New Castle Junior High School

Summary:

New Castle Junior High School is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in the New Castle Area School District in Pennsylvania, with 706 students and a predominantly White (52.97%) student population.

Despite spending a relatively high $13,237 per student, New Castle Junior High School significantly underperforms compared to state and district averages on standardized tests. In the 2022-2023 school year, only 10.9% of students were proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to the state average of 39.3% and the district average of 15.7%. The school's performance in PSSA English Language Arts (19.9% proficient) and PSSA Science (26.8% proficient) also lags behind. Notably, the school has an extremely high percentage of students (99.58%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage.

When compared to nearby middle schools, such as Slippery Rock Area Middle School (52.8% proficient in PSSA Math) and Riverside Middle School (both within 15 miles), New Castle Junior High School stands out as an underperforming outlier. The school's significant racial achievement gaps, with only 10% of African American students and 13.8% of Hispanic students proficient in PSSA Math, compared to 12% of White students, suggest that factors such as access to educational resources and community engagement may be playing a role in the school's struggles.

Detail:

Public 6-8

310 E Lincoln Ave
New Castle, PA 16101

(724) 656-4700

District: New Castle Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
763^rd of 893 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,237

Students who attend New Castle Junior High School usually attend:

High:

New Castle Senior High School

Feeder schools for New Castle Junior High School:

Elementary:

Washington Intrmd School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.0

Number of students: 706

Racial breakdown:

White:

53.0%

African American:

21.4%

Two or more races:

17.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details New Castle Junior High School ranks worse than 85.4% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 12.64. (See more...)

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

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at New Castle Junior High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (53%), African American (21.4%), two or more races (17.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 99.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at New Castle Junior High School is 17. (See more...)

Compare New Castle Junior High School employs 41.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at New Castle Junior High School is $13,237.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

New Castle Junior High School:

SchoolDigger ranks New Castle Junior High School 763^rd of 893 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See New Castle Junior High School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

New Castle Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks New Castle Area School District 526^th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for New Castle Junior High School

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Rank History for all students at New Castle Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile
2015	31.44	577^th	835	30.9%
2016	28.81	622^nd	870	28.5%
2017	28.26	627^th	877	28.5%
2018	30.17	605^th	861	29.7%
2019	21.14	677^th	891	24.0%
2021	11.79	696^th	797	12.7%
2022	14.23	733^rd	883	17.0%
2023	12.64	763^rd	893	14.6%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at New Castle Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	13.67	170^th	187	9.1%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at New Castle Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	16.40	743^rd	874	15.0%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at New Castle Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	23.46	538^th	660	18.5%

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

Rank History for African American students at New Castle Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	18.85	391^st	421	7.1%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at New Castle Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	21.23	305^th	362	15.7%

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

Rank History for White students at New Castle Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	4.93	666^th	681	2.2%

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 New Castle Junior High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2014	302	130	1	8	0	0	21	462
2015	315	123	2	7	0	0	10	457
2016	297	119	4	12	0	0	6	438
2017	304	132	2	10	0	0	13	461
2018	310	140	0	13	1	0	13	477
2019	319	141	0	18	1	0	19	498
2020	442	179	0	30	1	0	80	732
2021	402	167	1	31	1	1	106	709
2022	389	168	1	49	3	1	111	722
2023	374	151	1	55	2	1	122	706

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 New Castle Junior High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	462	30.9	14.9	71.9
2015	457	32.0	14.2	99.8
2016	438	34.0	12.8	99.3
2017	461	34.6	13.3	100
2018	477	32.9	14.4	100
2019	498	33.9	14.6	100
2020	732	44.5	16.4	100
2021	709	44.1	16.0	n/a
2022	722	43.8	16.4	99.6
2023	706	41.5	17.0	99.6

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 New Castle Junior High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	462	30.9	14.9	71.9
2015	457	32.0	14.2	99.8
2016	438	34.0	12.8	99.3
2017	461	34.6	13.3	100
2018	477	32.9	14.4	100
2019	498	33.9	14.6	100
2020	732	44.5	16.4	100
2021	709	44.1	16.0	n/a
2022	722	43.8	16.4	99.6
2023	706	41.5	17.0	99.6

