Union Area Middle School

Q: Is Union Area Middle School a good school?

Union Area Middle School ranks 212 th of 893 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Union Area Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in New Castle, Pennsylvania, with a relatively small student population of 175 students. The school is part of the New Castle Area School District, which is ranked 169 out of 606 school districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

One key differentiator for Union Area Middle School is its racial makeup, with a higher percentage of white students (77.71%) compared to the surrounding schools, which tend to have more diverse student populations. For example, New Castle Junior High School has a much more racially diverse student body. Academically, Union Area Middle School has consistently performed well on the PSSA tests, with higher proficiency rates in Math, Science, and English Language Arts across all grade levels compared to state averages. The school has also maintained a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past two school years, ranking it among the top 25% of middle schools in Pennsylvania.

Another notable aspect of Union Area Middle School is its socioeconomic status, with 65.14% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2022-2023 school year. This is a higher rate than some of the surrounding schools, such as Delahunty Middle School (50.84%) and Riverside Middle School (44.14%). Despite this demographic challenge, Union Area Middle School has shown a consistent pattern of strong academic performance, suggesting that the school is effectively supporting student learning and achievement.

Detail:

Public 6-8

2106 Camden Ave
New Castle, PA 16101-1173

(724) 658-4501

District: Union Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
212^th of 893 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,107

Student/teacher ratio: 15.9

Number of students: 175

Racial breakdown:

White:

77.7%

African American:

14.3%

Two or more races:

5.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 65.1%

See top rated Pennsylvania middle schools

Compare Union Area Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Union Area Middle School ranks better than 76.3% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 73.62. (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 (77.7%), African American (14.3%), two or more races (5.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 65.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Union Area Middle School is 15.9. (See more...)

Compare Union Area Middle School employs 10.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Union Area Middle School is $18,107.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Union Area Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Union Area Middle School 212^th of 893 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See Union Area Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

White students:

Union Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Union Area School District 169^th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Union Area Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Union Area Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	24.10	529^th	643	17.7%
2004	57.84	343^rd	663	48.3%
2005	36.44	515^th	687	25.0%
2006	46.38	474^th	736	35.6%
2007	59.61	358^th	749	52.2%
2008	57.23	383^rd	753	49.1%
2009	58.64	377^th	770	51.0%
2010	57.23	412^th	805	48.8%
2011	60.31	391^st	825	52.6%
2012	59.35	417^th	834	50.0%
2013	47.26	492^nd	758	35.1%
2014	38.61	523^rd	728	28.2%
2015	55.72	396^th	835	52.6%
2016	47.89	499^th	870	42.6%
2017	65.23	302^nd	877	65.6%
2018	68.54	270^th	861	68.6%
2019	64.64	323^rd	891	63.7%
2021	65.62	248^th	797	68.9%
2022	69.01	250^th	883	71.7%
2023	73.62	212^th	893	76.3%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Union Area Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	78.86	112^th	874	87.2%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Union Area Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	23.97	529^th	660	19.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Union Area Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	59.31	247^th	681	63.7%

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.

Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

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Enrollment information for Union Area Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	247	19	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	266
1989	242	17	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	259
1990	245	19	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	264
1991	265	30	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	295
1992	281	34	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	315
1993	297	26	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	323
1994	299	29	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	328
1995	258	22	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	281
1996	258	22	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	281
1997	241	20	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	261
1998	226	23	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	252
1999	224	14	4	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	243
2000	227	17	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	248
2001	224	25	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	253
2002	252	28	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	283
2003	252	28	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	283
2004	254	27	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	284
2005	251	34	0	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	290
2006	236	41	1	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	288
2007	237	36	1	1	3	n/a	n/a	0	278
2008	223	47	1	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	273
2009	217	46	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	2	267
2010	209	41	0	2	1	n/a	n/a	5	258
2011	209	38	0	1	1	0	4	0	253
2012	214	37	0	2	0	0	3	0	256
2013	214	33	1	0	1	0	1	0	250
2014	208	29	1	2	1	0	0	0	241
2015	189	26	2	3	0	0	0	0	220
2016	181	30	2	2	0	0	1	0	216
2017	141	22	0	2	0	0	1	0	166
2018	145	20	1	0	0	0	1	0	167
2019	145	14	1	1	0	0	1	0	162
2020	152	16	1	0	1	0	3	0	173
2021	153	16	0	0	1	0	3	0	173
2022	142	17	1	2	1	0	8	0	171
2023	136	25	1	3	0	0	10	0	175

