Is Plum Middle School a good school?

Plum Middle School ranks 225 th of 893 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Plum Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 557 students attended Plum Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Plum Middle School?

Students at Plum Middle School are 87% White, 5% African American, 5% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

What high school do graduates of Plum Middle School attend?

Students who attend Plum Middle School usually go on to attend Plum Senior High School

Plum Middle School

Summary:

Plum Middle School is a public middle school serving 557 students in grades 7-8 in the Plum Borough School District in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a predominantly White student population (86.71%), with smaller percentages of African American, Hispanic, and Asian students.

Plum Middle School consistently performs well academically, with high proficiency rates on state assessments that exceed the state averages in PSSA Math, Science, and English Language Arts. The school has a strong statewide ranking, placing in the top 25% of Pennsylvania middle schools in 2022-2023 and earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. Notably, the school's African American and disabled student subgroups perform particularly well, ranking in the top 15% and top 25% of Pennsylvania middle schools, respectively.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Kiski Area Upper Elementary School, Charles A Huston Middle School, and Linton Middle School, Plum Middle School outperforms them on most PSSA assessments. Additionally, Plum Middle School has a relatively low percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients (24.6%), indicating a more affluent student population compared to some nearby schools, and the school's per-student spending has increased in recent years, reaching $17,840 in 2021-2022.

Detail:

Public 7-8

440 Presque Isle Dr
Pittsburgh, PA 15239-2699

(724) 733-2400

District: Plum Borough School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
225^th of 893 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,840

Students who attend Plum Middle School usually attend:

High:

Plum Senior High School

Feeder schools for Plum Middle School:

Elementary:	O'Block Elementary School
	Pivik Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.2

Number of students: 557

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.7%

African American:

5.4%

Two or more races:

5.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 24.6%

See top rated Pennsylvania middle schools

Compare Plum Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Plum Middle School ranks better than 74.8% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 71.79. (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 (86.7%), African American (5.4%), two or more races (5.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 24.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Plum Middle School is 17.2. (See more...)

Compare Plum Middle School employs 32.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Plum Middle School is $17,840.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Plum Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Plum Middle School 225^th of 893 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See Plum Middle 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:

White students:

Plum Borough School District:

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

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Plum Middle School.

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Your rating for Plum Middle School?

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Rank History for Plum Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Plum Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	59.22	305^th	643	52.6%
2004	82.99	90^th	663	86.4%
2005	80.97	123^rd	687	82.1%
2006	79.60	108^th	736	85.3%
2007	78.17	125^th	749	83.3%
2008	81.70	85^th	753	88.7%
2009	82.54	81^st	770	89.5%
2010	81.04	104^th	805	87.1%
2011	75.71	179^th	825	78.3%
2012	83.13	78^th	834	90.6%
2013	78.24	134^th	758	82.3%
2014	78.31	122^nd	728	83.2%
2015	75.29	187^th	835	77.6%
2016	87.45	75^th	870	91.4%
2017	87.15	81^st	877	90.8%
2018	82.21	122^nd	861	85.8%
2019	81.68	128^th	891	85.6%
2021	70.73	196^th	797	75.4%
2022	75.73	181^st	883	79.5%
2023	71.79	225^th	893	74.8%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Plum Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	23.54	150^th	187	19.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Plum Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	53.04	394^th	874	54.9%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Plum Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	72.89	99^th	660	85.0%

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

Rank History for African American students at Plum Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	77.27	56^th	421	86.7%

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

Rank History for White students at Plum Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	60.89	233^rd	681	65.8%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, September 22, 2011

oblock is the perfect setting and environment to prepare middle school kids for high school. I have never seen more teachers who love doing what they do and they do it well. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, March 9, 2010

