Summary:
Ligonier Valley School District has only one middle school, Ligonier Valley Middle School, which serves grades 6-8. While the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 12.5, its overall performance on standardized tests is below the state and district averages, with proficiency rates in PSSA Math, Science, and English Language Arts lagging behind. The school's ranking has also declined in recent years, from 437 in 2022-2023 to 352 out of 891 Pennsylvania middle schools for the 2023-2024 school year, with a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.
One potential factor contributing to the school's academic challenges is the high percentage of students (43.23%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a significant socioeconomic disadvantage. Additionally, the school's per-student spending for the 2021-2022 school year was $17,012, which may not be sufficient to address the needs of the student population. The school's performance in PSSA Math has been particularly concerning, with the 8th-grade proficiency rate dropping from 9.8% in 2022-2023 to 21.6% in 2023-2024.
While the smaller class sizes at Ligonier Valley Middle School could be a strength, the overall data suggests that the school faces significant challenges in improving student outcomes. The Ligonier Valley School District may need to develop targeted strategies to address the academic performance issues and provide additional support for students from low-income families to ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed.
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