Solomon/Plains Middle School

Summary:

Solomon/Plains Middle School is a public middle school located in Plains, PA, serving 736 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Wilkes-Barre Area School District, which is ranked 457 out of 610 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite the school's relatively high per-student spending, ranging from $13,945 to $16,061 over the past few years, Solomon/Plains Middle School consistently performs below the state and district averages on PSSA tests in Math, Science, and English Language Arts. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 11.2% of students were proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to 17.9% for the Wilkes-Barre Area School District and 40.4% for the state of Pennsylvania. The school's performance also varies significantly across different student subgroups, with African American and Multi-racial students performing relatively better, while White and English Language Learner students perform significantly worse.

When compared to nearby middle schools, Solomon/Plains Middle School consistently lags behind in academic performance. The only nearby school that significantly outperforms it is Dallas Middle School, which is part of the Dallas School District and ranks in the top 25% of Pennsylvania middle schools. The combination of low academic performance, high dropout rates, and high concentrations of disadvantaged students suggests that Solomon/Plains Middle School may be facing significant challenges that need to be addressed to improve the educational outcomes for its students.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 43 Abbott St
       Plains, PA  18705-1905


(570) 826-7224

District: Wilkes-Barre Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
672nd of 891 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,945 Help


Feeder schools for Solomon/Plains Middle School:

Elementary:    Daniel J Flood Elementary School
    Solomon/Plains Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  17.8 Help
Number of students:  736

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
41.2%
White:
39.0%
African American:
11.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


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 Compare Solomon/Plains Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Solomon/Plains Middle School ranks worse than 75.4% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.22. (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: Hispanic (41.2%), White (39%), African American (11.7%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Solomon/Plains Middle School is 17.8. (See more...)
Help
Compare Solomon/Plains Middle School employs 41.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Solomon/Plains Middle School is $13,945.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Solomon/Plains Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Solomon/Plains Middle School 672nd of 891 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See Solomon/Plains Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Wilkes-Barre Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Wilkes-Barre Area School District 457th of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Solomon/Plains Middle School?

Rank History for Solomon/Plains Middle School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Solomon/Plains Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 41.60 461st 643 28.3%
2004 41.70 467th 663 29.6%
2005 70.89 221st 687 67.8%
2006 72.65 198th 736 73.1%
2007 66.72 270th 749 64.0%
2008 52.96 430th 753 42.9%
2009 56.67 409th 770 46.9%
2010 59.55 396th 805 50.8%
2011 42.34 576th 825 30.2%
2012 39.05 601st 834 27.9%
2013 37.34 556th 758 26.6%
2014 30.42 559th 728 23.2%
2015 38.83 540th 835 35.3%
2016 35.15 588th 870 32.4%
2017 34.38 589th 877 32.8%
2018 32.10 593rd 861 31.1%
2019 34.25 600th 891 32.7%
2021 16.32 655th 797 17.8%
2022 17.97 698th 883 21.0%
2023 27.64 633rd 893 29.1%
2024 22.22 672nd 891 24.6%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Solomon/Plains Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 30.00 127th 187 32.1%
2024 31.19 134th 199 32.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Solomon/Plains Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 21.89 135th 143 5.6%
2024 19.86 144th 150 4.0%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Solomon/Plains Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 28.82 638th 874 27.0%
2024 23.23 689th 877 21.4%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Solomon/Plains Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 22.47 658th 860 23.5%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Solomon/Plains Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 31.62 455th 660 31.1%
2024 31.75 449th 672 33.2%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Solomon/Plains Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 21.23 674th 870 22.5%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Solomon/Plains Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 33.04 278th 421 34.0%
2024 45.40 192nd 408 52.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Solomon/Plains Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 33.40 240th 362 33.7%
2024 29.98 256th 362 29.3%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Solomon/Plains Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 22.37 574th 681 15.7%
2024 13.58 612th 673 9.1%
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.

Solomon/Plains 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: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Monday, August 31, 2015

Open Quote No notifications about transition time change from elementary to jr high, very unorganized, make sure you find out about the jr high starts earlier and gets out earlier because the school does not inform anyone, lot of bullies, parking is nuts, people park in fire zones, very chaotic school. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Solomon/Plains Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1998 547 24 4 5 0 n/a n/a 0 580
1999 538 17 4 3 1 n/a n/a 0 563
2000 497 19 6 8 3 n/a n/a 0 533
2001 529 21 4 13 1 n/a n/a 0 568
2002 502 19 3 19 4 n/a n/a 0 547
2003 502 19 3 19 4 n/a n/a 0 547
2004 501 28 5 28 5 n/a n/a 0 567
2005 469 35 6 38 2 n/a n/a 0 550
2006 441 44 6 41 3 n/a n/a 0 535
2007 435 48 6 51 0 n/a n/a 0 540
2008 396 40 6 45 1 n/a n/a 0 488
2009 400 37 3 40 0 n/a n/a 1 481
2010 375 41 3 49 0 n/a n/a 3 471
2011 361 40 2 69 1 0 5 0 478
2012 369 60 1 74 1 0 1 0 506
2013 298 64 4 62 0 0 3 0 431
2014 318 66 5 68 0 1 5 0 463
2015 322 52 9 81 0 0 9 0 473
2016 292 40 7 84 0 1 17 0 441
2017 272 55 8 99 0 0 19 0 453
2018 255 48 7 127 0 1 22 0 460
2019 254 44 6 136 0 0 20 0 460
2020 240 54 5 160 1 1 25 0 486
2021 222 57 3 158 0 2 40 0 482
2022 314 101 4 269 0 0 61 0 749
2023 287 86 2 303 1 0 57 0 736

