Is South Fayette Middle School a good school?

Yes! South Fayette Middle School is one of the best middle schools in the state. It ranks 16 th of 893 Pennsylvania middle schools.

How many students attend South Fayette Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 802 students attended South Fayette Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of South Fayette Middle School?

Students at South Fayette Middle School are 69% White, 24% Asian, 4% Two or more races, 1% African American, 1% Hispanic.

What high school do graduates of South Fayette Middle School attend?

Students who attend South Fayette Middle School usually go on to attend South Fayette High School

South Fayette Middle School

Summary:

South Fayette Middle School is a public middle school serving 802 students in grades 6-8 in the South Fayette Township School District in McDonald, PA. This exceptional institution has consistently ranked among the top middle schools in Pennsylvania, earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past several years.

South Fayette Middle School's academic performance is truly impressive, with students significantly outperforming state and district averages on PSSA tests in Math, Science, and English Language Arts. For example, in the 2022-2023 school year, 66.9% of all students were proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to the state average of 39.3% and the district average of 74.7%. The school's performance in PSSA Science (83.1% proficient or better) and PSSA English Language Arts (87.6% proficient or better) were also notably higher than the state and district averages. Additionally, the school maintains a 0.0% dropout rate, indicating a high level of student retention and engagement.

While the majority of students at South Fayette Middle School are White (68.58%), the school has a relatively diverse student population, with a significant Asian student population (23.94%) and smaller percentages of African American, Hispanic, and multi-racial students. This diversity is notable compared to many of the surrounding schools, such as Mellon Middle School and Fort Couch Middle School in the Mt. Lebanon School District, which tend to have a higher percentage of White students. Additionally, South Fayette Middle School has a relatively low percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (12.59%), suggesting a higher socioeconomic status compared to many other schools in the region.

Detail:

Public 6-8

3700 Old Oakdale Rd
Mc Donald, PA 15057-2580

(412) 221-4542

District: South Fayette Township School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
16^th of 893 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,405

Students who attend South Fayette Middle School usually attend:

High:

South Fayette High School

Feeder schools for South Fayette Middle School:

Elementary:	South Fayette Elementary School
	South Fayette Intermediate School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.7

Number of students: 802

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.6%

Asian:

23.9%

Two or more races:

4.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 12.6%

See top rated Pennsylvania middle schools

Compare South Fayette Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details South Fayette Middle School ranks better than 98.2% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 96.82. (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 (68.6%), Asian (23.9%), two or more races (4.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 12.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South Fayette Middle School is 14.7. (See more...)

Compare South Fayette Middle School employs 54.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at South Fayette Middle School is $15,405.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

South Fayette Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks South Fayette Middle School 16^th of 893 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See South Fayette Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

Asian students:

White students:

South Fayette Township School District:

SchoolDigger ranks South Fayette Township School District 4^th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

What do you think?

Your rating for South Fayette Middle School?

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Rank History for South Fayette Middle School

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Rank History for all students at South Fayette Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	91.32	30^th	643	95.3%
2004	88.92	42^nd	663	93.7%
2005	94.15	13^th	687	98.1%
2006	90.81	19^th	736	97.4%
2007	92.04	9^th	749	98.8%
2008	90.08	19^th	753	97.5%
2009	86.81	40^th	770	94.8%
2010	87.68	22^nd	805	97.3%
2011	90.55	8^th	825	99.0%
2012	89.57	10^th	834	98.8%
2013	90.16	6^th	758	99.2%
2014	91.30	3^rd	728	99.6%
2015	97.14	2^nd	835	99.8%
2016	96.94	2^nd	870	99.8%
2017	96.49	5^th	877	99.4%
2018	96.73	4^th	861	99.5%
2019	96.76	4^th	891	99.6%
2021	97.16	13^th	797	98.4%
2022	96.11	16^th	883	98.2%
2023	96.82	16^th	893	98.2%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at South Fayette Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	94.24	8^th	187	95.7%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at South Fayette Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	97.06	10^th	874	98.9%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at South Fayette Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	92.43	23^rd	660	96.5%

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

Rank History for Asian students at South Fayette Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	80.50	20^th	144	86.1%

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

Rank History for White students at South Fayette Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	93.10	28^th	681	95.9%

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.

Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for South Fayette Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1998	448	22	10	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	482
1999	464	24	10	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	501
2000	448	16	21	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	490
2001	462	22	10	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	497
2002	533	21	12	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	568
2003	533	21	12	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	568
2004	542	24	6	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	574
2005	552	22	10	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	586
2006	554	25	17	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	599
2007	598	32	18	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	654
2008	581	31	24	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	645
2009	651	33	30	7	1	n/a	n/a	5	727
2010	661	33	30	8	2	n/a	n/a	2	736
2011	648	32	33	10	2	0	10	0	735
2012	684	25	46	6	5	2	16	0	784
2013	684	25	64	10	4	0	17	0	804
2014	522	24	55	7	2	0	10	0	620
2015	555	24	61	7	2	0	10	0	659
2016	585	22	99	10	2	0	12	0	730
2017	616	18	113	11	1	0	21	0	780
2018	606	19	134	12	3	0	27	0	801
2019	628	15	149	15	2	0	37	0	846
2020	641	11	164	20	3	0	40	0	879
2021	611	9	167	14	1	0	38	0	840
2022	579	9	187	8	1	0	38	0	822
2023	550	12	192	12	0	0	36	0	802

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 South Fayette Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	482	17.0	28.4	n/a
1999	501	23.0	21.8	n/a
2000	490	26.0	18.8	0
2001	497	27.0	18.4	0
2002	568	39.0	14.6	9.9
2003	568	39.0	14.6	9.9
2004	574	39.0	14.7	0
2005	586	40.1	14.6	9.6
2006	599	40.0	15.0	11
2007	654	44.0	14.9	12.1
2008	645	32.4	19.9	15.5
2009	727	32.7	22.2	14.1
2010	736	34.7	21.1	14.9
2011	735	34.4	21.3	11
2012	784	36.4	21.5	12
2013	804	52.4	15.3	10.7
2014	620	42.5	14.5	11.6
2015	659	45.0	14.6	11.4
2016	730	45.0	16.2	14
2017	780	49.1	15.8	12.1
2018	801	50.1	15.9	12.2
2019	846	52.1	16.2	11.6
2020	879	52.3	16.8	11.7
2021	840	54.3	15.4	10.8
2022	822	54.2	15.1	11.8
2023	802	54.2	14.7	12.6

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 South Fayette Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	482	17.0	28.4	n/a
1999	501	23.0	21.8	n/a
2000	490	26.0	18.8	0
2001	497	27.0	18.4	0
2002	568	39.0	14.6	9.9
2003	568	39.0	14.6	9.9
2004	574	39.0	14.7	0
2005	586	40.1	14.6	9.6
2006	599	40.0	15.0	11
2007	654	44.0	14.9	12.1
2008	645	32.4	19.9	15.5
2009	727	32.7	22.2	14.1
2010	736	34.7	21.1	14.9
2011	735	34.4	21.3	11
2012	784	36.4	21.5	12
2013	804	52.4	15.3	10.7
2014	620	42.5	14.5	11.6
2015	659	45.0	14.6	11.4
2016	730	45.0	16.2	14
2017	780	49.1	15.8	12.1
2018	801	50.1	15.9	12.2
2019	846	52.1	16.2	11.6
2020	879	52.3	16.8	11.7
2021	840	54.3	15.4	10.8
2022	822	54.2	15.1	11.8
2023	802	54.2	14.7	12.6

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 South Fayette Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$286 (3.2%)	$8,689 (96.8%)	$8,975
2020	$273 (2.0%)	$13,588 (98.0%)	$13,861
2021	$544 (3.7%)	$14,225 (96.3%)	$14,769
2022	$411 (2.7%)	$14,994 (97.3%)	$15,405

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on South Fayette 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 4^th of 891 Middle schools	Ranks 16^th of 893 Middle schools	1.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Math (South Fayette Middle School)	83.2	78.8	4.4%
6th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	39	36.4	2.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (South Fayette Middle School)	94.6	90.9	3.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	63	55.6	7.4%
7th Grade Math (South Fayette Middle School)	72.3	65.4	6.9%
7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	38.2	33.2	5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (South Fayette Middle School)	89.9	87.9	2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.5	54.5	6%
8th Grade Math (South Fayette Middle School)	62.7	57.2	5.5%
8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	32.2	26	6.2%
8th Grade Science (South Fayette Middle School)	89.4	83.1	6.3%
8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	58.2	57	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (South Fayette Middle School)	92.7	84.3	8.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	57.9	52.8	5.1%
All Grades Math (South Fayette Middle School)	73.3	66.9	6.4%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (South Fayette Middle School)	89.4	83.1	6.3%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (South Fayette Middle School)	92.4	87.6	4.8%
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	846	802	5.2%
African American	15	12	20%
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	149	192	28.9%
Hispanic	15	12	20%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	628	550	12.4%
Two or More Races	37	36	2.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	11.6%	12.6%	1%

