Palmerton Area Junior High School

Summary:

Palmerton Area Junior High School is a public middle school serving grades 7-8 in the Palmerton Area School District, with 267 students located in Palmerton, PA. The school has been ranked between 231-543 out of over 800-900 Pennsylvania middle schools, with a 3-4 star rating from SchoolDigger.

Palmerton Area Junior High School consistently outperforms the state average in English Language Arts (ELA) and Science proficiency rates, but lags behind in Mathematics. The school's ELA proficiency rate was 60.4% in 2023-2024, compared to the state's 53%, and its Science proficiency rate was 65.2% compared to the state's 65.8%. However, the school's Math proficiency rate was 34.8%, lower than the state's 40.4%. Compared to the Palmerton Area School District, the junior high school's Math and ELA proficiency rates are slightly lower, but its Science proficiency rate is higher.

Palmerton Area Junior High School's performance varies among different student subgroups. Female students outperform male students, and Hispanic students and students of low socioeconomic status also perform relatively well. However, White students and students with disabilities have lower rankings compared to the overall school performance. The school has seen a decrease in dropout rates over the past few years, from 1.6% in 2022-2023 to 0.0% in 2021-2022. While the school generally performs better than the nearby Weatherly Area Middle School, it lags behind higher-performing schools like Orefield Middle School and Northwestern Lehigh Middle School.


Detail:

Public 7-8

 3529 Fireline Rd
       Palmerton, PA  18071-9312


(610) 826-2492

District: Palmerton Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
231st of 891 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,042 Help


Students who attend Palmerton Area Junior High School usually attend:

High:    Palmerton Area High School

Feeder schools for Palmerton Area Junior High School:

Elementary:    Parkside Education Center
    S S Palmer Elementary School
    Towamensing Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  14.0 Help
Number of students:  267

Racial breakdown:

White:
91.0%
Hispanic:
7.5%
Two or more races:
1.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  41.6% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Palmerton Area Junior High School ranks better than 74.1% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 71.31. (See more...)
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (91%), Hispanic (7.5%), two or more races (1.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 41.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Palmerton Area Junior High School is 14. (See more...)
Help
Compare Palmerton Area Junior High School employs 19 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Palmerton Area Junior High School is $15,042.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Palmerton Area Junior High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Palmerton Area Junior High School 231st of 891 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See Palmerton Area Junior High 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:


Palmerton Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Palmerton Area School District 192nd of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Palmerton Area Junior High School

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Rank History for all students at Palmerton Area Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 62.75 281st 643 56.3%
2004 70.93 212th 663 68.0%
2005 58.13 341st 687 50.4%
2006 50.94 443rd 736 39.8%
2007 53.36 437th 749 41.7%
2008 54.96 402nd 753 46.6%
2009 53.93 436th 770 43.4%
2010 41.10 578th 805 28.2%
2011 45.39 559th 825 32.2%
2012 40.57 594th 834 28.8%
2013 48.32 485th 758 36.0%
2014 52.18 420th 728 42.3%
2015 49.16 459th 835 45.0%
2016 42.30 543rd 870 37.6%
2017 48.06 492nd 877 43.9%
2018 56.04 418th 861 51.5%
2019 68.45 279th 891 68.7%
2021 63.18 276th 797 65.4%
2022 58.94 368th 883 58.3%
2023 60.10 357th 893 60.0%
2024 71.31 231st 891 74.1%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Palmerton Area Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 55.91 366th 874 58.1%
2024 65.45 252nd 877 71.3%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Palmerton Area Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 76.93 157th 860 81.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Palmerton Area Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 49.71 270th 660 59.1%
2024 52.17 247th 672 63.2%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Palmerton Area Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 62.15 323rd 870 62.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Palmerton Area Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 53.05 155th 362 57.2%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Palmerton Area Junior High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 43.26 374th 681 45.1%
2024 57.46 258th 673 61.7%
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.

Palmerton Area Junior High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

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Enrollment information for Palmerton Area Junior High School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 281 0 4 7 0 n/a n/a 0 292
1989 287 0 3 10 0 n/a n/a 0 300
1990 293 0 2 13 0 n/a n/a 0 308
1991 313 0 3 10 0 n/a n/a 0 326
1992 342 0 2 9 0 n/a n/a 0 353
1993 349 0 3 9 0 n/a n/a 0 361
1994 330 0 2 6 0 n/a n/a 0 338
1995 324 0 0 7 0 n/a n/a 0 331
1996 324 0 0 7 0 n/a n/a 0 331
1997 361 0 1 5 0 n/a n/a 0 367
1998 349 1 1 3 0 n/a n/a 0 354
1999 344 0 2 2 0 n/a n/a 0 348
2000 339 1 1 3 0 n/a n/a 0 344
2001 328 0 4 4 0 n/a n/a 0 336
2002 311 1 3 4 0 n/a n/a 0 319
2003 311 1 3 4 0 n/a n/a 0 319
2004 313 1 4 4 0 n/a n/a 0 322
2005 309 1 1 6 0 n/a n/a 0 317
2006 323 0 0 7 0 n/a n/a 0 330
2007 358 1 1 8 0 n/a n/a 0 368
2008 326 0 4 7 1 n/a n/a 1 339
2009 304 1 2 4 2 n/a n/a 1 314
2010 331 2 3 7 2 n/a n/a 2 347
2011 323 5 1 10 0 0 2 0 341
2012 286 5 0 6 0 0 1 0 298
2013 293 3 1 5 0 0 0 0 302
2014 281 4 3 9 0 0 3 0 300
2015 295 3 2 8 0 0 4 0 312
2016 289 2 1 7 0 0 0 0 299
2017 287 2 1 10 0 0 0 0 300
2018 264 2 0 12 0 0 3 0 281
2019 269 1 0 12 0 0 4 0 286
2020 279 0 1 19 0 0 2 0 301
2021 269 3 0 20 0 0 4 0 296
2022 273 2 0 26 0 0 6 0 307
2023 243 1 0 20 0 0 3 0 267