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 Solomon/Plains Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1998 580 32.0 18.1 n/a
1999 563 38.0 14.8 n/a
2000 533 37.5 14.2 25
2001 568 37.0 15.4 28.5
2002 547 38.2 14.3 25
2003 547 38.2 14.3 25
2004 567 36.0 15.8 32.1
2005 550 35.3 15.6 24.9
2006 535 35.3 15.2 40
2007 540 34.6 15.6 45.2
2008 488 73.0 6.7 42.4
2009 481 38.5 12.5 46
2010 471 41.1 11.4 51.3
2011 478 37.3 12.7 53.3
2012 506 39.1 12.9 58.7
2013 431 34.2 12.5 58.9
2014 463 38.7 11.9 56.2
2015 473 39.0 12.1 99.4
2016 441 38.0 11.6 100
2017 453 34.0 13.3 100
2018 460 32.4 14.1 100
2019 460 31.0 14.8 100
2020 486 31.1 15.6 100
2021 482 27.6 17.4 99.4
2022 749 42.2 17.7 99.6
2023 736 41.1 17.8 100

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 Solomon/Plains Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1998 580 32.0 18.1 n/a
1999 563 38.0 14.8 n/a
2000 533 37.5 14.2 25
2001 568 37.0 15.4 28.5
2002 547 38.2 14.3 25
2003 547 38.2 14.3 25
2004 567 36.0 15.8 32.1
2005 550 35.3 15.6 24.9
2006 535 35.3 15.2 40
2007 540 34.6 15.6 45.2
2008 488 73.0 6.7 42.4
2009 481 38.5 12.5 46
2010 471 41.1 11.4 51.3
2011 478 37.3 12.7 53.3
2012 506 39.1 12.9 58.7
2013 431 34.2 12.5 58.9
2014 463 38.7 11.9 56.2
2015 473 39.0 12.1 99.4
2016 441 38.0 11.6 100
2017 453 34.0 13.3 100
2018 460 32.4 14.1 100
2019 460 31.0 14.8 100
2020 486 31.1 15.6 100
2021 482 27.6 17.4 99.4
2022 749 42.2 17.7 99.6
2023 736 41.1 17.8 100

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 Solomon/Plains Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $867 (5.9%) $13,891 (94.1%) $14,758
2020 $635 (4.5%) $13,455 (95.5%) $14,090
2021 $2,484 (15.5%) $13,577 (84.5%) $16,060
2022 $1,784 (12.8%) $12,160 (87.2%) $13,945

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Solomon/Plains 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 600th of 891 Middle schoolsRanks 633rd of 893 Middle schools
 3.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
7th Grade Math (Solomon/Plains Middle School)19.48.9
 10.5%
   7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)38.233.2
 5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Solomon/Plains Middle School)51.537.9
 13.6%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)60.554.5
 6%
8th Grade Math (Solomon/Plains Middle School)18.112
 6.1%
   8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)32.226
 6.2%
8th Grade Science (Solomon/Plains Middle School)48.840.5
 8.3%
   8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)58.257
 1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Solomon/Plains Middle School)43.239.7
 3.5%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)57.952.8
 5.1%
All Grades Math (Solomon/Plains Middle School)18.811.4
 7.4%
   All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)42.439.3
 3.1%
All Grades Science (Solomon/Plains Middle School)48.840.5
 8.3%
   All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)6865.6
 2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Solomon/Plains Middle School)47.341.8
 5.5%
   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 Students460736
 60%
African American4486
 95.5%
American Indian01
Asian62
 66.7%
Hispanic136303
 122.8%
Pacific Islander00
White254287
 13%
Two or More Races2057
 185%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients100%100%


Schools Near Solomon/Plains Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about Solomon/Plains Middle School

Solomon/Plains Middle School ranks in the bottom 24.6% of Pennsylvania middle schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 736 students attended Solomon/Plains Middle School.

Students at Solomon/Plains Middle School are 41% Hispanic, 39% White, 12% African American, 8% Two or more races.


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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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