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 Union Area Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	266	19.0	14.0	n/a
1989	259	18.5	14.0	n/a
1990	264	18.5	14.2	0
1991	295	17.9	16.4	n/a
1992	315	19.3	16.3	n/a
1993	323	8.5	38.0	n/a
1994	328	9.5	34.5	n/a
1995	281	8.5	33.1	n/a
1996	281	8.5	33.1	n/a
1997	261	8.5	30.7	n/a
1998	252	9.0	28.0	n/a
1999	243	12.0	20.3	n/a
2000	248	12.5	19.8	0
2001	253	13.5	18.7	0
2002	283	13.0	21.8	0
2003	283	13.0	21.8	0
2004	284	14.3	19.9	0
2005	290	14.3	20.3	0
2006	288	14.0	20.6	0
2007	278	14.5	19.2	0
2008	273	21.5	12.7	n/a
2009	267	20.5	13.0	n/a
2010	258	20.5	12.5	39.9
2011	253	20.5	12.3	44.7
2012	256	19.0	13.4	48.8
2013	250	13.5	18.5	38.8
2014	241	12.5	19.2	40.2
2015	220	12.0	18.3	54.5
2016	216	8.0	27.0	51.9
2017	166	7.0	23.7	n/a
2018	167	8.0	20.8	n/a
2019	162	7.5	21.6	51.2
2020	173	7.5	23.0	n/a
2021	173	7.5	23.0	52.6
2022	171	10.9	15.6	59.1
2023	175	10.9	15.9	65.1

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 Union Area Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	266	19.0	14.0	n/a
1989	259	18.5	14.0	n/a
1990	264	18.5	14.2	0
1991	295	17.9	16.4	n/a
1992	315	19.3	16.3	n/a
1993	323	8.5	38.0	n/a
1994	328	9.5	34.5	n/a
1995	281	8.5	33.1	n/a
1996	281	8.5	33.1	n/a
1997	261	8.5	30.7	n/a
1998	252	9.0	28.0	n/a
1999	243	12.0	20.3	n/a
2000	248	12.5	19.8	0
2001	253	13.5	18.7	0
2002	283	13.0	21.8	0
2003	283	13.0	21.8	0
2004	284	14.3	19.9	0
2005	290	14.3	20.3	0
2006	288	14.0	20.6	0
2007	278	14.5	19.2	0
2008	273	21.5	12.7	n/a
2009	267	20.5	13.0	n/a
2010	258	20.5	12.5	39.9
2011	253	20.5	12.3	44.7
2012	256	19.0	13.4	48.8
2013	250	13.5	18.5	38.8
2014	241	12.5	19.2	40.2
2015	220	12.0	18.3	54.5
2016	216	8.0	27.0	51.9
2017	166	7.0	23.7	n/a
2018	167	8.0	20.8	n/a
2019	162	7.5	21.6	51.2
2020	173	7.5	23.0	n/a
2021	173	7.5	23.0	52.6
2022	171	10.9	15.6	59.1
2023	175	10.9	15.9	65.1

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 Union Area Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$00 (NaN)	$00 (NaN)	$00
2020	$460 (2.6%)	$17,147 (97.4%)	$17,607
2021	$1,760 (9.8%)	$16,115 (90.2%)	$17,874
2022	$1,267 (7.0%)	$16,840 (93.0%)	$18,107

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Union Area 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 323^rd of 891 Middle schools	Ranks 212^th of 893 Middle schools	12.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Math (Union Area Middle School)	54.2	58.6	4.4%
6th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	39	36.4	2.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Union Area Middle School)	72.9	81	8.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	63	55.6	7.4%
7th Grade Math (Union Area Middle School)	41.7	29.3	12.4%
7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	38.2	33.2	5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Union Area Middle School)	48.3	63.5	15.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.5	54.5	6%
8th Grade Math (Union Area Middle School)	39	36.2	2.8%
8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	32.2	26	6.2%
8th Grade Science (Union Area Middle School)	61	60.3	0.7%
8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	58.2	57	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Union Area Middle School)	61	51.7	9.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	57.9	52.8	5.1%
All Grades Math (Union Area Middle School)	45	42.7	2.3%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (Union Area Middle School)	61	60.3	0.7%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Union Area Middle School)	59.7	65.6	5.9%
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	162	175	8%
African American	14	25	78.6%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	1	3	200%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	145	136	6.2%
Two or More Races	1	10	900%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	51.2%	65.1%	13.9%

