Plum Senior High School

Q: Is Plum Senior High School a good school?

Plum Senior High School ranks 373 rd of 674 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Plum Senior High School is a public high school serving 1,226 students in grades 9-12 in Plum, Pennsylvania, which is part of the Plum Borough School District. The school has a predominantly white student population, with strong academic performance and high graduation rates compared to nearby schools like Gateway Senior High School and Penn Hills Senior High School.

Plum Senior High School has shown strong academic performance, with 68.3% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in Keystone Exams/Literature, compared to the state average of 65.3%. However, the school's performance in Algebra I (19.7% proficient) and Biology (46.9% proficient) lags behind the state averages. The school also maintains a high four-year graduation rate of 96.6%, significantly higher than nearby schools like Gateway Senior High School (87.8%) and Penn Hills Senior High School (81.8%).

While Plum Senior High School has historically performed well, its statewide ranking has declined in recent years, from 175 out of 693 Pennsylvania high schools in 2018-2019 to 373 out of 674 in 2022-2023. This suggests that the school may be facing challenges in maintaining its academic excellence compared to other high-performing schools in the state, such as Fox Chapel Area High School, which is ranked 15 out of 674 Pennsylvania high schools.

Detail:

Public 9-12

900 Elicker Rd
Plum, PA 15239-1098

(412) 795-4880

District: Plum Borough School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
373^rd of 674 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,347

Feeder schools for Plum Senior High School:

Elementary:	O'Block Elementary School
	Pivik Elementary School
Middle:	Holiday Park Intermediate School
	Plum Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.4

Number of students: 1,226

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.9%

African American:

7.4%

Two or more races:

3.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 20.8%

See top rated Pennsylvania high schools

Compare Plum Senior High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Plum Senior High School ranks worse than 55.3% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 50.94. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Plum Senior High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.

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 (86.9%), African American (7.4%), two or more races (3.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 20.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Plum Senior High School is 17.4. (See more...)

Compare Plum Senior High School employs 70.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Plum Senior High School is $18,347.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Plum Senior High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Plum Senior High School 373^rd of 674 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Plum Senior High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

African American students:

White students:

Plum Borough School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Plum Borough School District 204^th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Plum Senior High School

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Rank History for all students at Plum Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	70.62	164^th	583	71.9%
2004	77.05	132^nd	590	77.6%
2005	64.73	227^th	593	61.7%
2006	66.45	214^th	604	64.6%
2007	74.85	122^nd	615	80.2%
2008	68.08	191^st	621	69.2%
2009	70.50	187^th	632	70.4%
2010	64.97	242^nd	649	62.7%
2011	66.80	246^th	660	62.7%
2012	78.98	93^rd	664	86.0%
2013	52.41	332^nd	591	43.8%
2014	59.97	262^nd	580	54.8%
2015	74.56	165^th	680	75.7%
2016	76.06	149^th	677	78.0%
2017	65.57	283^rd	663	57.3%
2018	75.48	175^th	673	74.0%
2019	75.38	175^th	693	74.7%
2021	68.77	199^th	537	62.9%
2022	60.51	287^th	634	54.7%
2023	50.94	373^rd	674	44.7%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Plum Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	40.99	409^th	652	37.3%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Plum Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	39.48	278^th	502	44.6%

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

Rank History for African American students at Plum Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	47.05	129^th	260	50.4%

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

Rank History for White students at Plum Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	40.33	359^th	577	37.8%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Department 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 Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Plum Senior High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	1173	22	8	6	7	n/a	n/a	1216
1989	1088	15	3	4	6	n/a	n/a	1116
1990	1318	26	9	6	4	n/a	n/a	1363
1991	1211	19	5	6	13	n/a	n/a	1254
1992	1176	16	6	7	5	n/a	n/a	1210
1993	1194	18	6	5	11	n/a	n/a	1234
1994	1224	10	5	9	8	n/a	n/a	1256
1995	1292	24	6	4	6	n/a	n/a	1332
1996	1292	24	6	4	6	n/a	n/a	1332
1997	1324	34	12	3	6	n/a	n/a	1379
1998	1325	35	10	8	9	n/a	n/a	1387
1999	1387	36	12	7	4	n/a	n/a	1446
2000	1375	36	14	4	4	n/a	n/a	1433
2001	1395	39	13	8	3	n/a	n/a	1458
2002	1445	46	12	5	1	n/a	n/a	1509
2003	1445	46	12	5	1	n/a	n/a	1509
2004	1414	39	14	5	1	n/a	n/a	1473
2005	1479	30	2	8	3	n/a	n/a	1522
2006	1469	32	9	4	3	n/a	n/a	1517
2007	1419	45	7	4	4	n/a	n/a	1479
2008	1440	57	13	3	4	n/a	n/a	1517
2009	1349	47	15	4	2	n/a	n/a	1417
2010	1302	64	24	8	3	n/a	n/a	1401
2011	1300	60	21	12	3	1	0	1397
2012	1267	65	16	9	1	1	1	1360
2013	1249	55	17	9	0	1	3	1334
2014	1241	51	11	6	0	1	12	1322
2015	1166	58	15	6	0	0	12	1257
2016	1155	60	15	6	0	0	17	1253
2017	1115	66	17	5	0	0	18	1221
2018	1076	72	17	5	0	0	22	1192
2019	1077	70	14	7	0	0	26	1194
2020	1044	71	17	7	0	0	23	1162
2021	1030	78	15	10	0	0	28	1161
2022	1031	84	16	15	0	0	37	1183
2023	1066	91	10	18	0	1	40	1226

