The Shaler Area School District is committed to providing students an outstanding education. The caliber and character our educators bring to the classroom can be seen in the smiles of our students and are reflected in metrics about school performance.

U.S. News & World Report has released their annual “Best Elementary Schools” rankings and Burchfield Primary School is getting noticed. Of the 2,978 schools in Pennsylvania ranked, Burchfield was #61 and within the top 2% of schools across our entire Commonwealth. “It is an honor to be considered a top performing school, because it is a testament to the collaboration and partnership that we value with our staff, families, and students,” noted Jeffrey Rojik, Principal of Burchfield Primary.

The rankings were determined by students' proficiency in math and reading/language arts state assessments. In addition to the statewide rankings, Burchfield ranked #24 for all elementary schools in Western, PA.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Sean Aiken expressed, “We are so very proud of our students and staff at Burchfield Primary. While we understand that our students are never defined by a test score or a ranking, we do know that this ranking is representative of the tremendous students, staff, and families at Burchfield Primary. Excellence can be achieved through hard work and building daily habits!”

Dr. Bryan O’Black, Deputy Superintendent, shared, “This ranking is truly a testament to the hard work, dedication, and leadership at Burchfield Primary School. The school culture coupled with a high level of rigor makes Burchfield a very special place. The entire staff has developed programming and pushed beyond traditional teaching and learning approaches to equip our students with the skills necessary to be successful throughout their time in Shaler Area and beyond.”

All four primary schools in the Shaler Area School District—Burchfield, Marzolf, Reserve, and Scott—were designated U.S. News and World Report Best Elementary Schools.