Schools Near Union Area 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 4th Grade	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA Science 4th Grade	PSSA Science 8th Grade	PSSA Science All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 4th Grade	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
Union Area Middle School	Public	6-8	2106 Camden Ave	New Castle	16101	Lawrence County	Union Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 658-4501	175	11	15.9	65.1%	136 (77.7%)	25 (14.3%)	3 (1.7%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.7%)	73.6	212^th of 893 public middle schools	76.3%		69	250^th of 883 public middle schools	71.7%	38			58.6	29.3	36.2	42.7		60.3	60.3			81.0	63.5	51.7	65.6	$18,107	$1,267	$16,840
New Castle Junior High School	Public	6-8	310 E Lincoln Ave	New Castle	16101	Lawrence County	New Castle Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 656-4700	706	42	17.0	99.6%	374 (53.0%)	151 (21.4%)	55 (7.8%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	122 (17.3%)	12.6	763^rd of 893 public middle schools	14.6%		14.2	733^rd of 883 public middle schools	17.0%	30			12.0	13.8	6.3	10.9		26.8	26.8			20.0	17.8	22.1	19.9	$13,237	$2,126	$11,111
Mohawk Junior High School	Public	6-8	385 Mohawk School Rd	New Castle	16102	Lawrence County	Mohawk Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 667-7782	346	21	16.1	46.2%	330 (95.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.8%)	71.1	233^rd of 893 public middle schools	73.9%		73.4	205^th of 883 public middle schools	76.8%	28			56.9	33.9	29.8	40.2		68.0	68.0			70.6	51.3	59.1	60.2	$10,287	$794	$9,494
Laurel Middle School	Public	7-8	2497 Harlansburg RD	New Castle	16101	Lawrence County	Laurel School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 658-9056	161	8	20.4	25.5%	157 (97.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	66.9	279^th of 893 public middle schools	68.8%		77.1	168^th of 883 public middle schools	81.0%	111				30.1	31.1	30.6		68.9	68.9				53.1	63.5	58.0	$18,169	$460	$17,709
Wilmington Area Middle School	Public	5-8	400 Wood St	New Wilmington	16142	Lawrence County	Wilmington Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 656-8866	323	19	17.4	99.7%	305 (94.4%)	3 (0.9%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.7%)	55.6	405^th of 893 public middle schools	54.6%		57.9	381^st of 883 public middle schools	56.9%	24		47.9	33.3	21.0	16.3	29.3		65.1	65.1		56.2	59.0	54.7	58.8	57.2	$16,442	$1,612	$14,830
Hartman Intrmd School	Public	5-6	Crescent Avenue & 4th Street	Ellwood City	16117	Lawrence County	Ellwood City Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 758-3241	263	17	15.3	58.2%	231 (87.8%)	4 (1.5%)	9 (3.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.8%)								(n/a)		52.4	25.8			39.2					70.6	59.7			65.2	$15,297	$1,258	$14,039
Oakview Elementary School	Public	4-6	3591 Sharon Rd	West Middlesex	16159	Mercer County	West Middlesex Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 634-3030	158	16	10.0	50.0%	146 (92.4%)	2 (1.3%)	4 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	5 (3.2%)								(n/a)	63.1	47.8	52.4			54.3	82.6		82.6	67.4	63.0	62.3			64.0	$14,417	$523	$13,894
Riverside Middle School	Public	6-8	302 Country Club Dr	Ellwood City	16117	Lawrence County	Riverside Beaver County School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 758-7512	324	23	13.8	44.1%	313 (96.6%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.5%)	81.8	132^nd of 893 public middle schools	85.2%		76.1	177^th of 883 public middle schools	80.0%	45			55.1	43.7	36.8	45.2		72.6	72.6			70.1	71.8	62.6	68.2	$15,409	$864	$14,545
Highland Middle School	Public	5-8	402 Shenango Rd	Beaver Falls	15010	Beaver County	Blackhawk School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 843-1700	700	47	14.9	35.3%	656 (93.7%)	6 (0.9%)	15 (2.1%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.6%)	56.9	390^th of 893 public middle schools	56.3%		68.8	254^th of 883 public middle schools	71.2%	136		59.4	48.7	43.5	18.4	42.6		58.2	58.2		67.7	48.1	50.6	47.0	53.5	$10,333	$106	$10,226
Delahunty Middle School	Public	6-7	419 N Hermitage Rd	Hermitage	16148	Mercer County	Hermitage School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 981-8750	299	18	16.6	50.8%	240 (80.3%)	26 (8.7%)	2 (0.7%)	6 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	23 (7.7%)	84.1	115^th of 893 public middle schools	87.1%		86.7	86^th of 883 public middle schools	90.3%	29			62.7	43.1		52.0						71.4	70.4		70.9	$13,092	$849	$12,244

Frequently Asked Questions about Union Area Middle School

What district is Union Area Middle School in?

Union Area School District

Is Union Area Middle School a good school?

Union Area Middle School ranks 212^th of 893 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Union Area Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 175 students attended Union Area Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Union Area Middle School?

Students at Union Area Middle School are 78% White, 14% African American, 6% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

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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.