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 Plum Senior High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1216	67.3	18.0	n/a
1989	1116	65.0	17.1	n/a
1990	1363	78.0	17.4	0
1991	1254	79.7	15.7	n/a
1992	1210	75.5	16.0	n/a
1993	1234	68.5	18.0	n/a
1994	1256	70.8	17.7	n/a
1995	1332	72.8	18.3	n/a
1996	1332	72.8	18.3	n/a
1997	1379	78.3	17.6	n/a
1998	1387	79.5	17.4	n/a
1999	1446	82.5	17.5	n/a
2000	1433	86.5	16.6	8
2001	1458	86.5	16.9	7.6
2002	1509	87.1	17.3	6.6
2003	1509	87.1	17.3	6.6
2004	1473	93.1	15.8	7.7
2005	1522	92.6	16.4	6.6
2006	1517	90.6	16.7	10.4
2007	1479	91.1	16.2	10.5
2008	1517	95.4	15.9	10.5
2009	1417	95.7	14.8	13
2010	1401	91.7	15.2	15
2011	1397	90.5	15.4	11.1
2012	1360	85.4	15.9	15.9
2013	1334	94.1	14.1	19
2014	1322	77.6	17.0	20
2015	1257	77.0	16.3	20.2
2016	1253	77.0	16.2	23.5
2017	1221	77.0	15.8	22.4
2018	1192	76.5	15.5	22.1
2019	1194	69.6	17.1	21.4
2020	1162	66.6	17.4	18.4
2021	1161	66.7	17.3	16.3
2022	1183	69.7	16.9	15.6
2023	1226	70.1	17.4	20.8

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 Plum Senior High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1216	67.3	18.0	n/a
1989	1116	65.0	17.1	n/a
1990	1363	78.0	17.4	0
1991	1254	79.7	15.7	n/a
1992	1210	75.5	16.0	n/a
1993	1234	68.5	18.0	n/a
1994	1256	70.8	17.7	n/a
1995	1332	72.8	18.3	n/a
1996	1332	72.8	18.3	n/a
1997	1379	78.3	17.6	n/a
1998	1387	79.5	17.4	n/a
1999	1446	82.5	17.5	n/a
2000	1433	86.5	16.6	8
2001	1458	86.5	16.9	7.6
2002	1509	87.1	17.3	6.6
2003	1509	87.1	17.3	6.6
2004	1473	93.1	15.8	7.7
2005	1522	92.6	16.4	6.6
2006	1517	90.6	16.7	10.4
2007	1479	91.1	16.2	10.5
2008	1517	95.4	15.9	10.5
2009	1417	95.7	14.8	13
2010	1401	91.7	15.2	15
2011	1397	90.5	15.4	11.1
2012	1360	85.4	15.9	15.9
2013	1334	94.1	14.1	19
2014	1322	77.6	17.0	20
2015	1257	77.0	16.3	20.2
2016	1253	77.0	16.2	23.5
2017	1221	77.0	15.8	22.4
2018	1192	76.5	15.5	22.1
2019	1194	69.6	17.1	21.4
2020	1162	66.6	17.4	18.4
2021	1161	66.7	17.3	16.3
2022	1183	69.7	16.9	15.6
2023	1226	70.1	17.4	20.8

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 Plum Senior High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$99 (0.1%)	$70,781 (99.9%)	$70,880
2020	$00 (0.0%)	$10,768 (100.0%)	$10,768
2021	$349 (2.2%)	$15,719 (97.8%)	$16,068
2022	$472 (2.6%)	$17,875 (97.4%)	$18,347

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Plum Senior 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 175^th of 693 High schools	Ranks 373^rd of 674 High schools	30.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Plum Senior High School)	74	19.7	54.3%
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Plum Senior High School)	73.9	46.9	27%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	50.7	12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Plum Senior High School)	83.5	68.3	15.2%
11th Grade Literature (Pennsylvania)	71.5	65.3	6.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1194	1226	2.7%
African American	70	91	30%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	14	10	28.6%
Hispanic	7	18	157.1%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	1077	1066	1%
Two or More Races	26	40	53.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	21.4%	20.8%	0.6%

