Deer Lakes Middle School

Q: Is Deer Lakes Middle School a good school?

Deer Lakes Middle School ranks 276 th of 891 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Deer Lakes Middle School is a public middle school located in Cheswick, Pennsylvania, serving 422 students in grades 6-8 as part of the Deer Lakes School District, which is ranked 253 out of 610 school districts in the state.

Deer Lakes Middle School consistently performs above the state average in PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) test scores, with 56.5% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 53.8% in Science, compared to state averages of 53% and 65.8%, respectively. The school's 7th-grade Math performance is particularly strong, with 64.7% of students proficient or better, well above the state average of 33.9%. Deer Lakes Middle School also has a low dropout rate, ranging from 0.0% to 1.6% over the past few years, lower than the state average.

While Deer Lakes Middle School's academic performance is generally stronger than nearby schools like Shaler Area Middle School and Knoch Middle School, it lags behind the higher-performing Mars Area Middle School and Hampton Middle School. Additionally, Deer Lakes Middle School serves a higher proportion of students from low-income families, with 32.18% to 37.91% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, and its per-student spending has decreased in recent years, which may present challenges for the school.

Detail:

Public 6-8

17 East Union Road
Cheswick, PA 15024

(724) 265-5310

District: Deer Lakes School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
276^th of 891 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,308

Students who attend Deer Lakes Middle School usually attend:

High:

Deer Lakes High School

Feeder schools for Deer Lakes Middle School:

Elementary:	Curtisville Pri Center
	East Union Intrmd School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.7

Number of students: 417

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.0%

African American:

2.4%

Two or more races:

2.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 41.7%

See top rated Pennsylvania middle schools

Compare Deer Lakes Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Deer Lakes Middle School ranks better than 69% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 67.67. (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 (94%), African American (2.4%), two or more races (2.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 41.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Deer Lakes Middle School is 11.7. (See more...)

Compare Deer Lakes Middle School employs 35.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Deer Lakes Middle School is $16,308.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Deer Lakes Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Deer Lakes Middle School 276^th of 891 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See Deer Lakes 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:

Deer Lakes School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Deer Lakes School District 253^rd of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Deer Lakes Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Deer Lakes Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	65.04	260^th	643	59.6%
2004	58.40	339^th	663	48.9%
2005	76.32	169^th	687	75.4%
2006	73.74	183^rd	736	75.1%
2007	72.78	187^th	749	75.0%
2008	71.09	215^th	753	71.4%
2009	70.39	225^th	770	70.8%
2010	72.22	217^th	805	73.0%
2011	71.07	244^th	825	70.4%
2012	63.98	358^th	834	57.1%
2013	64.92	320^th	758	57.8%
2014	64.62	292^nd	728	59.9%
2015	67.03	272^nd	835	67.4%
2016	69.70	262^nd	870	69.9%
2017	67.84	266^th	877	69.7%
2018	68.74	268^th	861	68.9%
2019	73.54	218^th	891	75.5%
2021	73.52	167^th	797	79.0%
2022	74.64	193^rd	883	78.1%
2023	69.51	252^nd	893	71.8%
2024	67.67	276^th	891	69.0%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Deer Lakes Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	58.87	325^th	874	62.8%
2024	59.56	332^nd	877	62.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Deer Lakes Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	72.34	206^th	860	76.0%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Deer Lakes Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	62.58	177^th	660	73.2%
2024	45.26	314^th	672	53.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at Deer Lakes Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	60.67	338^th	870	61.1%

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

Rank History for White students at Deer Lakes Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	49.63	320^th	681	53.0%
2024	49.39	330^th	673	51.0%

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 Deer Lakes Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2000	508	4	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	514
2001	492	1	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	494
2002	466	2	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	470
2003	466	2	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	470
2004	478	2	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	480
2005	467	4	4	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	476
2006	462	5	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	473
2007	460	4	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	470
2008	439	5	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	447
2009	435	4	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	444
2010	431	5	3	1	1	n/a	n/a	1	442
2011	456	5	2	1	0	0	5	0	469
2012	486	4	2	3	0	0	5	0	500
2013	450	2	0	5	0	0	4	0	461
2014	430	3	0	6	0	0	0	0	439
2015	412	2	0	5	0	0	4	0	423
2016	415	4	2	7	2	2	6	0	438
2017	424	3	4	5	2	0	7	0	445
2018	439	2	3	5	1	1	5	0	456
2019	411	4	2	3	1	1	5	0	427
2020	443	3	1	4	1	2	4	0	458
2021	431	3	0	8	1	0	4	0	447
2022	447	3	0	5	0	0	8	0	463
2023	402	1	0	4	0	0	15	0	422
2024	392	10	0	5	0	0	10	0	417