Schools Near South Fayette 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
South Fayette Middle School	Public	6-8	3700 Old Oakdale Rd	Mc Donald	15057	Washington County	South Fayette Township School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 221-4542	802	54	14.7	12.6%	550 (68.6%)	12 (1.5%)	12 (1.5%)	192 (23.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (4.5%)	96.8	16^th of 893 public middle schools	98.2%		96.1	16^th of 883 public middle schools	98.2%			78.8	65.4	57.2	66.9	83.1	83.1		90.9	87.9	84.3	87.6	$15,405	$411	$14,994
Chartiers Valley Middle School	Public	6-8	50 Thoms Run Rd	Bridgeville	15017	Allegheny County	Chartiers Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 429-2223	718	59	12.2	34.7%	576 (80.2%)	27 (3.8%)	15 (2.1%)	53 (7.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (6.4%)	66.6	287^th of 893 public middle schools	67.9%		57.2	387^th of 883 public middle schools	56.2%	100		40.4	36.7	22.1	33.3	59.5	59.5		67.2	61.2	59.4	62.6	$20,370	$210	$20,160
Cecil Intrmd School	Public	5-6	3676 Millers Run Rd	Mc Donald	15057	Washington County	Canon-McMillan School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 745-2623	387	25	15.6	29.2%	344 (88.9%)	7 (1.8%)	6 (1.6%)	7 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.9%)								(n/a)	66.0	61.4			63.7			64.2	70.7			67.4	$14,907	$271	$14,636
Jefferson Middle School	Public	6-8	21 Moffett St	Pittsburgh	15243	Allegheny County	Mt Lebanon School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 344-2120	622	55	11.2	16.6%	520 (83.6%)	14 (2.3%)	22 (3.5%)	35 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.0%)	96.4	21^st of 893 public middle schools	97.6%		96.9	11^th of 883 public middle schools	98.8%	10		63.5	71.3	60.0	64.8	89.3	89.3		82.7	88.1	89.3	86.8	$18,565	$886	$17,680
Boyce Middle School	Public	5-6	1500 Boyce Rd	Pittsburgh	15241	Allegheny County	Upper St. Clair School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 833-1600	631	45	14.1	9.8%	498 (78.9%)	13 (2.1%)	15 (2.4%)	75 (11.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (4.8%)								(n/a)	88.2	81.1			84.6			85.9	87.9			87.0	$21,568	$551	$21,018
Fort Couch Middle School	Public	7-8	515 Fort Couch Rd	Pittsburgh	15241	Allegheny County	Upper St. Clair School District	No	No	No	Yes	(412) 833-1600	601	47	12.7	10.5%	490 (81.5%)	4 (0.7%)	17 (2.8%)	72 (12.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.8%)	98	6^th of 893 public middle schools	99.3%		98.3	3^rd of 883 public middle schools	99.7%	3			70.8	68.2	69.5	89.9	89.9			88.6	89.6	89.1	$22,506	$549	$21,957
West Allegheny Middle School	Public	6-8	207 W Allegheny Rd	Imperial	15126	Allegheny County	West Allegheny School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 695-8979	767	48	15.8	30.2%	664 (86.6%)	23 (3.0%)	21 (2.7%)	16 (2.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (5.3%)	92.5	42^nd of 893 public middle schools	95.3%		91.4	50^th of 883 public middle schools	94.3%	8		75.1	69.4	41.0	62.3	73.9	73.9		83.7	86.4	70.9	80.6	$16,854	$929	$15,925
Mellon Middle School	Public	6-8	11 Castle Shannon Boulevard	Pittsburgh	15228	Allegheny County	Mt Lebanon School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 344-2122	635	56	11.4	15.7%	536 (84.4%)	10 (1.6%)	22 (3.5%)	36 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (4.9%)	97.1	13^th of 893 public middle schools	98.5%		96.4	14^th of 883 public middle schools	98.4%	1		72.7	65.0	61.7	66.4	90.8	90.8		85.8	87.1	86.9	86.6	$18,130	$838	$17,292
Independence Middle School	Public	7-8	2807 Bethel Church Rd	Bethel Park	15102	Allegheny County	Bethel Park School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 854-8677	537	52	10.2	18.1%	473 (88.1%)	16 (3.0%)	11 (2.0%)	20 (3.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (2.8%)	88.7	73^rd of 893 public middle schools	91.8%		92	45^th of 883 public middle schools	94.9%	28			55.4	36.6	45.8	77.9	77.9			77.6	74.0	75.8	$31	$02	$29
Keystone Oaks Middle School	Public	6-8	1002 Kelton Ave	Pittsburgh	15216	Allegheny County	Keystone Oaks School District	No	No	No	No	(412) 571-6146	382	35	10.9	48.7%	298 (78.0%)	29 (7.6%)	21 (5.5%)	20 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.7%)	74.8	201^st of 893 public middle schools	77.5%		75.4	184^th of 883 public middle schools	79.2%	17		58.0	35.9	41.6	44.9	58.5	58.5		73.3	60.6	56.8	63.3	$20,468	$548	$19,920

South Fayette Middle School

South Fayette Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

South Fayette Township School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for South Fayette Middle School

Rank History for all students at South Fayette Middle School

Rank History for Multi-racial students at South Fayette Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at South Fayette Middle School

Rank History for Disabled students at South Fayette Middle School

Rank History for Asian students at South Fayette Middle School

Rank History for White students at South Fayette Middle School

Enrollment information for South Fayette Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at South Fayette Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio South Fayette Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for South Fayette Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on South Fayette Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near South Fayette Middle School