West Hempfield Middle School

Q: Is West Hempfield Middle School a good school?

West Hempfield Middle School ranks 178 th of 893 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

West Hempfield Middle School is a public middle school serving around 400 students in grades 6-8 in the Hempfield Area School District in Irwin, Pennsylvania. The school consistently performs above the state average on standardized tests and maintains an exceptionally low dropout rate, making it a strong-performing middle school in the region.

Academically, West Hempfield Middle School excels, with proficiency rates that exceed the state averages in math, science, and English language arts. The school's 4-star rating from SchoolDigger and ranking of 178 out of 893 Pennsylvania middle schools further demonstrate its academic excellence. However, the school lags behind some of the top-performing schools in the area, such as Norwin Middle School and Harrold Middle School, which consistently rank among the best in the state.

While West Hempfield Middle School has a predominantly white student population, it serves a relatively diverse socioeconomic community, with 44% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. This is higher than some nearby schools, such as Harrold Middle School (32.35%) and Wendover Middle School (32.24%), but lower than the more economically disadvantaged Founders Hall Middle School (100%). Overall, West Hempfield Middle School provides a quality education to its diverse student population and is a strong option for families in the Irwin area.

Detail:

Public 6-8

156 Northumberland Road
Irwin, PA 15642

(724) 850-2140

District: Hempfield Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
178^th of 893 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,827

Students who attend West Hempfield Middle School usually attend:

High:

Hempfield Area Senior High School

Feeder schools for West Hempfield Middle School:

Elementary:

West Hempfield Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.1

Number of students: 400

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.0%

Two or more races:

6.0%

Hispanic:

1.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 44%

See top rated Pennsylvania middle schools

Compare West Hempfield Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details West Hempfield Middle School ranks better than 80.1% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 76.86. (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 (91%), two or more races (6%), Hispanic (1.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 44% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Hempfield Middle School is 13.1. (See more...)

Compare West Hempfield Middle School employs 30.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Hempfield Middle School is $17,827.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

West Hempfield Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks West Hempfield Middle School 178^th of 893 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See West Hempfield Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

White students:

Hempfield Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Hempfield Area School District 96^th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for West Hempfield Middle School

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Rank History for all students at West Hempfield Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	73.99	175^th	643	72.8%
2004	66.07	258^th	663	61.1%
2005	70.66	225^th	687	67.2%
2006	79.45	110^th	736	85.1%
2007	74.35	165^th	749	78.0%
2008	81.35	87^th	753	88.4%
2009	72.15	207^th	770	73.1%
2010	67.47	280^th	805	65.2%
2011	71.68	236^th	825	71.4%
2012	68.86	299^th	834	64.1%
2013	61.19	363^rd	758	52.1%
2014	63.76	297^th	728	59.2%
2015	66.15	283^rd	835	66.1%
2016	67.34	289^th	870	66.8%
2017	74.51	207^th	877	76.4%
2018	75.25	203^rd	861	76.4%
2019	80.40	141^st	891	84.2%
2021	72.30	181^st	797	77.3%
2022	75.35	185^th	883	79.0%
2023	76.86	178^th	893	80.1%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Hempfield Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	70.89	180^th	874	79.4%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at West Hempfield Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	55.86	223^rd	660	66.2%

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

Rank History for White students at West Hempfield Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	61.72	226^th	681	66.8%

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 West Hempfield Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1991	544	6	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	554
1992	567	5	3	4	2	n/a	n/a	581
1993	562	4	8	2	3	n/a	n/a	579
1994	565	2	4	3	2	n/a	n/a	576
1995	505	4	4	1	2	n/a	n/a	516
1996	505	4	4	1	2	n/a	n/a	516
1997	492	5	6	1	0	n/a	n/a	504
1998	481	6	6	1	9	n/a	n/a	503
1999	474	4	7	0	5	n/a	n/a	490
2000	441	3	6	0	1	n/a	n/a	451
2001	424	7	2	3	3	n/a	n/a	439
2002	421	8	5	1	1	n/a	n/a	436
2003	421	8	5	1	1	n/a	n/a	436
2004	412	4	5	0	0	n/a	n/a	421
2005	477	6	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	487
2006	485	10	2	2	2	n/a	n/a	501
2007	559	11	1	2	3	n/a	n/a	576
2008	535	8	5	2	0	n/a	n/a	550
2009	557	11	7	2	0	n/a	n/a	577
2010	525	10	6	5	1	n/a	n/a	547
2011	513	7	5	8	1	0	1	535
2012	491	10	2	10	2	0	1	516
2013	478	11	3	8	2	0	1	503
2014	449	12	1	7	0	0	0	469
2015	429	11	4	3	0	0	4	451
2016	426	7	3	2	2	0	3	443
2017	410	3	5	2	0	0	8	428
2018	393	3	4	3	0	0	7	410
2019	384	3	5	4	1	0	8	405
2020	398	1	4	5	1	0	7	416
2021	400	3	3	5	1	1	15	428
2022	392	5	0	4	0	1	19	421
2023	364	2	3	6	0	1	24	400