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 Deer Lakes Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	514	34.0	15.1	0
2001	494	36.0	13.7	22.1
2002	470	35.8	13.1	19.4
2003	470	35.8	13.1	19.4
2004	480	35.8	13.4	0
2005	476	35.3	13.5	19.1
2006	473	37.8	12.5	22.8
2007	470	36.7	12.8	21.1
2008	447	37.7	11.9	19.7
2009	444	37.7	11.8	23
2010	442	38.7	11.4	22
2011	469	35.5	13.2	23.5
2012	500	31.7	15.7	27
2013	461	32.2	14.3	26.5
2014	439	30.2	14.5	29.6
2015	423	28.0	15.1	29.8
2016	438	30.0	14.6	26.9
2017	445	29.2	15.2	27
2018	456	29.9	15.2	29.6
2019	427	31.0	13.7	28.1
2020	458	33.2	13.7	29.3
2021	447	32.4	13.7	34.5
2022	463	32.4	14.2	32.2
2023	422	34.4	12.2	37.9
2024	417	35.6	11.7	41.7

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 Deer Lakes Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	514	34.0	15.1	0
2001	494	36.0	13.7	22.1
2002	470	35.8	13.1	19.4
2003	470	35.8	13.1	19.4
2004	480	35.8	13.4	0
2005	476	35.3	13.5	19.1
2006	473	37.8	12.5	22.8
2007	470	36.7	12.8	21.1
2008	447	37.7	11.9	19.7
2009	444	37.7	11.8	23
2010	442	38.7	11.4	22
2011	469	35.5	13.2	23.5
2012	500	31.7	15.7	27
2013	461	32.2	14.3	26.5
2014	439	30.2	14.5	29.6
2015	423	28.0	15.1	29.8
2016	438	30.0	14.6	26.9
2017	445	29.2	15.2	27
2018	456	29.9	15.2	29.6
2019	427	31.0	13.7	28.1
2020	458	33.2	13.7	29.3
2021	447	32.4	13.7	34.5
2022	463	32.4	14.2	32.2
2023	422	34.4	12.2	37.9
2024	417	35.6	11.7	41.7

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 Deer Lakes Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$622 (3.1%)	$19,321 (96.9%)	$19,942
2020	$545 (3.0%)	$17,520 (97.0%)	$18,065
2021	$588 (3.6%)	$15,915 (96.4%)	$16,503
2022	$1,114 (6.8%)	$15,194 (93.2%)	$16,308

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Deer Lakes 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 218^th of 891 Middle schools	Ranks 252^nd of 893 Middle schools	3.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Math (Deer Lakes Middle School)	45.8	58.5	12.7%
6th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	39	36.4	2.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Deer Lakes Middle School)	71.5	61	10.5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	63	55.6	7.4%
7th Grade Math (Deer Lakes Middle School)	44.3	38.7	5.6%
7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	38.2	33.2	5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Deer Lakes Middle School)	62.9	50.8	12.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.5	54.5	6%
8th Grade Math (Deer Lakes Middle School)	45.9	33.1	12.8%
8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	32.2	26	6.2%
8th Grade Science (Deer Lakes Middle School)	69.1	61.7	7.4%
8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	58.2	57	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Deer Lakes Middle School)	71.8	57.9	13.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	57.9	52.8	5.1%
All Grades Math (Deer Lakes Middle School)	45.3	42.8	2.5%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (Deer Lakes Middle School)	69.1	61.7	7.4%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Deer Lakes Middle School)	68.1	56.4	11.7%
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	427	422	1.2%
African American	4	1	75%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	2	0	100%
Hispanic	3	4	33.3%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	411	402	2.2%
Two or More Races	5	15	200%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	28.1%	37.9%	9.8%

