Amherst Middle

Summary:

Amherst Middle is a public middle school located in Amherst, Virginia, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 347. The school is part of the Amherst County Public Schools district, which is ranked 95 out of 130 districts in Virginia and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Amherst Middle consistently outperforms the Amherst County Public Schools district and the state of Virginia in various SOL (Standards of Learning) assessments, with 97.22% of 8th-grade students proficient or better in Algebra I, compared to 95.88% for the district and 92.08% for the state. The school also has a relatively diverse student population, with 72.33% White, 14.12% African American, 4.03% Hispanic, and 7.49% two or more races, which is higher than the nearby Monelison Middle. However, Amherst Middle has a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 77.23% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, significantly higher than the state average.

Despite the socioeconomic challenges, Amherst Middle has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 10.9 students per teacher, lower than the nearby Monelison Middle (12.9 students per teacher) and the Lynchburg City Public Schools district (ranging from 11.2 to 15.4 students per teacher). This efficient resource allocation, combined with the school's consistent academic performance and inclusive environment, suggests that Amherst Middle is effectively supporting the diverse needs of its student population and providing a quality education for all.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 165 Gordons Fairground Rd
       Amherst, VA  24521


(434) 946-0691

District: Amherst County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
187th of 417 Virginia Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $7,925 Help


Students who attend Amherst Middle usually attend:

High:    Amherst County High

Feeder schools for Amherst Middle:

Elementary:    Amherst Elementary
    Central Elementary
    Temperance Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  11.8 Help
Number of students:  356

Racial breakdown:

White:
70.2%
African American:
15.2%
Two or more races:
7.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  80.1% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Amherst Middle ranks better than 55.2% of middle schools in Virginia. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 58.25. (See more...)
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Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (70.2%), African American (15.2%), two or more races (7.3%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 80.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Amherst Middle is 11.8. (See more...)
Help
Compare Amherst Middle employs 30 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Amherst Middle is $7,925.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Amherst Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Amherst Middle 187th of 417 Virginia public middle schools. (See Amherst Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
White students:


Amherst County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Amherst County Public Schools 95th of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Amherst Middle

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Amherst Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 36.92 265th 340 22.1%
2006 30.74 315th 383 17.8%
2007 29.96 334th 387 13.7%
2008 36.92 282nd 391 27.9%
2009 41.16 254th 390 34.9%
2010 47.19 222nd 408 45.6%
2011 36.54 306th 413 25.9%
2012 40.13 274th 413 33.7%
2013 42.96 235th 416 43.5%
2014 45.72 224th 416 46.2%
2015 49.30 202nd 412 51.0%
2016 48.73 210th 409 48.7%
2017 54.65 176th 415 57.6%
2018 57.41 157th 413 62.0%
2019 58.14 165th 424 61.1%
2021 28.89 303rd 419 27.7%
2022 43.32 232nd 415 44.1%
2023 51.58 209th 422 50.5%
2024 58.25 187th 417 55.2%
See the entire list of Virginia Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Amherst Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 46.00 125th 231 45.9%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Amherst Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 66.23 121st 402 69.9%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Amherst Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 51.84 207th 411 49.6%
2024 64.59 148th 407 63.6%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Amherst Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 51.19 208th 409 49.1%
2024 52.67 207th 407 49.1%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Amherst Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 66.20 91st 298 69.5%
2024 60.80 114th 299 61.9%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Amherst Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 33.67 296th 402 26.4%
2024 47.47 222nd 396 43.9%
See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Virginia Department 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.

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





Data source: Virginia Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Amherst Middle

