Is Independence Middle School a good school?

Yes. Independence Middle School ranks in the top 8.2% of Pennsylvania middle schools.

How many students attend Independence Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 537 students attended Independence Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Independence Middle School?

Students at Independence Middle School are 88% White, 4% Asian, 3% African American, 3% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

What high school do graduates of Independence Middle School attend?

Students who attend Independence Middle School usually go on to attend Bethel Park High School

Independence Middle School

Summary:

Independence Middle School is a highly-ranked public middle school serving grades 7-8 in the Bethel Park School District in Pennsylvania. With a student population of 537, the school consistently earns top marks, including 5 out of 5 stars from SchoolDigger, and performs exceptionally well on standardized tests.

Independence Middle School's academic performance is truly impressive, with proficiency rates in PSSA Math, Science, and English Language Arts that exceed both state and district averages. The school ranks in the top 10% of Pennsylvania middle schools, placing 73rd out of 893 in the 2022-2023 school year. Compared to nearby schools like Neil Armstrong 5-6 Middle School, Pleasant Hills Middle School, and Chartiers Valley Middle School, Independence Middle School stands out with its higher percentage of white students (88.08%) and lower percentage of students from low-income backgrounds (18.06% free/reduced lunch recipients).

Despite its academic excellence, Independence Middle School operates efficiently, with relatively low spending per student compared to the state average. This suggests the school is effectively utilizing its resources to support student learning. However, the data also indicates that certain student subgroups, such as low-socioeconomic status students and students with disabilities, may be performing at lower levels compared to their peers, highlighting the need to address any potential opportunity gaps within the school.

Detail:

Public 7-8

2807 Bethel Church Rd
Bethel Park, PA 15102-1694

(412) 854-8677

District: Bethel Park School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
73^rd of 893 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $31

Students who attend Independence Middle School usually attend:

High:

Bethel Park High School

Feeder schools for Independence Middle School:

Elementary:	Abraham Lincoln Elementary School
	Benjamin Franklin Elementary School
	Bethel Memorial Elementary School
	George Washington Elementary School
	More...
	William Penn Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.2

Number of students: 537

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.1%

Asian:

3.7%

African American:

3.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 18.1%

See top rated Pennsylvania middle schools

Compare Independence Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Independence Middle School ranks better than 91.8% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 88.74. (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 (88.1%), Asian (3.7%), African American (3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 18.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Independence Middle School is 10.2. (See more...)

Compare Independence Middle School employs 52.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Independence Middle School is $31.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Independence Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Independence Middle School 73^rd of 893 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See Independence Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

White students:

Bethel Park School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Bethel Park School District 50^th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Independence Middle School?

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Rank History for Independence Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Independence Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	84.13	83^rd	643	87.1%
2004	87.17	56^th	663	91.6%
2005	85.19	86^th	687	87.5%
2006	86.79	42^nd	736	94.3%
2007	84.29	51^st	749	93.2%
2008	85.02	64^th	753	91.5%
2009	85.53	52^nd	770	93.2%
2010	83.94	71^st	805	91.2%
2011	82.00	91^st	825	89.0%
2012	82.99	81^st	834	90.3%
2013	82.18	89^th	758	88.3%
2014	84.98	56^th	728	92.3%
2016	92.57	31^st	870	96.4%
2017	88.99	66^th	877	92.5%
2018	94.70	14^th	861	98.4%
2019	94.85	15^th	891	98.3%
2021	91.04	42^nd	797	94.7%
2022	92.00	45^th	883	94.9%
2023	88.74	73^rd	893	91.8%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Independence Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	75.41	146^th	874	83.3%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Independence Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	63.38	170^th	660	74.2%

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

Rank History for White students at Independence Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	83.55	67^th	681	90.2%

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 Independence Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	863	12	19	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	897
1989	811	22	18	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	852
1990	850	23	12	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	890
1991	874	19	10	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	906
1992	911	15	11	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	941
1993	962	13	16	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	996
1994	1031	18	13	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	1067
1995	1113	20	16	5	6	n/a	n/a	0	1160
1996	1113	20	16	5	6	n/a	n/a	0	1160
1997	1141	16	14	11	5	n/a	n/a	0	1187
1998	1149	24	12	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	1189
1999	1204	23	11	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	1241
2000	819	21	9	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	853
2001	837	11	8	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	859
2002	835	11	11	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	863
2003	835	11	11	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	863
2004	766	12	12	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	800
2005	750	15	16	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	787
2006	772	15	16	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	809
2007	745	16	11	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	776
2008	745	17	9	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	775
2009	771	15	9	5	1	n/a	n/a	2	803
2010	724	16	8	7	0	n/a	n/a	5	760
2011	689	21	10	5	0	0	4	0	729
2012	674	17	6	5	0	0	4	0	706
2013	708	17	4	4	0	1	3	0	737
2014	670	19	10	5	1	0	10	0	715
2015	610	16	13	3	0	0	8	0	650
2016	641	13	10	3	0	2	3	0	672
2017	624	20	10	5	0	1	2	0	662
2018	587	29	14	3	0	1	5	0	639
2019	618	25	21	7	2	2	8	0	683
2020	577	20	20	8	2	1	4	0	632
2021	579	19	18	9	1	0	7	0	633
2022	542	19	21	10	1	0	16	0	609
2023	473	16	20	11	1	1	15	0	537

