SRU was a distinct school district until 1966, when it became part of the Athens Area School District.  The SRU building was a high school from 1919 until 1989.  SRU served as a middle school from 1989-1996 for grades 6, 7, and 8, and later only grades 7 and 8 from 1996 until 2012.  The building then became an elementary school in 2012 as part of a larger consolidation process within the Athens Area School District combining the former Gladys Burnham, Harriet Child, and Sheshequin-Ulster Elementary schools.   

SRU Elementary currently enrolls approximately 360 students in grades K-5.  SRU is a Title 1 school with 99% of its students listed as White (Not Hispanic), 60% of its students classified as Economically Disadvantaged, and 20.5% of its students receiving services for Special Education.

SRU has long been a source of pride for the local community for academic, athletic, and extra-curricular achievement.  In recent years, SRU Elementary has focused on the mission of ensuring students are reading on grade level by third grade.  Through curriculum revision and flexible and intensive literacy intervention, SRU has seen notable improvements in reading levels and PSSA scores.  In 2018-19, SRU achieved the highest School Performance Profile (SPP) score of any school in the district, with a score of 85.4 out of 100 possible points.  While there is still room for improvement on achievement measures, the faculty and staff of SRU Elementary take great pride in the amount of growth they have helped their students to achieve.

In addition to focusing on foundational literacy and numeracy, SRU has embarked upon several 21^st Century learning initiatives including creating a designated STEM lab, designing a Maker Space, and implementing a one-to-one technology initiative.  SRU is also in the process of implementing a social emotional learning program for the 2019-2020 school year.

SRU Elementary School recognizes its role in preparing students to be college and career ready.  The vision of SRU is as follows: SRU Elementary is a small community preparing learners to make a big impact as citizens and leaders in a global economy.