South Mountain Middle School

Summary:

South Mountain Middle School is a public middle school in Allentown, Pennsylvania, serving 1,007 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Allentown City School District, which is ranked 541 out of 606 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South Mountain Middle School consistently ranks in the bottom 20% of Pennsylvania middle schools, with particularly low performance on PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) tests across all subject areas and grade levels. In 2022-2023, only 8.2% of students were proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to the state average of 39.3% and the Allentown City School District average of 13.5%. Similarly, in PSSA English Language Arts, only 21.2% of South Mountain Middle School students were proficient or better, compared to the state average of 53.8% and the district average of 23.5%. The school's performance on PSSA Science tests is also low, with only 15.7% of students proficient or better, compared to the state average of 65.6% and the district average of 34.7%.

While South Mountain Middle School has relatively high per-student spending and a low student-to-teacher ratio, these resources do not appear to be translating into improved academic outcomes. Nearby middle schools within the Allentown City School District, such as Trexler Middle School, Francis D Raub Middle School, and Harrison-Morton Middle School, also perform poorly on academic measures and have similar demographic profiles. However, some nearby schools in other districts, such as Broughal Middle School (Bethlehem Area School District) and Springhouse Middle School (Parkland School District), demonstrate significantly higher academic performance, suggesting that factors beyond just the student demographic may be contributing to the low performance of the Allentown City School District middle schools.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 709 W Emaus Ave
       Allentown, PA  18103-6778


(484) 765-4301

District: Allentown City School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
790th of 893 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $16,628 Help


Students who attend South Mountain Middle School usually attend:

High:    William Allen High School

Feeder schools for South Mountain Middle School:

Elementary:    Hiram W Dodd Elementary School
    Jefferson Elementary School
    Lehigh Parkway Elementary School
    Roosevelt Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  14.0 Help
Number of students:  1,007

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
75.8%
African American:
12.3%
White:
7.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


 See top rated Pennsylvania middle schools

 Compare South Mountain Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details South Mountain Middle School ranks worse than 88.5% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks 3rd among 4 ranked middle schools in the Allentown City School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.44. (See more...)
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details South Mountain Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the Allentown City School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (75.8%), African American (12.3%), White (7%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Allentown City School District. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South Mountain Middle School is 14. 2 middle schools in the Allentown City School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare South Mountain Middle School employs 71.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at South Mountain Middle School is $16,628. 2 middle schools in the Allentown City School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

South Mountain Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks South Mountain Middle School 790th of 893 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See South Mountain Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Disabled students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Allentown City School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Allentown City School District 541st of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for South Mountain Middle School?

Rank History for South Mountain Middle School

Help
Compare

Rank History for all students at South Mountain Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 13.38 564th 643 12.3%
2004 7.78 605th 663 8.7%
2005 9.04 624th 687 9.2%
2006 16.21 642nd 736 12.8%
2007 18.90 642nd 749 14.3%
2008 20.14 642nd 753 14.7%
2009 17.98 663rd 770 13.9%
2010 15.87 710th 805 11.8%
2011 19.87 704th 825 14.7%
2012 15.57 724th 834 13.2%
2013 18.27 630th 758 16.9%
2014 17.63 611th 728 16.1%
2015 20.50 644th 835 22.9%
2016 22.81 663rd 870 23.8%
2017 19.85 682nd 877 22.2%
2018 19.65 672nd 861 22.0%
2019 19.02 692nd 891 22.3%
2022 11.19 766th 883 13.3%
2023 10.44 790th 893 11.5%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at South Mountain Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 34.76 90th 143 37.1%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at South Mountain Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 12.27 792nd 874 9.4%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at South Mountain Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 17.75 615th 660 6.8%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for African American students at South Mountain Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 36.28 255th 421 39.4%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at South Mountain Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 18.16 319th 362 11.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at South Mountain Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 11.05 641st 681 5.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Dept of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

South Mountain Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

We're sorry, but no reviews have been submitted for South Mountain Middle School.

If you have first-hand knowledge about South Mountain Middle School, submit a rating!


Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!


Enrollment information for South Mountain Middle School

Help
Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 570 50 15 126 2 n/a n/a -1 762
1989 561 47 13 164 0 n/a n/a 0 785
1990 557 51 15 165 0 n/a n/a 0 788
1991 527 59 9 150 0 n/a n/a 0 745
1992 499 62 16 174 0 n/a n/a 0 751
1993 488 61 22 172 0 n/a n/a 0 743
1994 461 73 18 206 0 n/a n/a 0 758
1995 434 74 24 213 0 n/a n/a 0 745
1996 434 74 24 213 0 n/a n/a 0 745
1997 459 78 33 231 1 n/a n/a 0 802
1998 452 92 38 325 2 n/a n/a 0 909
1999 517 133 29 386 1 n/a n/a 0 1066
2000 483 173 27 390 1 n/a n/a 0 1074
2001 488 166 32 479 0 n/a n/a 0 1165
2002 466 164 43 685 1 n/a n/a 0 1359
2003 466 164 43 685 1 n/a n/a 0 1359
2004 418 197 45 633 1 n/a n/a 0 1294
2005 396 200 36 704 2 n/a n/a 0 1338
2006 321 191 34 737 4 n/a n/a 0 1287
2007 261 197 32 792 4 n/a n/a 0 1286
2008 250 181 24 743 1 n/a n/a 0 1199
2009 202 212 17 687 1 n/a n/a 0 1119
2010 200 193 19 692 1 n/a n/a 0 1105
2011 190 192 21 669 2 1 0 0 1075
2012 179 201 26 716 2 0 5 0 1129
2013 149 166 25 749 2 0 8 0 1099
2014 126 179 20 736 2 0 10 0 1073
2015 114 146 14 728 2 0 13 0 1017
2016 98 141 13 660 1 1 18 0 932
2017 111 138 14 705 3 1 31 0 1003
2018 98 131 12 679 3 3 46 0 972
2019 91 153 9 812 3 3 65 0 1136
2020 99 175 11 834 0 2 64 0 1185
2021 92 180 10 873 0 2 57 0 1214
2022 84 145 14 847 0 1 45 0 1136
2023 70 124 13 763 1 1 35 0 1007

