Belle Vernon Area Middle School

Q: Is Belle Vernon Area Middle School a good school?

Belle Vernon Area Middle School ranks 321 st of 891 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Belle Vernon Area Middle School is a public middle school serving 334 students in grades 7-8 in the Belle Vernon Area School District located in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania. The school's academic performance has seen fluctuations, with strengths in English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency but challenges in Math and Science compared to state and district averages.

While the school's overall ranking among Pennsylvania middle schools has ranged from 199 to 422 in recent years, its performance varies across different student subgroups. Male students at Belle Vernon Area Middle School outperform female students, and the school's ranking for disabled and white students has declined. Additionally, the school has a relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 46.11% receiving free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023. The school's dropout rate has also seen a slight increase, from 0.7% in 2022-2023 to 1.6% in 2023-2024.

Compared to nearby middle schools, Belle Vernon Area Middle School generally performs better than Brownsville Area Middle School and Monessen Middle School, which are both lower-performing schools in the region. However, the school lags behind higher-performing nearby schools like Elizabeth Forward Middle School and Southmoreland Middle School in academic metrics such as Math and Science proficiency.

Detail:

Public 7-8

500 Perry Ave
Belle Vernon, PA 15012-2722

(724) 808-2500

District: Belle Vernon Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
321^st of 891 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,539

Students who attend Belle Vernon Area Middle School usually attend:

High:

Belle Vernon Area High School

Feeder schools for Belle Vernon Area Middle School:

Elementary:	Marion Elementary School
	Rostraver Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.3

Number of students: 334

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.0%

Two or more races:

5.1%

African American:

3.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 46.1%

See top rated Pennsylvania middle schools

Compare Belle Vernon Area Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Belle Vernon Area Middle School ranks better than 64% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 64.24. (See more...)

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (88%), two or more races (5.1%), African American (3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 46.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Belle Vernon Area Middle School is 14.3. (See more...)

Compare Belle Vernon Area Middle School employs 23.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Belle Vernon Area Middle School is $13,539.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Belle Vernon Area Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Belle Vernon Area Middle School 321^st of 891 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See Belle Vernon Area Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

White students:

Belle Vernon Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Belle Vernon Area School District 190^th of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Belle Vernon Area Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Belle Vernon Area Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile
2015	73.95	199^th	835	76.2%
2016	64.81	312^th	870	64.1%
2017	64.12	317^th	877	63.9%
2018	59.28	381^st	861	55.7%
2019	66.82	292^nd	891	67.2%
2021	49.20	422^nd	797	47.1%
2022	60.32	348^th	883	60.6%
2023	71.69	227^th	893	74.6%
2024	64.24	321^st	891	64.0%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Belle Vernon Area Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	65.39	255^th	874	70.8%
2024	52.74	410^th	877	53.2%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Belle Vernon Area Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	58.73	360^th	860	58.1%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Belle Vernon Area Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	42.16	341^st	660	48.3%
2024	40.29	363^rd	672	46.0%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Belle Vernon Area Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	66.55	272^nd	870	68.7%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Belle Vernon Area Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	53.92	280^th	681	58.9%
2024	47.04	349^th	673	48.1%

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.

Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

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Enrollment information for Belle Vernon Area Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2014	362	14	7	5	1	10	399
2015	334	15	7	6	0	10	372
2016	353	9	6	8	0	7	383
2017	399	5	3	9	0	10	426
2018	352	4	4	8	0	11	379
2019	331	4	5	11	0	19	370
2020	353	7	2	8	0	16	386
2021	315	13	4	13	0	13	358
2022	297	13	8	16	0	14	348
2023	294	10	5	8	0	17	334

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 Belle Vernon Area Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	399	26.0	15.3	34.1
2015	372	27.0	13.7	36.3
2016	383	27.0	14.1	31.3
2017	426	25.0	17.0	35.2
2018	379	24.9	15.1	39.1
2019	370	23.4	15.7	39.5
2020	386	23.5	16.4	38.1
2021	358	23.4	15.2	41.3
2022	348	23.2	14.9	39.4
2023	334	23.2	14.3	46.1

