Hartwood El Sch vs Dormont El Sch

Dormont El Sch holds a meaningful edge in overall standing, rated 9.3/10 against Hartwood El Sch's 8.8/10 — a 0.5-point gap that translates into a striking difference in statewide rank: Dormont El Sch sits at #33 of 2842 Pennsylvania elementary schools, while Hartwood El Sch ranks #143 of 2842. Both are strong performers in absolute terms, but Dormont's position in the top 1.2% of the state sets it apart in ways that matter when weighing cross-town options.

The academic picture is close but not identical. Hartwood El Sch edges out Dormont El Sch on raw academic score — 9.6/10 versus 9.4/10 — suggesting slightly higher current proficiency levels. Where the schools diverge sharply is growth: Dormont El Sch scores 9.5/10 on student growth versus Hartwood El Sch's 7.9/10, a 1.6-point gap. That difference means Dormont students are gaining ground at a faster rate relative to their peers, regardless of where they started — a signal parents should weight heavily if their child is entering below grade level or if they want to see consistent academic momentum through fifth grade.

On demographics, both schools serve kindergarten through fifth grade and are similarly sized — Hartwood El Sch at 392 students, Dormont El Sch at 357. Hartwood carries a slightly lower student-teacher ratio, 11.2:1 against Dormont's 12.8:1, meaning marginally more adult attention per child on average. Free and reduced lunch eligibility runs 31% at Hartwood El Sch versus 36% at Dormont El Sch, indicating Dormont serves a modestly higher share of economically disadvantaged students while still producing the stronger growth outcomes — a notable equity signal.

Both schools cover the same grade band, KG–05, so families are not choosing between different program spans. The 15.1-mile distance between the two campuses makes this a genuine cross-district decision rather than a neighborhood toss-up, and the commute cost should factor into any family's calculus alongside the academic data above.