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at South Mountain Middle School

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 762 57.7 13.2 n/a
1989 785 58.1 13.5 n/a
1990 788 58.2 13.5 0
1991 745 57.6 12.9 n/a
1992 751 50.2 14.9 n/a
1993 743 39.0 19.1 n/a
1994 758 40.0 18.9 n/a
1995 745 38.0 19.6 n/a
1996 745 38.0 19.6 n/a
1997 802 40.0 20.1 n/a
1998 909 47.0 19.3 n/a
1999 1066 54.0 19.7 n/a
2000 1074 59.0 18.2 52
2001 1165 63.5 18.3 69.9
2002 1359 68.3 19.9 64.5
2003 1359 68.3 19.9 64.5
2004 1294 70.2 18.4 55.3
2005 1338 73.3 18.3 65.5
2006 1287 72.7 17.7 64.3
2007 1286 73.6 17.5 74.6
2008 1199 69.6 17.2 78.6
2009 1119 88.2 12.7 79.8
2010 1105 94.2 11.7 76.4
2011 1075 88.5 12.1 87.9
2012 1129 24.0 47.0 77.8
2013 1099 78.5 14.0 87.6
2014 1073 74.0 14.5 91.1
2015 1017 67.0 15.1 76.4
2016 932 74.0 12.5 74.2
2017 1003 78.0 12.8 99.5
2018 972 72.5 13.4 100
2019 1136 73.5 15.4 99.7
2020 1185 72.5 16.3 100
2021 1214 75.5 16.0 99.8
2022 1136 71.0 16.0 99.7
2023 1007 71.5 14.0 100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio South Mountain Middle School

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 762 57.7 13.2 n/a
1989 785 58.1 13.5 n/a
1990 788 58.2 13.5 0
1991 745 57.6 12.9 n/a
1992 751 50.2 14.9 n/a
1993 743 39.0 19.1 n/a
1994 758 40.0 18.9 n/a
1995 745 38.0 19.6 n/a
1996 745 38.0 19.6 n/a
1997 802 40.0 20.1 n/a
1998 909 47.0 19.3 n/a
1999 1066 54.0 19.7 n/a
2000 1074 59.0 18.2 52
2001 1165 63.5 18.3 69.9
2002 1359 68.3 19.9 64.5
2003 1359 68.3 19.9 64.5
2004 1294 70.2 18.4 55.3
2005 1338 73.3 18.3 65.5
2006 1287 72.7 17.7 64.3
2007 1286 73.6 17.5 74.6
2008 1199 69.6 17.2 78.6
2009 1119 88.2 12.7 79.8
2010 1105 94.2 11.7 76.4
2011 1075 88.5 12.1 87.9
2012 1129 24.0 47.0 77.8
2013 1099 78.5 14.0 87.6
2014 1073 74.0 14.5 91.1
2015 1017 67.0 15.1 76.4
2016 932 74.0 12.5 74.2
2017 1003 78.0 12.8 99.5
2018 972 72.5 13.4 100
2019 1136 73.5 15.4 99.7
2020 1185 72.5 16.3 100
2021 1214 75.5 16.0 99.8
2022 1136 71.0 16.0 99.7
2023 1007 71.5 14.0 100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for South Mountain Middle School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,219 (7.2%) $15,658 (92.8%) $16,877
2020 $1,090 (7.0%) $14,385 (93.0%) $15,474
2021 $1,460 (10.2%) $12,900 (89.8%) $14,360
2022 $2,774 (16.7%) $13,855 (83.3%) $16,628

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on South Mountain Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 692nd of 891 Middle schoolsRanks 790th of 893 Middle schools
 10.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade Math (South Mountain Middle School)2016.1
 3.9%
   6th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)3936.4
 2.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (South Mountain Middle School)37.923.6
 14.3%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)6355.6
 7.4%
7th Grade Math (South Mountain Middle School)13.46.2
 7.2%
   7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)38.233.2
 5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (South Mountain Middle School)3423
 11%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)60.554.5
 6%
8th Grade Math (South Mountain Middle School)10.13.7
 6.4%
   8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)32.226
 6.2%
8th Grade Science (South Mountain Middle School)32.815.7
 17.1%
   8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)58.257
 1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (South Mountain Middle School)41.417.9
 23.5%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)57.952.8
 5.1%
All Grades Math (South Mountain Middle School)14.88.2
 6.6%
   All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)42.439.3
 3.1%
All Grades Science (South Mountain Middle School)32.815.7
 17.1%
   All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)6865.6
 2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (South Mountain Middle School)37.921.2
 16.7%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)60.953.8
 7.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students11361007
 11.4%
African American153124
 19%
American Indian31
 66.7%
Asian913
 44.4%
Hispanic812763
 6%
Pacific Islander31
 66.7%
White9170
 23.1%
Two or More Races6535
 46.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients99.7%100%
 0.3%


Schools Near South Mountain Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about South Mountain Middle School

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,007 students attended South Mountain Middle School.

South Mountain Middle School ranks in the bottom 11.5% of Pennsylvania middle schools.

Students at South Mountain Middle School are 76% Hispanic, 12% African American, 7% White, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Students who attend South Mountain Middle School usually go on to attend William Allen High School


Rate South Mountain Middle School!



Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for South Mountain Middle School!




SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





Diagnostics

None retrieved from Database in 41 milliseconds.