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 Independence Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	897	76.0	11.8	n/a
1989	852	67.9	12.5	n/a
1990	890	69.5	12.8	0
1991	906	69.5	13.0	n/a
1992	941	76.0	12.3	n/a
1993	996	64.0	15.6	n/a
1994	1067	71.5	14.9	n/a
1995	1160	82.0	14.1	n/a
1996	1160	82.0	14.1	n/a
1997	1187	80.5	14.7	n/a
1998	1189	78.0	15.2	n/a
1999	1241	84.0	14.8	n/a
2000	853	58.0	14.7	8.4
2001	859	59.5	14.4	6.3
2002	863	62.8	13.7	5.6
2003	863	62.8	13.7	5.6
2004	800	63.8	12.5	7.8
2005	787	63.2	12.5	6.1
2006	809	61.7	13.1	6.6
2007	776	64.2	12.1	7.9
2008	775	65.6	11.8	8
2009	803	66.8	12.0	9
2010	760	64.5	11.7	9.4
2011	729	62.7	11.6	12.5
2012	706	62.9	11.2	15.3
2013	737	63.1	11.6	16.1
2014	715	63.2	11.3	10.5
2015	650	63.0	10.3	11.2
2016	672	62.0	10.8	14
2017	662	61.3	10.7	15.1
2018	639	62.5	10.2	15.8
2019	683	57.5	11.8	15.4
2020	632	57.5	10.9	19.8
2021	633	56.2	11.2	19.9
2022	609	58.2	10.4	16.3
2023	537	52.2	10.2	18.1

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 Independence Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	897	76.0	11.8	n/a
1989	852	67.9	12.5	n/a
1990	890	69.5	12.8	0
1991	906	69.5	13.0	n/a
1992	941	76.0	12.3	n/a
1993	996	64.0	15.6	n/a
1994	1067	71.5	14.9	n/a
1995	1160	82.0	14.1	n/a
1996	1160	82.0	14.1	n/a
1997	1187	80.5	14.7	n/a
1998	1189	78.0	15.2	n/a
1999	1241	84.0	14.8	n/a
2000	853	58.0	14.7	8.4
2001	859	59.5	14.4	6.3
2002	863	62.8	13.7	5.6
2003	863	62.8	13.7	5.6
2004	800	63.8	12.5	7.8
2005	787	63.2	12.5	6.1
2006	809	61.7	13.1	6.6
2007	776	64.2	12.1	7.9
2008	775	65.6	11.8	8
2009	803	66.8	12.0	9
2010	760	64.5	11.7	9.4
2011	729	62.7	11.6	12.5
2012	706	62.9	11.2	15.3
2013	737	63.1	11.6	16.1
2014	715	63.2	11.3	10.5
2015	650	63.0	10.3	11.2
2016	672	62.0	10.8	14
2017	662	61.3	10.7	15.1
2018	639	62.5	10.2	15.8
2019	683	57.5	11.8	15.4
2020	632	57.5	10.9	19.8
2021	633	56.2	11.2	19.9
2022	609	58.2	10.4	16.3
2023	537	52.2	10.2	18.1

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 Independence Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$01 (4.5%)	$21 (95.5%)	$22
2020	$01 (3.8%)	$25 (96.2%)	$26
2021	$01 (3.7%)	$26 (96.3%)	$27
2022	$02 (6.5%)	$29 (93.5%)	$31

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence 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 15^th of 891 Middle schools	Ranks 73^rd of 893 Middle schools	6.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade Math (Independence Middle School)	68.2	55.4	12.8%
7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	38.2	33.2	5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Independence Middle School)	83.1	77.6	5.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.5	54.5	6%
8th Grade Math (Independence Middle School)	59.5	36.6	22.9%
8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	32.2	26	6.2%
8th Grade Science (Independence Middle School)	86.8	77.9	8.9%
8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	58.2	57	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Independence Middle School)	89	74	15%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	57.9	52.8	5.1%
All Grades Math (Independence Middle School)	63.8	45.8	18%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (Independence Middle School)	86.8	77.9	8.9%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Independence Middle School)	86.1	75.8	10.3%
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	683	537	21.4%
African American	25	16	36%
American Indian	2	1	50%
Asian	21	20	4.8%
Hispanic	7	11	57.1%
Pacific Islander	2	1	50%
White	618	473	23.5%
Two or More Races	8	15	87.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	15.4%	18.1%	2.7%