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 Belle Vernon Area Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	399	26.0	15.3	34.1
2015	372	27.0	13.7	36.3
2016	383	27.0	14.1	31.3
2017	426	25.0	17.0	35.2
2018	379	24.9	15.1	39.1
2019	370	23.4	15.7	39.5
2020	386	23.5	16.4	38.1
2021	358	23.4	15.2	41.3
2022	348	23.2	14.9	39.4
2023	334	23.2	14.3	46.1

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 Belle Vernon Area Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$299 (2.1%)	$13,739 (97.9%)	$14,038
2020	$312 (2.5%)	$12,127 (97.5%)	$12,438
2021	$556 (3.9%)	$13,824 (96.1%)	$14,381
2022	$752 (5.6%)	$12,787 (94.4%)	$13,539

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Belle Vernon Area 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 292^nd of 891 Middle schools	Ranks 227^th of 893 Middle schools	7.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade Math (Belle Vernon Area Middle School)	35.5	30.4	5.1%
7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	38.2	33.2	5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Belle Vernon Area Middle School)	72.5	64.6	7.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.5	54.5	6%
8th Grade Math (Belle Vernon Area Middle School)	30	34.1	4.1%
8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	32.2	26	6.2%
8th Grade Science (Belle Vernon Area Middle School)	68.6	65.3	3.3%
8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	58.2	57	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Belle Vernon Area Middle School)	61.4	64.1	2.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	57.9	52.8	5.1%
All Grades Math (Belle Vernon Area Middle School)	33.1	32.2	0.9%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (Belle Vernon Area Middle School)	68.6	65.3	3.3%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Belle Vernon Area Middle School)	67.8	64.4	3.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.9	53.8	7.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	370	334	9.7%
African American	4	10	150%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	5	5
Hispanic	11	8	27.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	331	294	11.2%
Two or More Races	19	17	10.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	39.5%	46.1%	6.6%

