Mercer Area Middle School

Q: Is Mercer Area Middle School a good school?

Mercer Area Middle School ranks 342 nd of 893 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Mercer Area Middle School is a public middle school serving 140 students in grades 7-8 in Mercer, Pennsylvania. The school is part of the Mercer Area School District, which is ranked 124 out of 606 school districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Academically, Mercer Area Middle School has shown mixed performance compared to state and district averages. While the school's proficiency rates in PSSA English Language Arts (60.4%) and Science (63.9%) are higher than the state averages, its PSSA Math proficiency (22.2%) lags behind both the district (44.5%) and state (39.3%) averages. The school also has a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, significantly higher than nearby schools. However, Mercer Area Middle School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 14:1, lower than many of the surrounding schools.

Interestingly, Mercer Area Middle School's statewide ranking has declined in recent years, from 145 out of 797 Pennsylvania middle schools in 2020-2021 to 342 out of 893 in 2022-2023. This suggests the school's performance may be declining relative to other middle schools in the state. Additionally, the school has a very homogeneous student population, with over 95% of students identifying as White, in contrast to some nearby schools like New Castle Junior High School, which has a more diverse student body.

Detail:

Public 7-8

545 W Butler Street
Mercer, PA 16137-1061

(724) 662-5104

District: Mercer Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
342^nd of 893 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,332

Student/teacher ratio: 14.0

Number of students: 140

Racial breakdown:

White:

95.7%

Two or more races:

2.9%

Asian:

1.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Mercer Area Middle School ranks better than 61.7% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 61.13. (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 (95.7%), two or more races (2.9%), Asian (1.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Mercer Area Middle School is 14. (See more...)

Compare Mercer Area Middle School employs 9.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mercer Area Middle School is $14,332.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Mercer Area Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Mercer Area Middle School 342^nd of 893 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See Mercer Area Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

White students:

Mercer Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Mercer Area School District 124^th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Mercer Area Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Mercer Area Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile
2005	65.02	275^th	687	60.0%
2006	61.24	326^th	736	55.7%
2007	67.48	262^nd	749	65.0%
2008	76.19	152^nd	753	79.8%
2009	69.88	230^th	770	70.1%
2010	70.12	244^th	805	69.7%
2011	57.10	434^th	825	47.4%
2012	68.40	307^th	834	63.2%
2013	62.59	346^th	758	54.4%
2014	61.64	324^th	728	55.5%
2015	53.48	425^th	835	49.1%
2016	66.61	296^th	870	66.0%
2017	53.33	442^nd	877	49.6%
2018	51.61	465^th	861	46.0%
2019	63.78	333^rd	891	62.6%
2021	76.65	145^th	797	81.8%
2022	66.05	287^th	883	67.5%
2023	61.13	342^nd	893	61.7%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	57.48	339^th	874	61.2%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Mercer Area Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	46.31	301^st	660	54.4%

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

Rank History for White students at Mercer Area Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	43.50	372^nd	681	45.4%

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 Mercer Area Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2005	218	5	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	229
2006	218	5	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	227
2007	216	4	5	3	0	n/a	n/a	228
2008	223	4	4	4	0	n/a	n/a	235
2009	224	7	6	2	0	n/a	n/a	239
2010	218	7	6	0	0	n/a	n/a	231
2011	205	4	2	0	0	0	1	212
2012	171	3	0	0	0	0	1	175
2013	210	0	1	0	0	0	3	214
2014	195	0	2	1	0	0	5	203
2015	170	1	1	3	0	0	4	179
2016	162	0	0	4	1	0	3	170
2017	159	0	1	3	0	0	4	167
2018	158	0	1	0	0	0	8	167
2019	167	0	0	2	1	0	6	176
2020	169	0	1	2	0	0	10	182
2021	159	1	1	2	0	0	7	170
2022	151	2	2	3	0	0	2	160
2023	134	0	2	0	0	0	4	140

