Plum Middle School

Summary:

Plum Middle School is a public middle school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 557 students. The school is part of the Plum Borough School District, which is ranked 240 out of 610 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Plum Middle School faces several challenges, including lower academic performance compared to state and district averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 35.2% of students were proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to 53.1% in the district and 40.4% statewide. However, the school's performance in PSSA Science is relatively stronger, with 61% of students proficient or better, compared to 74.2% in the district and 65.8% statewide. The school's performance also varies across different student subgroups, with African American students and students with disabilities performing better than the overall school ranking.

Compared to nearby schools, Plum Middle School's academic performance is generally lower. For instance, the nearby Holiday Park Intermediate School, which is also part of the Plum Borough School District, outperforms Plum Middle School in both PSSA Math and English Language Arts. Additionally, schools in the Kiski Area School District and Penn-Trafford School District consistently rank higher than Plum Middle School. These differences may be attributed to factors such as the school's relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and a higher student-teacher ratio compared to some of the higher-performing schools in the region.


Detail:

Public 7-8

 440 Presque Isle Dr
       Pittsburgh, PA  15239-2699


(724) 733-2400

District: Plum Borough School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
318th of 891 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $17,840 Help


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:  16.7 Help
Number of students:  547

Racial breakdown:

White:
85.0%
African American:
7.3%
Two or more races:
5.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  32% Help


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 Compare Plum Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Plum Middle School ranks better than 64.3% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 64.52. (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 (85%), African American (7.3%), two or more races (5.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 32% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Plum Middle School is 16.7. (See more...)
Help
Compare Plum Middle School employs 32.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Plum Middle School is $17,840.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Plum Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Plum Middle School 318th of 891 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:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Male students:
African American students:
White students:


Plum Borough School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Plum Borough School District 240th of 610 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?

Rank History for Plum Middle School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Plum Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 59.22 305th 643 52.6%
2004 82.99 90th 663 86.4%
2005 80.97 123rd 687 82.1%
2006 79.60 108th 736 85.3%
2007 78.17 125th 749 83.3%
2008 81.70 85th 753 88.7%
2009 82.54 81st 770 89.5%
2010 81.04 104th 805 87.1%
2011 75.71 179th 825 78.3%
2012 83.13 78th 834 90.6%
2013 78.24 134th 758 82.3%
2014 78.31 122nd 728 83.2%
2015 75.29 187th 835 77.6%
2016 87.45 75th 870 91.4%
2017 87.15 81st 877 90.8%
2018 82.21 122nd 861 85.8%
2019 81.68 128th 891 85.6%
2021 70.73 196th 797 75.4%
2022 75.73 181st 883 79.5%
2023 71.79 225th 893 74.8%
2024 64.52 318th 891 64.3%
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 150th 187 19.8%
2024 39.55 110th 199 44.7%
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 394th 874 54.9%
2024 58.35 347th 877 60.4%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Plum Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 63.79 297th 860 65.5%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Female 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 99th 660 85.0%
2024 58.39 197th 672 70.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Plum Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 63.20 305th 870 64.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Male 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 56th 421 86.7%
2024 55.06 148th 408 63.7%
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 233rd 681 65.8%
2024 51.13 310th 673 53.9%
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.

Plum Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Thursday, September 22, 2011

Open Quote 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

Open Quote 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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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 418 14 2 0 0 n/a n/a 0 434
1989 408 8 3 1 0 n/a n/a 0 420
1990 590 11 2 4 3 n/a n/a 0 610
1991 592 12 5 2 0 n/a n/a 0 611
1992 607 10 2 1 0 n/a n/a 0 620
1993 602 17 5 1 0 n/a n/a 0 625
1994 625 13 3 4 0 n/a n/a 0 645
1995 650 26 5 1 0 n/a n/a 0 682
1996 650 26 5 1 0 n/a n/a 0 682
1997 665 28 7 0 4 n/a n/a 0 704
1998 671 25 11 2 1 n/a n/a 0 710
1999 693 22 4 1 0 n/a n/a 0 720
2000 666 33 3 4 1 n/a n/a 0 707
2001 678 29 5 1 0 n/a n/a 0 713
2002 667 20 11 3 2 n/a n/a 0 703
2003 667 20 11 3 2 n/a n/a 0 703
2004 709 19 5 4 4 n/a n/a 0 741
2005 703 21 2 3 2 n/a n/a 0 731
2006 650 29 6 0 2 n/a n/a 0 687
2007 639 36 12 1 1 n/a n/a 0 689
2008 621 41 12 5 0 n/a n/a 0 679
2009 634 32 12 7 0 n/a n/a 0 685
2010 626 28 9 3 0 n/a n/a 0 666
2011 599 35 6 3 0 0 0 0 643
2012 626 29 5 4 0 0 3 0 667
2013 612 39 7 4 0 1 6 0 669
2014 571 30 9 4 0 1 8 0 623
2015 547 36 9 4 0 0 8 0 604
2016 541 38 12 2 0 0 9 0 602
2017 535 36 10 3 0 0 14 0 598
2018 506 38 8 6 0 0 16 0 574
2019 495 42 3 6 0 0 13 0 559
2020 506 42 9 11 0 0 23 0 591
2021 535 36 8 14 0 1 27 0 621
2022 547 30 2 12 0 1 27 0 619
2023 483 30 3 11 1 0 29 0 557
2024 465 40 7 7 0 0 28 0 547

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

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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
2024 547 32.5 16.7 32

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

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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
2024 547 32.5 16.7 32

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

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal 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 128th of 891 Middle schoolsRanks 225th 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)51.444.5
 6.9%
   7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)38.233.2
 5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Plum Middle School)75.161
 14.1%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)60.554.5
 6%
8th Grade Math (Plum Middle School)4029.1
 10.9%
   8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)32.226
 6.2%
8th Grade Science (Plum Middle School)72.564.8
 7.7%
   8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)58.257
 1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Plum Middle School)7458.5
 15.5%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)57.952.8
 5.1%
All Grades Math (Plum Middle School)4636.5
 9.5%
   All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)42.439.3
 3.1%
All Grades Science (Plum Middle School)72.564.8
 7.7%
   All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)6865.6
 2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Plum Middle School)74.659.7
 14.9%
   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 Students559557
 0.4%
African American4230
 28.6%
American Indian01
Asian33
Hispanic611
 83.3%
Pacific Islander00
White495483
 2.4%
Two or More Races1329
 123.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients22.9%24.6%
 1.7%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Plum Middle School

In the 2023-24 school year, 547 students attended Plum Middle School.

Plum Middle School ranks 318th of 891 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at Plum Middle School are 85% White, 7% African American, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian, 1% Hispanic.

Students who attend Plum Middle School usually go on to attend 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.





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