Schools Near Independence Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				PSSA Math (2023)					PSSA Science (2023)		PSSA English Language Arts (2023)					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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	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
Independence Middle School	Public	7-8	2807 Bethel Church Rd	Bethel Park	15102	Allegheny County	Bethel Park School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 854-8677	537	52	10.2	18.1%	473 (88.1%)	16 (3.0%)	11 (2.0%)	20 (3.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (2.8%)	88.7	73^rd of 893 public middle schools	91.8%		92	45^th of 883 public middle schools	94.9%	28			55.4	36.6	45.8	77.9	77.9			77.6	74.0	75.8	$31	$02	$29
Fort Couch Middle School	Public	7-8	515 Fort Couch Rd	Pittsburgh	15241	Allegheny County	Upper St. Clair School District	No	No	No	Yes	(412) 833-1600	601	47	12.7	10.5%	490 (81.5%)	4 (0.7%)	17 (2.8%)	72 (12.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.8%)	98	6^th of 893 public middle schools	99.3%		98.3	3^rd of 883 public middle schools	99.7%	3			70.8	68.2	69.5	89.9	89.9			88.6	89.6	89.1	$22,506	$549	$21,957
Neil Armstrong 5-6 Middle School	Public	5-6	5800 Murray Ave	Bethel Park	15102	Allegheny County	Bethel Park School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 854-8751	583	50	11.6	18.9%	509 (87.3%)	10 (1.7%)	8 (1.4%)	36 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (3.3%)								(n/a)	65.5	70.9			68.2			76.4	81.7			79.0	$35	$01	$34
Mellon Middle School	Public	6-8	11 Castle Shannon Boulevard	Pittsburgh	15228	Allegheny County	Mt Lebanon School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 344-2122	635	56	11.4	15.7%	536 (84.4%)	10 (1.6%)	22 (3.5%)	36 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (4.9%)	97.1	13^th of 893 public middle schools	98.5%		96.4	14^th of 883 public middle schools	98.4%	1		72.7	65.0	61.7	66.4	90.8	90.8		85.8	87.1	86.9	86.6	$18,130	$838	$17,292
Boyce Middle School	Public	5-6	1500 Boyce Rd	Pittsburgh	15241	Allegheny County	Upper St. Clair School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 833-1600	631	45	14.1	9.8%	498 (78.9%)	13 (2.1%)	15 (2.4%)	75 (11.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (4.8%)								(n/a)	88.2	81.1			84.6			85.9	87.9			87.0	$21,568	$551	$21,018
Jefferson Middle School	Public	6-8	21 Moffett St	Pittsburgh	15243	Allegheny County	Mt Lebanon School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 344-2120	622	55	11.2	16.6%	520 (83.6%)	14 (2.3%)	22 (3.5%)	35 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.0%)	96.4	21^st of 893 public middle schools	97.6%		96.9	11^th of 883 public middle schools	98.8%	10		63.5	71.3	60.0	64.8	89.3	89.3		82.7	88.1	89.3	86.8	$18,565	$886	$17,680
South Park Middle School	Public	5-8	2500 Stewart Rd	South Park	15129	Allegheny County	South Park School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 655-3111	541	40	13.6	31.6%	458 (84.7%)	39 (7.2%)	11 (2.0%)	25 (4.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.3%)	77.8	166^th of 893 public middle schools	81.4%		72.4	216^th of 883 public middle schools	75.5%	50	48.2	51.2	50.9	30.9	45.3	70.7	70.7	56.7	60.5	64.4	67.5	62.0	$19,858	$714	$19,144
Keystone Oaks Middle School	Public	6-8	1002 Kelton Ave	Pittsburgh	15216	Allegheny County	Keystone Oaks School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 571-6146	382	35	10.9	48.7%	298 (78.0%)	29 (7.6%)	21 (5.5%)	20 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.7%)	74.8	201^st of 893 public middle schools	77.5%		75.4	184^th of 883 public middle schools	79.2%	17		58.0	35.9	41.6	44.9	58.5	58.5		73.3	60.6	56.8	63.3	$20,468	$548	$19,920
Pleasant Hills Middle School	Public	6-8	404 Old Clairton Road	Pittsburgh	15236	Allegheny County	West Jefferson Hills School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 655-8680	798	49	16.4	27.1%	685 (85.8%)	19 (2.4%)	21 (2.6%)	54 (6.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.3%)	89.8	64^th of 893 public middle schools	92.8%		82.7	116^th of 883 public middle schools	86.9%	52		61.3	45.1	46.6	51.0	76.1	76.1		79.4	78.3	79.2	78.9	$13,874	$488	$13,386
Chartiers Valley Middle School	Public	6-8	50 Thoms Run Rd	Bridgeville	15017	Allegheny County	Chartiers Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 429-2223	718	59	12.2	34.7%	576 (80.2%)	27 (3.8%)	15 (2.1%)	53 (7.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (6.4%)	66.6	287^th of 893 public middle schools	67.9%		57.2	387^th of 883 public middle schools	56.2%	100		40.4	36.7	22.1	33.3	59.5	59.5		67.2	61.2	59.4	62.6	$20,370	$210	$20,160

Independence Middle School

Independence Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Bethel Park School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Independence Middle School

Rank History for all students at Independence Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Independence Middle School

Rank History for Disabled students at Independence Middle School

Rank History for White students at Independence Middle School

Enrollment information for Independence Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Independence Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Independence Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Independence Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Independence Middle School