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 West Hempfield Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	554	37.3	14.8	n/a
1992	581	35.6	16.3	n/a
1993	579	35.0	16.5	n/a
1994	576	35.0	16.5	n/a
1995	516	34.0	15.2	n/a
1996	516	34.0	15.2	n/a
1997	504	32.0	15.8	n/a
1998	503	31.0	16.2	n/a
1999	490	31.0	15.8	n/a
2000	451	37.0	12.2	24.4
2001	439	33.0	13.3	23.5
2002	436	31.7	13.8	23.9
2003	436	31.7	13.8	23.9
2004	421	30.3	13.9	23
2005	487	31.4	15.5	21.4
2006	501	31.6	15.9	24
2007	576	36.0	16.0	24.3
2008	550	36.4	15.1	21.3
2009	577	36.4	15.8	25
2010	547	38.4	14.2	27.4
2011	535	38.4	13.9	28.8
2012	516	38.9	13.2	26.7
2013	503	39.4	12.7	28.8
2014	469	35.3	13.2	30.7
2015	451	35.0	12.8	27.7
2016	443	35.0	12.6	35.7
2017	428	31.8	13.4	37.6
2018	410	30.2	13.5	36.1
2019	405	31.5	12.8	36.5
2020	416	31.3	13.2	37.7
2021	428	32.1	13.3	35
2022	421	32.6	12.9	41.8
2023	400	30.3	13.1	44

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 West Hempfield Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	554	37.3	14.8	n/a
1992	581	35.6	16.3	n/a
1993	579	35.0	16.5	n/a
1994	576	35.0	16.5	n/a
1995	516	34.0	15.2	n/a
1996	516	34.0	15.2	n/a
1997	504	32.0	15.8	n/a
1998	503	31.0	16.2	n/a
1999	490	31.0	15.8	n/a
2000	451	37.0	12.2	24.4
2001	439	33.0	13.3	23.5
2002	436	31.7	13.8	23.9
2003	436	31.7	13.8	23.9
2004	421	30.3	13.9	23
2005	487	31.4	15.5	21.4
2006	501	31.6	15.9	24
2007	576	36.0	16.0	24.3
2008	550	36.4	15.1	21.3
2009	577	36.4	15.8	25
2010	547	38.4	14.2	27.4
2011	535	38.4	13.9	28.8
2012	516	38.9	13.2	26.7
2013	503	39.4	12.7	28.8
2014	469	35.3	13.2	30.7
2015	451	35.0	12.8	27.7
2016	443	35.0	12.6	35.7
2017	428	31.8	13.4	37.6
2018	410	30.2	13.5	36.1
2019	405	31.5	12.8	36.5
2020	416	31.3	13.2	37.7
2021	428	32.1	13.3	35
2022	421	32.6	12.9	41.8
2023	400	30.3	13.1	44

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 West Hempfield Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$199 (1.1%)	$17,133 (98.9%)	$17,332
2020	$260 (1.8%)	$13,980 (98.2%)	$14,241
2021	$196 (1.2%)	$16,170 (98.8%)	$16,366
2022	$588 (3.3%)	$17,238 (96.7%)	$17,827

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West Hempfield 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 141^st of 891 Middle schools	Ranks 178^th of 893 Middle schools	4.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Math (West Hempfield Middle School)	56.1	53.1	3%
6th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	39	36.4	2.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (West Hempfield Middle School)	80	67	13%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	63	55.6	7.4%
7th Grade Math (West Hempfield Middle School)	54.7	43.5	11.2%
7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	38.2	33.2	5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (West Hempfield Middle School)	70.5	67.7	2.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.5	54.5	6%
8th Grade Math (West Hempfield Middle School)	50	35.6	14.4%
8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	32.2	26	6.2%
8th Grade Science (West Hempfield Middle School)	61.3	65.9	4.6%
8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	58.2	57	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (West Hempfield Middle School)	69.5	56.5	13%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	57.9	52.8	5.1%
All Grades Math (West Hempfield Middle School)	53.5	43.6	9.9%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (West Hempfield Middle School)	61.3	65.9	4.6%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (West Hempfield Middle School)	73.4	63.6	9.8%
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	405	400	1.2%
African American	3	2	33.3%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	5	3	40%
Hispanic	4	6	50%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	384	364	5.2%
Two or More Races	8	24	200%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	36.5%	44%	7.5%

