Penn Manor can be a fantastic district to raise a family because of the quality education, beautiful scenery, proximity to the city, and lower costs of living. Penn Manor also contains Millersville University, which offers elaborate theatre productions and a bustling student community. If you want to live in an area where academia surrounds you, Penn Manor may be a good choice for you.
2. Hempfield School District
Hempfield school district boasts well-above average PSSA and SAT scores with over 5,500 students. The property tax is 19.653 mills, and its median household income is $54,431. Hempfield is well known for their scholastic achievements as well as their athletic excellence. The high school offers students extracurricular activities such as football, cheerleading, and lacrosse as well as a sophisticated music program and a state-of-the-art theater.
If you want your child to thrive scholastically without choosing a private school, or creating a homeschool program, you may want to consider enrolling them in Hempfield’s booming school district.
3. Warwick School District
Warwick is in a rural and suburban area that also has Garnet Acres within its boundaries. Warwick school district regularly ranks over country standard in SAT scores and often ranks in the top ten in PSSA proficiency levels of Lancaster County schools. In Warwick, the property tax is .274 mills, the capita per resident $32,998, and the median household income is $67,769.
Lititz is a quaint little town bustling with shops, families, and events within the Warwick school district. If you want to move to a small town with a big personality, you will love Lititz and all it has to offer.
4. Lampeter-Strasburg School District
Like many parts of Susquehanna Valley, the L-S School District is located in a picturesque rural and suburban part of Lancaster County. This area also includes Custom Home Group neighborhoods Country Meadows Estates and Mill Creek Estates. L-S educates over 3,000 students and boasts a total score of 1580 on SATs, compared to the national average of 1500. The property tax rate is 20.2458, and the median income is $53,790.
Although L-S is further away from Harrisburg and Lancaster city, there is still plenty to see and do while settling down in your new home. If you enjoy country living with plenty of peace and quiet, then you may want to consider moving to the Lampeter-Strasburg School District.
5. Solanco School District
Located in Quarryville, Solanco School District is in the southern end of Lancaster County. Solanco includes Black Rock Estates and Steele Ridge neighborhoods. Solanco school district has an 11.2243 mills property tax and a beautiful landscape. Solanco school district has one high school, two middle schools, and four elementary schools. The district is ranked 176th school out of all public Pennsylvania schools. Since 2010. Solanco has a graduation rate of 86.99 percent. The median family income is around $49,445 and a per capita income of $17,040.
6. Manheim Township School District
This school district is located in Manheim Township, a suburban area in northwestern Lancaster County. The school district has a 19.0509 property tax, beautiful landscape, and a central location. Manheim Township school district has nine schools: one high school, one middle school, one school dedicated to the 5th and 6th grade, and six elementary schools. The district has almost 6,000 students and is well-known in the region for academic achievement, their quiz bowl team, and their performing arts group. As of the 2000 census, Manheim Township contains 12,961 households and 33,697 people with a median family income around $55,807.
7. Manheim Central School District
Manheim, Penn Township, and Rapho Township boroughs make up Manheim Central School District. This school district encompasses 78.2 square miles in northwestern Lancaster County. It’s close to Lancaster City, 25 miles from Harrisburg, and about 80 miles west of Philadelphia. The school district has five schools: one high school, one middle school, and three elementary schools. This school is known in the region for their athletic opportunities as well as educational achievements. The property tax is 17.7731. The three boroughs range in population from 4,784 to 10,442 and in median household family incomes from $41,855 to $57,949.
8. Conestoga Valley School District
The Conestoga Valley School District covers three townships in Lancaster County: East Lampeter, Upper Leacock, and West Earl. The school district has six schools, serving over 4,000 students: one high school, one middle school, and four elementary schools. The property tax is 15.9240. The Conestoga Valley School District has been named one of the “Best Communities for Music Education” multiple times. Population across the three townships range from 7,868 to 16,424. The median family household income ranges from $45,403 to $51,503.
Lancaster County holds many opportunities for a growing family in schools, careers, and ideas. Before you decide on a neighborhood or town, carefully weigh the possibilities and the benefits. Then you will be ready to make a decision and move on to the next step of building your custom home!