Schools Near Plum Senior High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				Keystone Exams Algebra I (2023)	Keystone Exams Biology (2023)	Keystone Exams Literature (2023)	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	Keystone Exams Algebra I 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Biology 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Literature 11th 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 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
Plum Senior High School	Public	9-12	900 Elicker Rd	Plum	15239	Allegheny County	Plum Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 795-4880	1,226	70	17.4	20.8%	1,066 (86.9%)	91 (7.4%)	18 (1.5%)	10 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	40 (3.3%)	50.9	373^rd of 674 public high schools	44.7%		60.5	287^th of 634 public high schools	54.7%	86	19.7	46.9	68.3									$18,347	$472	$17,875
Springdale Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	501 Butler Rd	Springdale	15144	Allegheny County	Allegheny Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 274-8100	387	49	7.9	93.8%	351 (90.7%)	16 (4.1%)	7 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.1%)	61.5	278^th of 674 public high schools	58.8%		58.5	312^th of 634 public high schools	50.8%	34	23.4	50.0	78.2	39.3	17.2	28.6	62.1	62.1	67.2	62.0	64.7	$20,642	$836	$19,807
Penn Hills Senior High School	Public	9-12	309 Collins Drive	Pittsburgh	15235	Allegheny County	Penn Hills School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 793-7000	1,107	63	17.6	87.9%	245 (22.1%)	771 (69.6%)	37 (3.3%)	6 (0.5%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (4.1%)	16.5	569^th of 674 public high schools	15.6%		21.7	520^th of 634 public high schools	18.0%	49	24.4	26.3	35.6									$39,488	$5,848	$33,640
Forbes Road Career and Technology Center	Public	9-12	607 Beatty Road	Monroeville	15146	Allegheny County	Forbes Road Career and Technology Center	No	No	No	No	(412) 373-8100	33	33	1.0	15.2%	20 (60.6%)	4 (12.1%)	2 (6.1%)	3 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (12.1%)								(n/a)
Valley Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	703 Stevenson Blvd	New Kensington	15068	Westmoreland County	New Kensington-Arnold School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 337-4536	869	58	14.9	90.0%	397 (45.7%)	290 (33.4%)	23 (2.6%)	4 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	153 (17.6%)	8	614^th of 674 public high schools	8.9%		42.9	435^th of 634 public high schools	31.4%	179	4.0	14.1	35.7	8.2	12.4	10.2	39.5	39.5	33.3	43.6	38.4	$15,675	$1,470	$14,206
Riverview Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	100 Hulton Rd	Oakmont	15139	Allegheny County	Riverview School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 828-1800	396	39	10.2	26.5%	327 (82.6%)	29 (7.3%)	5 (1.3%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	30 (7.6%)	61.4	280^th of 674 public high schools	58.5%		68.3	215^th of 634 public high schools	66.1%	65	35.1	55.4	66.0	60.0	26.5	39.8	73.8	73.8	69.1	60.7	64.0	$32,797	$1,713	$31,084
Northern Westmoreland Career & Technology Center	Public	9-12	705 Stevenson Boulevard	New Kensington	15068	Westmoreland County	Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center	No	No	No	No	(724) 335-9389	6	15	.4		5 (83.3%)	1 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Spectrum Charter School	Public, Charter	7-12	4369 Northern Pike	Monroeville	15146	Allegheny County	Spectrum Charter School	Yes	No	No	No	(412) 374-8130	45	6	6.9		24 (53.3%)	13 (28.9%)	3 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (8.9%)								(n/a)												$34,608	$1,348	$33,260
Gateway Senior High School	Public	9-12	3000 Gateway Campus Blvd	Monroeville	15146	Allegheny County	Gateway School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 373-5744	1,135	80	14.2	86.3%	541 (47.7%)	380 (33.5%)	46 (4.1%)	78 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	90 (7.9%)	58.3	310^th of 674 public high schools	54.0%		29.4	496^th of 634 public high schools	21.8%	186	41.6	52.5	58.8									$20,892	$276	$20,616
Fox Chapel Area High School	Public	9-12	611 Field Club Rd	Pittsburgh	15238	Allegheny County	Fox Chapel Area School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 967-2430	1,283	95	13.5	24.7%	1,015 (79.1%)	50 (3.9%)	50 (3.9%)	114 (8.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (4.2%)	94.7	15^th of 674 public high schools	97.8%		90	24^th of 634 public high schools	96.2%	9	69.9	83.1	88.8									$24,514	$218	$24,296

Frequently Asked Questions about Plum Senior High School

What district is Plum Senior High School in?

Plum Borough School District

What is the racial makeup of Plum Senior High School?

Students at Plum Senior High School are 87% White, 7% African American, 3% Two or more races, 1% Hispanic.

What schools feed into Plum Senior High School?

Plum Senior High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : O'Block Elementary School
Elementary : Pivik Elementary School
Middle : Holiday Park Intermediate School
Middle : Plum Middle School

How many students attend Plum Senior High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,226 students attended Plum Senior High School.

Is Plum Senior High School a good school?

Plum Senior High School ranks 373^rd of 674 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Plum Senior 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.