I feel that both of my children received an excellent education at Oblock Junior High School and had the opportunity to participate in a large number of activities. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Plum Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	418	14	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	434
1989	408	8	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	420
1990	590	11	2	4	3	n/a	n/a	610
1991	592	12	5	2	0	n/a	n/a	611
1992	607	10	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	620
1993	602	17	5	1	0	n/a	n/a	625
1994	625	13	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	645
1995	650	26	5	1	0	n/a	n/a	682
1996	650	26	5	1	0	n/a	n/a	682
1997	665	28	7	0	4	n/a	n/a	704
1998	671	25	11	2	1	n/a	n/a	710
1999	693	22	4	1	0	n/a	n/a	720
2000	666	33	3	4	1	n/a	n/a	707
2001	678	29	5	1	0	n/a	n/a	713
2002	667	20	11	3	2	n/a	n/a	703
2003	667	20	11	3	2	n/a	n/a	703
2004	709	19	5	4	4	n/a	n/a	741
2005	703	21	2	3	2	n/a	n/a	731
2006	650	29	6	0	2	n/a	n/a	687
2007	639	36	12	1	1	n/a	n/a	689
2008	621	41	12	5	0	n/a	n/a	679
2009	634	32	12	7	0	n/a	n/a	685
2010	626	28	9	3	0	n/a	n/a	666
2011	599	35	6	3	0	0	0	643
2012	626	29	5	4	0	0	3	667
2013	612	39	7	4	0	1	6	669
2014	571	30	9	4	0	1	8	623
2015	547	36	9	4	0	0	8	604
2016	541	38	12	2	0	0	9	602
2017	535	36	10	3	0	0	14	598
2018	506	38	8	6	0	0	16	574
2019	495	42	3	6	0	0	13	559
2020	506	42	9	11	0	0	23	591
2021	535	36	8	14	0	1	27	621
2022	547	30	2	12	0	1	27	619
2023	483	30	3	11	1	0	29	557

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 Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	434	28.6	15.1	n/a
1989	420	29.0	14.4	n/a
1990	610	37.0	16.4	0
1991	611	36.8	16.6	n/a
1992	620	36.1	17.1	n/a
1993	625	33.0	18.9	n/a
1994	645	34.0	19.0	n/a
1995	682	36.0	18.9	n/a
1996	682	36.0	18.9	n/a
1997	704	36.5	19.3	n/a
1998	710	42.0	16.9	n/a
1999	720	41.5	17.3	n/a
2000	707	42.0	16.8	13.3
2001	713	43.0	16.6	13.3
2002	703	43.1	16.3	12.4
2003	703	43.1	16.3	12.4
2004	741	42.7	17.4	9.4
2005	731	44.7	16.4	11.9
2006	687	49.7	13.8	14.6
2007	689	48.1	14.3	14.4
2008	679	47.1	14.4	17.7
2009	685	47.8	14.3	15.5
2010	666	47.9	13.9	13.2
2011	643	46.2	13.9	12.1
2012	667	46.4	14.3	20.2
2013	669	44.4	15.0	24.5
2014	623	44.1	14.1	24.4
2015	604	44.0	13.7	26.5
2016	602	44.0	13.6	27.1
2017	598	43.4	13.7	24.1
2018	574	43.7	13.1	25.6
2019	559	35.5	15.7	22.9
2020	591	33.6	17.5	23
2021	621	35.6	17.4	20.8
2022	619	35.4	17.4	20.7
2023	557	32.3	17.2	24.6

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 Plum Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	434	28.6	15.1	n/a
1989	420	29.0	14.4	n/a
1990	610	37.0	16.4	0
1991	611	36.8	16.6	n/a
1992	620	36.1	17.1	n/a
1993	625	33.0	18.9	n/a
1994	645	34.0	19.0	n/a
1995	682	36.0	18.9	n/a
1996	682	36.0	18.9	n/a
1997	704	36.5	19.3	n/a
1998	710	42.0	16.9	n/a
1999	720	41.5	17.3	n/a
2000	707	42.0	16.8	13.3
2001	713	43.0	16.6	13.3
2002	703	43.1	16.3	12.4
2003	703	43.1	16.3	12.4
2004	741	42.7	17.4	9.4
2005	731	44.7	16.4	11.9
2006	687	49.7	13.8	14.6
2007	689	48.1	14.3	14.4
2008	679	47.1	14.4	17.7
2009	685	47.8	14.3	15.5
2010	666	47.9	13.9	13.2
2011	643	46.2	13.9	12.1
2012	667	46.4	14.3	20.2
2013	669	44.4	15.0	24.5
2014	623	44.1	14.1	24.4
2015	604	44.0	13.7	26.5
2016	602	44.0	13.6	27.1
2017	598	43.4	13.7	24.1
2018	574	43.7	13.1	25.6
2019	559	35.5	15.7	22.9
2020	591	33.6	17.5	23
2021	621	35.6	17.4	20.8
2022	619	35.4	17.4	20.7
2023	557	32.3	17.2	24.6

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 Plum Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$00 (0.0%)	$11,649 (100.0%)	$11,649
2020	$00 (0.0%)	$11,406 (100.0%)	$11,406
2021	$293 (2.2%)	$13,194 (97.8%)	$13,487
2022	$459 (2.6%)	$17,380 (97.4%)	$17,840