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 Palmerton Area Junior High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 292 22.0 13.2 n/a
1989 300 19.0 15.7 n/a
1990 308 18.5 16.6 0
1991 326 17.0 19.1 n/a
1992 353 17.0 20.7 n/a
1993 361 17.0 21.2 n/a
1994 338 16.0 21.1 n/a
1995 331 15.0 22.1 n/a
1996 331 15.0 22.1 n/a
1997 367 16.0 22.9 n/a
1998 354 18.0 19.7 n/a
1999 348 18.4 18.9 n/a
2000 344 19.7 17.5 0
2001 336 20.7 16.2 0
2002 319 19.8 16.1 0
2003 319 19.8 16.1 0
2004 322 20.3 15.9 0
2005 317 21.4 14.8 0
2006 330 24.0 13.8 25.8
2007 368 25.4 14.5 21.2
2008 339 21.4 15.8 23.7
2009 314 21.4 14.6 24.6
2010 347 21.2 16.3 23.2
2011 341 21.7 15.6 24
2012 298 18.5 16.0 29.9
2013 302 17.5 17.2 39.1
2014 300 17.0 17.6 32
2015 312 20.0 15.6 38.1
2016 299 19.0 15.7 35.1
2017 300 18.7 16.0 37.3
2018 281 18.7 15.0 30.2
2019 286 18.7 15.2 31.1
2020 301 18.6 16.1 34.6
2021 296 18.9 15.6 31.1
2022 307 19.0 16.1 33.9
2023 267 19.0 14.0 41.6

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 Palmerton Area Junior High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 292 22.0 13.2 n/a
1989 300 19.0 15.7 n/a
1990 308 18.5 16.6 0
1991 326 17.0 19.1 n/a
1992 353 17.0 20.7 n/a
1993 361 17.0 21.2 n/a
1994 338 16.0 21.1 n/a
1995 331 15.0 22.1 n/a
1996 331 15.0 22.1 n/a
1997 367 16.0 22.9 n/a
1998 354 18.0 19.7 n/a
1999 348 18.4 18.9 n/a
2000 344 19.7 17.5 0
2001 336 20.7 16.2 0
2002 319 19.8 16.1 0
2003 319 19.8 16.1 0
2004 322 20.3 15.9 0
2005 317 21.4 14.8 0
2006 330 24.0 13.8 25.8
2007 368 25.4 14.5 21.2
2008 339 21.4 15.8 23.7
2009 314 21.4 14.6 24.6
2010 347 21.2 16.3 23.2
2011 341 21.7 15.6 24
2012 298 18.5 16.0 29.9
2013 302 17.5 17.2 39.1
2014 300 17.0 17.6 32
2015 312 20.0 15.6 38.1
2016 299 19.0 15.7 35.1
2017 300 18.7 16.0 37.3
2018 281 18.7 15.0 30.2
2019 286 18.7 15.2 31.1
2020 301 18.6 16.1 34.6
2021 296 18.9 15.6 31.1
2022 307 19.0 16.1 33.9
2023 267 19.0 14.0 41.6

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 Palmerton Area Junior High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $448 (2.3%) $18,991 (97.7%) $19,438
2020 $438 (2.8%) $15,134 (97.2%) $15,572
2021 $818 (5.8%) $13,344 (94.2%) $14,161
2022 $311 (2.1%) $14,731 (97.9%) $15,042

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Palmerton Area 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 279th of 891 Middle schoolsRanks 357th of 893 Middle schools
 8.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
7th Grade Math (Palmerton Area Junior High School)41.440.3
 1.1%
   7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)38.233.2
 5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Palmerton Area Junior High School)63.258.9
 4.3%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)60.554.5
 6%
8th Grade Math (Palmerton Area Junior High School)33.422.1
 11.3%
   8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)32.226
 6.2%
8th Grade Science (Palmerton Area Junior High School)71.364.2
 7.1%
   8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)58.257
 1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Palmerton Area Junior High School)62.843.5
 19.3%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)57.952.8
 5.1%
All Grades Math (Palmerton Area Junior High School)37.630.8
 6.8%
   All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)42.439.3
 3.1%
All Grades Science (Palmerton Area Junior High School)71.364.2
 7.1%
   All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)6865.6
 2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Palmerton Area Junior High School)6350.8
 12.2%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)60.953.8
 7.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students286267
 6.6%
African American11
American Indian00
Asian00
Hispanic1220
 66.7%
Pacific Islander00
White269243
 9.7%
Two or More Races43
 25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients31.1%41.6%
 10.5%


Schools Near Palmerton Area Junior High School









Frequently Asked Questions about Palmerton Area Junior High School

Palmerton Area Junior High School ranks 231st of 891 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 267 students attended Palmerton Area Junior High School.

Students at Palmerton Area Junior High School are 91% White, 7% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

Students who attend Palmerton Area Junior High School usually go on to attend Palmerton Area High 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.





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