Schools Near Deer Lakes 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 4th Grade	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA Science 4th Grade	PSSA Science 8th Grade	PSSA Science All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 4th Grade	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
Deer Lakes Middle School	Public	6-8	17 East Union Road	Cheswick	15024	Allegheny County	Deer Lakes School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 265-5310	417	36	11.7	41.7%	392 (94.0%)	10 (2.4%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.4%)	67.7	276^th of 891 public middle schools	69.0%		69.5	252^nd of 893 public middle schools	71.8%	24			42.3	64.7	28.8	44.6		53.8	53.8			52.3	63.3	54.6	56.5	$16,308	$1,114	$15,194
Dorseyville Middle School	Public	6-8	3732 Saxonburg Blvd	Pittsburgh	15238	Allegheny County	Fox Chapel Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(412) 767-5343	960	77	12.5	22.6%	741 (77.2%)	42 (4.4%)	42 (4.4%)	73 (7.6%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (6.1%)	97.5	12^th of 891 public middle schools	98.7%		97.6	10^th of 893 public middle schools	98.9%	2			81.4	71.5	67.5	73.3		88.1	88.1			84.5	83.0	87.2	84.9	$21,385	$417	$20,968
Hampton Middle School	Public	6-8	4589 School Rd	Allison Park	15101	Allegheny County	Hampton Township School District	No	No	No	Yes	(412) 492-6356	624	51	12.2	17.6%	588 (94.2%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (0.8%)	16 (2.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.9%)	96.2	20^th of 891 public middle schools	97.8%		95	28^th of 893 public middle schools	96.9%	8			65.4	67.8	55.9	63.0		86.7	86.7			82.5	87.4	85.6	85.3	$29	$01	$28
Eden Hall Upper Elementary School	Public	4-6	3900 Bakerstown Road	Gibsonia	15044	Allegheny County	Pine-Richland School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 443-1450	1,035	73	14.1	9.7%	877 (84.7%)	14 (1.4%)	32 (3.1%)	75 (7.2%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	31 (3.0%)								(n/a)	75.8	73.2	69.3			72.7	93.8		93.8	82.0	80.7	74.1			78.9	$16,232	$453	$15,779
Highlands Middle School	Public	5-8	1350 Broadview Boulevard	Natrona Heights	15065	Allegheny County	Highlands School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 226-0600	596	52	11.4	100.0%	427 (71.6%)	53 (8.9%)	18 (3.0%)	10 (1.7%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	85 (14.3%)	45.4	509^th of 891 public middle schools	42.9%		44	520^th of 893 public middle schools	41.8%	11		32.6	29.5	32.7	20.3	28.6		45.1	45.1		46.1	47.5	49.6	41.8	46.2	$17,152	$1,204	$15,947
Mars Area Centennial School	Public	5-6	100 Winfield Manor Dr	Mars	16046	Butler County	Mars Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 625-2601	605	35	17.4	12.4%	561 (92.7%)	4 (0.7%)	8 (1.3%)	27 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.8%)								(n/a)		64.3	62.1			63.3					75.9	72.7			74.4	$11,239	$83	$11,155
Mars Area Middle School	Public	7-8	1775 Three Degree Rd	Mars	16046	Butler County	Mars Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 625-3145	513	37	13.9	11.9%	476 (92.8%)	3 (0.6%)	11 (2.1%)	21 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	85.6	94^th of 891 public middle schools	89.5%		87.2	86^th of 893 public middle schools	90.4%	8				48.9	38.4	44.0		73.0	73.0				76.4	68.5	72.8	$12,649	$163	$12,486
Pine-Richland Middle School	Public	7-8	100 Logan Rd	Gibsonia	15044	Allegheny County	Pine-Richland School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 625-3111	696	57	12.2	6.5%	589 (84.6%)	7 (1.0%)	20 (2.9%)	58 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	21 (3.0%)	94.1	36^th of 891 public middle schools	96.0%		95.6	23^rd of 893 public middle schools	97.4%	13				54.5	59.9	57.1		85.2	85.2				75.7	81.5	78.6	$17,783	$636	$17,147
Shaler Area Middle School	Public	7-8	1810 Mt Royal Blvd	Glenshaw	15116	Allegheny County	Shaler Area School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 492-1200	581	55	10.6	41.7%	515 (88.6%)	18 (3.1%)	19 (3.3%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (3.8%)	65.6	307^th of 891 public middle schools	65.5%		70.1	247^th of 893 public middle schools	72.3%	60				31.4	33.3	32.3		63.2	63.2				53.6	59.1	56.1	$22,520	$595	$21,925
Knoch Middle School	Public	6-8	754 Dinnerbell Rd	Saxonburg	16056	Butler County	Knoch School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 352-1700	483	36	13.4	36.4%	470 (97.3%)	3 (0.6%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.0%)	65.6	306^th of 891 public middle schools	65.7%		73	217^th of 893 public middle schools	75.7%	89			44.7	34.0	22.8	33.1		59.3	59.3			58.5	65.3	57.9	60.5	$16,478	$820	$15,658

Frequently Asked Questions about Deer Lakes Middle School

What high school do graduates of Deer Lakes Middle School attend?

Students who attend Deer Lakes Middle School usually go on to attend Deer Lakes High School

What district is Deer Lakes Middle School in?

Deer Lakes School District

Is Deer Lakes Middle School a good school?

Deer Lakes Middle School ranks 276^th of 891 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Deer Lakes Middle School?

Students at Deer Lakes Middle School are 94% White, 2% African American, 2% Two or more races, 1% Hispanic.

How many students attend Deer Lakes Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 417 students attended Deer Lakes Middle School.

Rate Deer Lakes Middle School!

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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.