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Plum 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 128^th of 891 Middle schools	Ranks 225^th of 893 Middle schools	10.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade Math (Plum Middle School)	51.4	44.5	6.9%
7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	38.2	33.2	5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Plum Middle School)	75.1	61	14.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.5	54.5	6%
8th Grade Math (Plum Middle School)	40	29.1	10.9%
8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	32.2	26	6.2%
8th Grade Science (Plum Middle School)	72.5	64.8	7.7%
8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	58.2	57	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Plum Middle School)	74	58.5	15.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	57.9	52.8	5.1%
All Grades Math (Plum Middle School)	46	36.5	9.5%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (Plum Middle School)	72.5	64.8	7.7%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Plum Middle School)	74.6	59.7	14.9%
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	559	557	0.4%
African American	42	30	28.6%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	3	3
Hispanic	6	11	83.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	495	483	2.4%
Two or More Races	13	29	123.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	22.9%	24.6%	1.7%

Schools Near Plum 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
Plum Middle School	Public	7-8	440 Presque Isle Dr	Pittsburgh	15239	Allegheny County	Plum Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 733-2400	557	32	17.2	24.6%	483 (86.7%)	30 (5.4%)	11 (2.0%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.2%)	71.8	225^th of 893 public middle schools	74.8%		75.7	181^st of 883 public middle schools	79.5%	44			44.5	29.1	36.5	64.8	64.8			61.0	58.5	59.7	$17,840	$459	$17,380
Holiday Park Intermediate School	Public	5-6	100 School Road	Pittsburgh	15239	Allegheny County	Plum Borough School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 733-1500	542	34	15.7	27.5%	462 (85.2%)	35 (6.5%)	7 (1.3%)	7 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.5%)								(n/a)	67.8	54.9			61.2			63.8	55.9			59.7	$16,698	$430	$16,268
Gateway Middle School	Public	5-8	4450 Old William Penn Hwy	Monroeville	15146	Allegheny County	Gateway School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(412) 373-5780																			(n/a)
Franklin Regional Middle School	Public	6-8	4660 Old William Penn Hwy	Murrysville	15668	Westmoreland County	Franklin Regional School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 327-5456	786	62	12.7	20.0%	644 (81.9%)	13 (1.7%)	25 (3.2%)	65 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	38 (4.8%)	89	72^nd of 893 public middle schools	91.9%		91.8	46^th of 883 public middle schools	94.8%	26		57.0	52.2	49.5	52.9	78.3	78.3		71.7	75.0	72.7	73.2	$18,575	$48	$18,527
Linton Middle School	Public	6-8	250 Aster St	Pittsburgh	15235	Allegheny County	Penn Hills School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 795-3000	640	50	12.7	100.0%	131 (20.5%)	413 (64.5%)	34 (5.3%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	58 (9.1%)	12.9	758^th of 893 public middle schools	15.1%		15	724^th of 883 public middle schools	18.0%	34		8.2	5.7	3.4	5.8	29.5	29.5		26.8	30.7	23.9	27.2	$10,526	$6,822	$3,704
Life Male STEAM Academy Charter School	Public, Charter	6-9	777 Penn Center Blvd	Pittsburgh	15235	Allegheny County	Life Male STEAM Academy Charter School	Yes	No	No	No	(412) 867-6209	93	9	10.3	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	79 (84.9%)	4 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (7.5%)	7.2	845^th of 893 public middle schools	5.4%					(n/a)		0.0	4.3	0.0	1.3	17.2	17.2		7.1	30.4	13.7	16.3	$22,301	$489	$21,812
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
Charles A Huston Middle School	Public	6-8	1020 Puckety Church Rd	Lower Burrell	15068	Westmoreland County	Burrell School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 334-1443	416	29	14.1	39.7%	379 (91.1%)	8 (1.9%)	8 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.8%)	42.3	534^th of 893 public middle schools	40.2%		43.5	528^th of 883 public middle schools	40.2%	6		25.6	24.8	20.4	23.7	55.2	55.2		48.0	41.0	44.4	44.5	$15,790	$506	$15,283
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
Kiski Area Upper Elementary School	Public	5-6	4728 Route 66	Apollo	15613	Westmoreland County	Kiski Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 727-3426	493	35	14.0	100.0%	445 (90.3%)	36 (7.3%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.4%)								(n/a)	44.4	31.4			38.1			69.4	69.0			69.2	$19,563	$654	$18,909

Plum Middle School

Plum Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Plum Borough School District:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Plum Middle School

Rank History for all students at Plum Middle School

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Plum Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Plum Middle School

Rank History for Disabled students at Plum Middle School

Rank History for African American students at Plum Middle School

Rank History for White students at Plum Middle School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Plum Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Plum Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Plum Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Plum Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Plum Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Plum Middle School

Frequently Asked Questions about Plum Middle School

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