Schools Near Belle Vernon Area Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				PSSA Math (2024)					PSSA Science (2024)		PSSA English Language Arts (2024)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA Science 8th Grade	PSSA Science All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Belle Vernon Area Middle School	Public	7-8	500 Perry Ave	Belle Vernon	15012	Fayette County	Belle Vernon Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 808-2500	334	23	14.3	46.1%	294 (88.0%)	10 (3.0%)	8 (2.4%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.1%)	64.2	321^st of 891 public middle schools	64.0%		71.7	227^th of 893 public middle schools	74.6%	94			25.0	33.3	29.1	60.4	60.4			57.1	61.1	59.0	$13,539	$752	$12,787
Monessen Middle School	Public	6-8	1245 State Rd	Monessen	15062	Westmoreland County	Monessen City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 684-7100	136	16	8.4	80.1%	57 (41.9%)	56 (41.2%)	6 (4.4%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (11.8%)	11.5	774^th of 891 public middle schools	13.1%		10.9	783^rd of 893 public middle schools	12.3%	9		4.5	7.1	2.0	4.1	15.7	15.7		29.6	21.4	29.4	27.6	$127	$13	$114
Frazier Middle School	Public	6-8	142 Constitution St	Perryopolis	15473	Fayette County	Frazier School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 736-9507	240	19	12.8	47.1%	225 (93.8%)	4 (1.7%)	4 (1.7%)	4 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	45.6	507^th of 891 public middle schools	43.1%		55.3	410^th of 893 public middle schools	54.1%	97		27.6	26.7	11.1	22.4	57.1	57.1		55.2	48.6	39.7	48.4	$19,122	$904	$18,217
Charleroi Area Middle School	Public	6-8	100 Fecsen Dr	Charleroi	15022	Washington County	Charleroi School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 483-3600	329	23	14.2	53.5%	241 (73.3%)	20 (6.1%)	13 (4.0%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (15.8%)	49.2	469^th of 891 public middle schools	47.4%		47.9	494^th of 893 public middle schools	44.7%	25		30.2	23.6	18.6	23.9	49.0	49.0		49.4	52.8	55.6	52.8	$17,191	$1,466	$15,725
California Area Middle School	Public	7-8	11 Trojan Way	Coal Center	15423	Washington County	California Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 785-5800	138	11	12.5	61.6%	121 (87.7%)	6 (4.3%)	2 (1.4%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (5.8%)	44.5	519^th of 891 public middle schools	41.8%		50.2	468^th of 893 public middle schools	47.6%	51			23.9	15.9	20.2	38.7	38.7			56.4	49.2	52.9	$17,215	$428	$16,787
Brownsville Area Middle School	Public	6-8	Three Falcon Drive	Brownsville	15417	Fayette County	Brownsville Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 785-2155	352	23	15.3	100.0%	288 (81.8%)	24 (6.8%)	4 (1.1%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (9.7%)	25.7	646^th of 891 public middle schools	27.5%		20.9	679^th of 893 public middle schools	24.0%	33		22.1	22.7	10.8	18.3	36.3	36.3		29.6	36.6	32.4	32.7	$16,907	$1,936	$14,971
Yough Intrmd/Middle School School	Public	5-8	171 Route 31	Ruffs Dale	15679	Westmoreland County	Yough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 872-5164	576	43	13.3	45.7%	530 (92.0%)	10 (1.7%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.0%)	55	416^th of 891 public middle schools	53.3%		63.3	317^th of 893 public middle schools	64.5%	99	40.0	31.7	26.3	14.1	27.7	68.8	68.8	64.3	50.0	56.0	56.1	56.6	$15,774	$629	$15,145
Ringgold Middle School	Public	5-8	2 Ram Dr	Monongahela	15063	Washington County	Ringgold School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 348-7154	787	56	13.9	100.0%	646 (82.1%)	46 (5.8%)	30 (3.8%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (7.8%)	32.1	605^th of 891 public middle schools	32.1%		33.9	600^th of 893 public middle schools	32.8%	5	33.5	20.7	21.3	11.6	22.2	37.6	37.6	40.1	44.5	43.8	36.7	41.3	$12,946	$882	$12,064
Bentworth Middle School	Public	5-8	563 Lincoln Avenue	Bentleyville	15314	Washington County	Bentworth School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 239-4431	327	24	13.8	100.0%	309 (94.5%)	4 (1.2%)	4 (1.2%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.4%)	52.1	438^th of 891 public middle schools	50.8%		61.7	332^nd of 893 public middle schools	62.8%	106	19.4	35.7	13.1	25.0	23.2	55.1	55.1	42.4	62.9	40.8	57.5	51.0	$12,028	$505	$11,523
Elizabeth Forward Middle School	Public	6-8	401 Rock Run Road	Elizabeth	15037	Allegheny County	Elizabeth Forward School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 896-2335	550	43	12.9	43.8%	508 (92.4%)	14 (2.5%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.0%)	75.3	193^rd of 891 public middle schools	78.3%		78.6	161^st of 893 public middle schools	82.0%	32		56.5	47.2	33.8	45.3	68.9	68.9		65.8	56.6	54.4	58.7	$16,804	$614	$16,191

Frequently Asked Questions about Belle Vernon Area Middle School

What district is Belle Vernon Area Middle School in?

Belle Vernon Area School District

Is Belle Vernon Area Middle School a good school?

Belle Vernon Area Middle School ranks 321^st of 891 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Belle Vernon Area Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 334 students attended Belle Vernon Area Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Belle Vernon Area Middle School attend?

Students who attend Belle Vernon Area Middle School usually go on to attend Belle Vernon Area High School

What is the racial makeup of Belle Vernon Area Middle School?

Students at Belle Vernon Area Middle School are 88% White, 5% Two or more races, 3% African American, 2% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

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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.