Schools Near West Hempfield 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
West Hempfield Middle School	Public	6-8	156 Northumberland Road	Irwin	15642	Westmoreland County	Hempfield Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 850-2140	400	30	13.1	44.0%	364 (91.0%)	2 (0.5%)	6 (1.5%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	24 (6.0%)	76.9	178^th of 893 public middle schools	80.1%		75.4	185^th of 883 public middle schools	79.0%	7		53.1	43.5	35.6	43.6	65.9	65.9		67.0	67.7	56.5	63.6	$17,827	$589	$17,238
Norwin Middle School	Public	7-8	10870 Mockingbird Dr	North Huntingdon	15642	Westmoreland County	Norwin School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 861-3010	820	52	15.6	29.9%	748 (91.2%)	13 (1.6%)	16 (2.0%)	15 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (3.4%)	96.5	20^th of 893 public middle schools	97.8%		92.3	43^rd of 883 public middle schools	95.1%	23			68.7	57.2	62.8	85.8	85.8			86.1	81.0	83.5	$13,294	$325	$12,968
Hillcrest Intermediate School	Public	5-6	11091 Mockingbird Drive	North Huntingdon	15642	Westmoreland County	Norwin School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 861-3015	807	46	17.5	29.9%	735 (91.1%)	5 (0.6%)	22 (2.7%)	9 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (4.5%)								(n/a)	69.8	72.0			70.9			79.6	81.6			80.6	$13,479	$326	$13,154
Penn Middle School	Public	6-8	1007 Penn Middle Way	Jeannette	15644	Westmoreland County	Penn-Trafford School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 744-4431	498	38	13.2	21.5%	466 (93.6%)	9 (1.8%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	14 (2.8%)	94.5	29^th of 893 public middle schools	96.8%		95.8	18^th of 883 public middle schools	98.0%	11		68.9	61.6	53.3	61.0	79.4	79.4		80.9	80.1	86.1	82.5	$14,334	$394	$13,941
Greensburg-Salem Middle School	Public	6-8	301 N Main St	Greensburg	15601	Westmoreland County	Greensburg Salem School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 832-2900	599	46	13.0	51.9%	455 (76.0%)	36 (6.0%)	32 (5.3%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (12.2%)	55.4	408^th of 893 public middle schools	54.3%		61.5	330^th of 883 public middle schools	62.6%	78		40.7	36.6	16.1	31.5	61.5	61.5		57.7	50.1	43.5	50.7	$16,288	$1,975	$14,313
Trafford Middle School	Public	6-8	100 E Brinton Ave	Trafford	15085	Westmoreland County	Penn-Trafford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(412) 372-6600	334	22	15.5	21.0%	309 (92.5%)	8 (2.4%)	5 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.3%)	91.2	50^th of 893 public middle schools	94.4%		93.7	33^rd of 883 public middle schools	96.3%	17		65.6	53.2	35.1	52.6	80.3	80.3		85.6	87.1	74.3	82.8	$15,948	$439	$15,509
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%)	63.3	317^th of 893 public middle schools	64.5%		58.5	376^th of 883 public middle schools	57.4%	59	41.6	33.3	31.3	22.9	32.0	58.5	58.5	59.3	61.5	66.0	61.3	62.0	$15,774	$629	$15,145
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%)	78.6	161^st of 893 public middle schools	82.0%		73.6	201^st of 883 public middle schools	77.2%	40		51.5	52.7	27.1	43.9	66.5	66.5		76.4	68.3	59.7	68.0	$16,804	$614	$16,191
Wendover Middle School	Public	6-8	425 Wendover Jr High Dr	Greensburg	15601	Westmoreland County	Hempfield Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 838-4070	428	31	13.9	32.2%	400 (93.5%)	3 (0.7%)	4 (0.9%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.7%)	87.6	82^nd of 893 public middle schools	90.8%		91.6	47^th of 883 public middle schools	94.7%	35		62.5	47.9	50.0	53.7	69.3	69.3		74.5	76.9	68.8	73.2	$17,532	$581	$16,951
Founders Hall Middle School	Public	6-8	3600 O'Neil Boulevard	McKeesport	15132	Allegheny County	McKeesport Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(412) 664-3690	695	68	10.1	100.0%	247 (35.5%)	328 (47.2%)	25 (3.6%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	92 (13.2%)	15.4	731^st of 893 public middle schools	18.1%		13.6	742^nd of 883 public middle schools	16.0%	11		7.0	8.3	5.0	6.6	28.7	28.7		30.0	35.5	29.1	31.3	$15,522	$3,262	$12,259

Frequently Asked Questions about West Hempfield Middle School

What district is West Hempfield Middle School in?

Hempfield Area School District

Is West Hempfield Middle School a good school?

West Hempfield Middle School ranks 178^th of 893 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend West Hempfield Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 400 students attended West Hempfield Middle School.

What high school do graduates of West Hempfield Middle School attend?

Students who attend West Hempfield Middle School usually go on to attend Hempfield Area Senior High School

What is the racial makeup of West Hempfield Middle School?

Students at West Hempfield Middle School are 91% White, 6% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

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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.