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 Mercer Area Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	229	14.8	15.5	0
2006	227	15.2	14.9	0
2007	228	20.2	11.3	0
2008	235	10.6	22.2	n/a
2009	239	9.1	26.1	n/a
2010	231	14.7	15.6	31.2
2011	212	13.3	15.8	34.9
2012	175	10.4	16.7	30.3
2013	214	9.9	21.5	29.9
2014	203	9.9	20.3	36.5
2015	179	10.0	17.9	43.6
2016	170	12.0	14.1	41.8
2017	167	10.0	16.6	47.9
2018	167	10.8	15.3	46.1
2019	176	10.5	16.6	44.9
2020	182	11.2	16.2	48.4
2021	170	9.9	17.1	43.5
2022	160	10.7	14.8	43.8
2023	140	9.9	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 Mercer Area Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	229	14.8	15.5	0
2006	227	15.2	14.9	0
2007	228	20.2	11.3	0
2008	235	10.6	22.2	n/a
2009	239	9.1	26.1	n/a
2010	231	14.7	15.6	31.2
2011	212	13.3	15.8	34.9
2012	175	10.4	16.7	30.3
2013	214	9.9	21.5	29.9
2014	203	9.9	20.3	36.5
2015	179	10.0	17.9	43.6
2016	170	12.0	14.1	41.8
2017	167	10.0	16.6	47.9
2018	167	10.8	15.3	46.1
2019	176	10.5	16.6	44.9
2020	182	11.2	16.2	48.4
2021	170	9.9	17.1	43.5
2022	160	10.7	14.8	43.8
2023	140	9.9	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 Mercer Area Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$00 (0.0%)	$14,915 (100.0%)	$14,915
2020	$00 (0.0%)	$14,724 (100.0%)	$14,724
2021	$904 (3.9%)	$22,149 (96.1%)	$23,053
2022	$1,107 (7.7%)	$13,225 (92.3%)	$14,332

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Mercer 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 333^rd of 891 Middle schools	Ranks 342^nd of 893 Middle schools	0.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade Math (Mercer Area Middle School)	52	20.4	31.6%
7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	38.2	33.2	5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Mercer Area Middle School)	73.1	61.1	12%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.5	54.5	6%
8th Grade Math (Mercer Area Middle School)	16.9	23.6	6.7%
8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	32.2	26	6.2%
8th Grade Science (Mercer Area Middle School)	56.5	63.9	7.4%
8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	58.2	57	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Mercer Area Middle School)	61.9	59.7	2.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	57.9	52.8	5.1%
All Grades Math (Mercer Area Middle School)	35.1	22.2	12.9%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (Mercer Area Middle School)	56.5	63.9	7.4%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Mercer Area Middle School)	67.8	60.4	7.4%
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	176	140	20.5%
African American	0	0
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	0	2
Hispanic	2	0	100%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	167	134	19.8%
Two or More Races	6	4	33.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	44.9%	100%	55.1%