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 New Castle Junior High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,394 (9.6%)	$13,092 (90.4%)	$14,486
2020	$1,049 (9.2%)	$10,379 (90.8%)	$11,428
2021	$1,357 (11.6%)	$10,328 (88.4%)	$11,685
2022	$2,126 (16.1%)	$11,111 (83.9%)	$13,237

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on New Castle Junior High 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 677^th of 891 Middle schools	Ranks 763^rd of 893 Middle schools	9.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade Math (New Castle Junior High School)	20.1	13.8	6.3%
7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	38.2	33.2	5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (New Castle Junior High School)	32.4	17.8	14.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.5	54.5	6%
8th Grade Math (New Castle Junior High School)	12.8	6.3	6.5%
8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	32.2	26	6.2%
8th Grade Science (New Castle Junior High School)	41.3	26.8	14.5%
8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	58.2	57	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (New Castle Junior High School)	33.5	22.1	11.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	57.9	52.8	5.1%
All Grades Math (New Castle Junior High School)	16.5	10.9	5.6%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (New Castle Junior High School)	41.3	26.8	14.5%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (New Castle Junior High School)	33	19.9	13.1%
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	498	706	41.8%
African American	141	151	7.1%
American Indian	1	2	100%
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	18	55	205.6%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	319	374	17.2%
Two or More Races	19	122	542.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	99.6%	0.4%

Schools Near New Castle Junior High 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
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
Union Area Middle School	Public	6-8	2106 Camden Ave	New Castle	16101	Lawrence County	Union Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 658-4501	175	11	15.9	65.1%	136 (77.7%)	25 (14.3%)	3 (1.7%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.7%)	73.6	212^th of 893 public middle schools	76.3%		69	250^th of 883 public middle schools	71.7%	38			58.6	29.3	36.2	42.7		60.3	60.3			81.0	63.5	51.7	65.6	$18,107	$1,267	$16,840
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
Mohawk Junior High School	Public	6-8	385 Mohawk School Rd	New Castle	16102	Lawrence County	Mohawk Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 667-7782	346	21	16.1	46.2%	330 (95.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.8%)	71.1	233^rd of 893 public middle schools	73.9%		73.4	205^th of 883 public middle schools	76.8%	28			56.9	33.9	29.8	40.2		68.0	68.0			70.6	51.3	59.1	60.2	$10,287	$794	$9,494
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
Hartman Intrmd School	Public	5-6	Crescent Avenue & 4th Street	Ellwood City	16117	Lawrence County	Ellwood City Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 758-3241	263	17	15.3	58.2%	231 (87.8%)	4 (1.5%)	9 (3.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.8%)								(n/a)		52.4	25.8			39.2					70.6	59.7			65.2	$15,297	$1,258	$14,039
Riverside Middle School	Public	6-8	302 Country Club Dr	Ellwood City	16117	Lawrence County	Riverside Beaver County School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 758-7512	324	23	13.8	44.1%	313 (96.6%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.5%)	81.8	132^nd of 893 public middle schools	85.2%		76.1	177^th of 883 public middle schools	80.0%	45			55.1	43.7	36.8	45.2		72.6	72.6			70.1	71.8	62.6	68.2	$15,409	$864	$14,545
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
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about New Castle Junior High School

Is New Castle Junior High School a good school?

New Castle Junior High School ranks in the bottom 14.6% of Pennsylvania middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of New Castle Junior High School?

Students at New Castle Junior High School are 53% White, 21% African American, 17% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic.

What high school do graduates of New Castle Junior High School attend?

Students who attend New Castle Junior High School usually go on to attend New Castle Senior High School

How many students attend New Castle Junior High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 706 students attended New Castle Junior High School.

What district is New Castle Junior High School in?

New Castle 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.