The Mars School District boasts the best rated schools in the Butler County area, according to performance scores released Thursday by the state Department of Education.

The state released performance scores for all school buildings in the state.

It's the second year for the scores which state officials say give parents, administrators and taxpayers a way to monitor student achievement.

Each of the five schools in the Mars district recorded a score above 90. No other district in the county had that high of consistency.

The Freeport Junior High School was the highest rated building in districts in the area with a 96.7 score.

Eight of the 55 schools in the Butler County area recorded scores below 70. Two schools' scores are not applicable.

Acting Education Secretary Carolyn Dumaresq last year called the 70 threshold “the mark of moving toward success.”

For the second consecutive year, 72 percent of schools statewide scored a 70 or above.

A dozen schools in the area received scores above 90.

Eric Ritzert, superintendent at the Karns City School District, said the scores are useful, but don't paint the entire picture of student achievement.

“They're a piece of a larger puzzle,” Ritzert said. “But, in my opinion, they are too simplistic on their own to say whether a school is doing terrific or inferior.”

Each of three schools in Karns City recorded scores in the mid-70s.

Ritzert said he does think the scores paint a more accurate picture than last year's results.

“I think they are inherently more accurate with it being the second year,” he said.

Ritzert said the district will work to improve the scores next year, and has already added new math curriculum at the elementary level.

A number of other superintendents from districts in Butler County could not be reached this morning for comment.

The profile does not only rely on results of the statewide assessments but it also incorporates other measures of student achievement, including year-to-year student academic growth; graduation, attendance and promotion rates; and increasing the achievement of all students.

This year's performance scores are the first in which student growth data will be used to evaluate teachers.

“These results show that, compared to 2012-13, the majority of our public schools are performing well even though the state has recently revised its academic standards and is transitioning to more rigorous assessments,” Dumaresq said in a news release.

She noted that, compared to last year, the percentage of schools that earned below 60 declined by nearly 1 percent, indicating that student achievement is improving as a number of schools target resources to improve student academic performance.

Over the past several weeks, the department has provided schools with several opportunities to review and verify the data used in calculating the School Performance Profile scores to ensure accuracy.

Due to this year's profile being the first in which student growth data for individual teachers will be used in the new educator evaluation system, the department provided additional time for schools to verify and correct their information.

“With nearly 120,000 teachers across the commonwealth being affected by the results of this year's profile, it is imperative to ensure the information in the profile is complete and accurate,” Dumaresq said in the release.

Released in fall 2013, the School Performance Profile provides the public with information of the academic performance of public schools; satisfies requirements of Pennsylvania's approved federal No Child Left Behind waiver; and is one component of the state's new educator evaluation system.

In addition to www.paschoolperformance.org, the school profile can also be accessed by visiting the department's website at www.education.state.pa.us and clicking on the “PA School Performance Profile” graphic.

Here are the state performance scores of schools in the Butler County area. The scores incorporate test scores and other measures of student achievement, including year-to-year student academic growth; graduation, attendance and promotion rates; and the increase in the achievement of all students.The state considers score of 70 and higher as “the mark of moving toward success.”<b>Allegheny-Clarion Valley</b>A-C Valley High School, 67.7A-C Valley Elementary, 68.3<b>Butler</b>Butler High, 81.5Butler Intermediate, 91.5Butler Junior High, 77.4Broad Street Elementary, 72.7Center Avenue Elementary, 74.1Center Township Elementary, 94.3Clearfield Elementary, 67.9Connoquenessing Elementary, 86.5Emily Brittain Elementary, 67.8McQuistion Elementary, 81.8Meridian Elementary, 78.8Northwest Elementary, 75.1Oakland Township Elementary, 82.7Summit Township Elementary, 82.4<b>Freeport</b>Freeport High, 89.1Freeport Junior High, 96.7Buffalo Elementary, 72.5South Buffalo Elementary, 83.5Freeport Kindergarten Center, N/A<b>Grove City </b>George Junior Republic High, 55.3Grove City High, 65.5George Junior Republic Middle, N/AGrove City Middle, 81.2Highland Elementary, 89.1Hillview Elementary, 80.3<b>Karns City </b>Karns City High, 73Chicora Elementary, 72.4Sugarcreek Elementary, 75.3<b>Mars </b>Mars High, 91.4Mars Middle, 91.9Mars Centennial, 91.2Mars Elementary, 91.8Mars Primary Center, 95.5<b>Moniteau </b>Moniteau Junior/Senior High, 65.7Dassa McKinney Elementary, 78.1<b>Seneca Valley </b>Seneca Valley High, 77.9Seneca Valley Intermediate High, 77.4Evans City Middle, 86.2Haine Middle, 86.8Seneca Valley Middle, 91.5Connoquenessing Valley Elementary, 95.4Evans City Elementary, 84.9Haine Elementary, 89.6Rowan Elementary, 79.6<b>Slippery Rock </b>Slippery Rock High, 91Slippery Rock Middle, 74.3Moraine Elementary, 74.4Slippery Rock Elementary, 78.1<b>South Butler </b>Knoch High, 89Knoch Middle, 83.9South Butler Intermediate Elementary, 92.7South Butler Primary, 89.7<b>Union </b>Union High, 64.7Rimersburg Elementary, 77.8Sligo Elementary, 71.4