Schools Near Mercer Area 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 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
Mercer Area Middle School	Public	7-8	545 W Butler Street	Mercer	16137	Mercer County	Mercer Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 662-5104	140	10	14.0	100.0%	134 (95.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.9%)	61.1	342^nd of 893 public middle schools	61.7%		66	287^th of 883 public middle schools	67.5%	55				20.4	23.6	22.2		63.9	63.9				61.1	59.7	60.4	$14,332	$1,107	$13,225
Wilmington Area Middle School	Public	5-8	400 Wood St	New Wilmington	16142	Lawrence County	Wilmington Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 656-8866	323	19	17.4	99.7%	305 (94.4%)	3 (0.9%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.7%)	55.6	405^th of 893 public middle schools	54.6%		57.9	381^st of 883 public middle schools	56.9%	24		47.9	33.3	21.0	16.3	29.3		65.1	65.1		56.2	59.0	54.7	58.8	57.2	$16,442	$1,612	$14,830
Grove City Area Middle School	Public	6-8	100 Middle School Drive	Grove City	16127	Mercer County	Grove City Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 458-8040	400	30	13.4	37.0%	373 (93.3%)	4 (1.0%)	10 (2.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.8%)	78.2	164^th of 893 public middle schools	81.6%		76.9	171^st of 883 public middle schools	80.6%	7			54.9	50.0	32.3	45.6		66.2	66.2			67.4	64.7	61.1	64.5	$16,755	$2,034	$14,721
Delahunty Middle School	Public	6-7	419 N Hermitage Rd	Hermitage	16148	Mercer County	Hermitage School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 981-8750	299	18	16.6	50.8%	240 (80.3%)	26 (8.7%)	2 (0.7%)	6 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	23 (7.7%)	84.1	115^th of 893 public middle schools	87.1%		86.7	86^th of 883 public middle schools	90.3%	29			62.7	43.1		52.0						71.4	70.4		70.9	$13,092	$849	$12,244
Oakview Elementary School	Public	4-6	3591 Sharon Rd	West Middlesex	16159	Mercer County	West Middlesex Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 634-3030	158	16	10.0	50.0%	146 (92.4%)	2 (1.3%)	4 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	5 (3.2%)								(n/a)	63.1	47.8	52.4			54.3	82.6		82.6	67.4	63.0	62.3			64.0	$14,417	$523	$13,894
Sharpsville Area Middle School	Public	6-8	303 Blue Devil Way	Sharpsville	16150	Mercer County	Sharpsville Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 962-7863	236	20	11.8	39.8%	213 (90.3%)	4 (1.7%)	5 (2.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.5%)	66.3	288^th of 893 public middle schools	67.7%		60.4	346^th of 883 public middle schools	60.8%	58			40.0	25.4	15.5	26.6		83.1	83.1			63.1	64.2	66.6	64.8	$13,240	$233	$13,007
Sharon Middle School	Public	7-8	1129 E State St	Sharon	16146	Mercer County	Sharon City School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 983-4030	308	31	9.9	100.0%	189 (61.4%)	75 (24.4%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (13.0%)	29.8	622^nd of 893 public middle schools	30.3%		28.5	619^th of 883 public middle schools	29.9%	3				16.6	10.2	13.4		49.6	49.6				36.8	37.4	37.0	$15,675	$1,881	$13,794
Laurel Middle School	Public	7-8	2497 Harlansburg RD	New Castle	16101	Lawrence County	Laurel School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 658-9056	161	8	20.4	25.5%	157 (97.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	66.9	279^th of 893 public middle schools	68.8%		77.1	168^th of 883 public middle schools	81.0%	111				30.1	31.1	30.6		68.9	68.9				53.1	63.5	58.0	$18,169	$460	$17,709
Slippery Rock Area Middle School	Public	6-8	201 Kiester Rd	Slippery Rock	16057	Butler County	Slippery Rock Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 794-2960	460	38	12.0	40.9%	430 (93.5%)	5 (1.1%)	4 (0.9%)	6 (1.3%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.6%)	90.5	60^th of 893 public middle schools	93.3%		80	139^th of 883 public middle schools	84.3%	79			60.9	50.0	48.1	52.8		82.4	82.4			72.6	74.0	80.9	76.0	$9,911	$203	$9,707
New Castle Junior High School	Public	6-8	310 E Lincoln Ave	New Castle	16101	Lawrence County	New Castle Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 656-4700	706	42	17.0	99.6%	374 (53.0%)	151 (21.4%)	55 (7.8%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	122 (17.3%)	12.6	763^rd of 893 public middle schools	14.6%		14.2	733^rd of 883 public middle schools	17.0%	30			12.0	13.8	6.3	10.9		26.8	26.8			20.0	17.8	22.1	19.9	$13,237	$2,126	$11,111

Frequently Asked Questions about Mercer Area Middle School

Is Mercer Area Middle School a good school?

Mercer Area Middle School ranks 342^nd of 893 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Mercer Area Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 140 students attended Mercer Area Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Mercer Area Middle School?

Students at Mercer Area Middle School are 96% White, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What district is Mercer Area Middle School in?

Mercer Area School District

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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.