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 395 395
1990 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 514 514
1991 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 407 407
1992 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 418 418
1993 346 93 0 0 1 n/a n/a 0 440
1994 339 98 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 437
1995 334 117 0 0 2 n/a n/a 0 453
1996 334 117 0 0 2 n/a n/a 0 453
1997 348 137 0 0 2 n/a n/a 0 487
1998 335 137 0 1 2 n/a n/a 0 475
1999 336 133 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 470
2000 320 123 1 2 1 n/a n/a -4 443
2001 330 133 2 1 1 n/a n/a 0 467
2002 369 132 4 2 3 n/a n/a 0 510
2003 369 132 4 2 3 n/a n/a 0 510
2004 323 128 2 1 2 n/a n/a 0 456
2005 343 118 1 3 1 n/a n/a 1 467
2006 308 119 4 6 0 n/a n/a 0 437
2007 331 103 4 11 1 n/a n/a 0 450
2008 334 104 2 15 0 n/a n/a 0 455
2009 311 91 3 14 2 n/a n/a 4 425
2010 307 88 1 12 5 n/a n/a 3 416
2011 313 99 1 10 7 0 8 0 438
2012 298 90 1 12 4 0 16 0 421
2013 278 94 1 18 1 0 18 0 410
2014 266 80 1 20 0 0 15 0 382
2015 250 78 2 13 0 0 20 0 363
2016 268 66 2 9 0 0 24 0 369
2017 269 42 1 6 0 0 29 0 347
2018 275 40 0 9 3 0 31 0 358
2019 279 44 2 11 4 0 32 0 372
2020 286 55 0 18 4 0 36 0 399
2021 291 62 0 15 3 1 36 0 408
2022 274 61 1 11 2 0 29 0 378
2023 251 49 2 14 5 0 26 0 347
2024 250 54 2 21 3 0 26 0 356

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 Amherst Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 395 27.8 14.2 n/a
1990 514 34.7 14.8 n/a
1991 407 28.7 14.1 n/a
1992 418 29.2 14.3 n/a
1993 440 25.8 17.1 n/a
1994 437 21.8 n/a 23.3
1995 453 n/a 0.0 26.9
1996 453 n/a 0.0 26.9
1997 487 n/a 0.0 27.9
1998 475 n/a 0.0 28.6
1999 470 35.0 13.4 33
2000 443 n/a 0.0 34.2
2001 467 34.8 13.4 34
2002 510 41.0 12.4 41.2
2003 510 41.0 12.4 41.2
2004 456 36.0 12.7 42.5
2005 467 34.0 13.7 38.8
2006 437 40.0 10.9 45.3
2007 450 35.0 12.9 39.1
2008 455 30.2 15.1 42.6
2009 425 30.3 14.0 43.2
2010 416 30.6 13.5 47.5
2011 438 28.3 15.4 46.6
2012 421 34.6 12.1 48.5
2013 410 29.8 13.7 48.3
2014 382 30.9 12.3 49
2015 363 34.0 10.6 51
2016 369 31.0 11.9 49.3
2017 347 30.5 11.3 41.8
2018 358 30.9 11.5 45.5
2019 372 28.6 12.9 48.7
2020 399 30.5 13.0 48.6
2021 408 24.4 16.6 n/a
2022 378 30.5 12.3 51.3
2023 347 31.7 10.9 77.2
2024 356 30.0 11.8 80.1

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 Amherst Middle

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 395 27.8 14.2 n/a
1990 514 34.7 14.8 n/a
1991 407 28.7 14.1 n/a
1992 418 29.2 14.3 n/a
1993 440 25.8 17.1 n/a
1994 437 21.8 n/a 23.3
1995 453 n/a 0.0 26.9
1996 453 n/a 0.0 26.9
1997 487 n/a 0.0 27.9
1998 475 n/a 0.0 28.6
1999 470 35.0 13.4 33
2000 443 n/a 0.0 34.2
2001 467 34.8 13.4 34
2002 510 41.0 12.4 41.2
2003 510 41.0 12.4 41.2
2004 456 36.0 12.7 42.5
2005 467 34.0 13.7 38.8
2006 437 40.0 10.9 45.3
2007 450 35.0 12.9 39.1
2008 455 30.2 15.1 42.6
2009 425 30.3 14.0 43.2
2010 416 30.6 13.5 47.5
2011 438 28.3 15.4 46.6
2012 421 34.6 12.1 48.5
2013 410 29.8 13.7 48.3
2014 382 30.9 12.3 49
2015 363 34.0 10.6 51
2016 369 31.0 11.9 49.3
2017 347 30.5 11.3 41.8
2018 358 30.9 11.5 45.5
2019 372 28.6 12.9 48.7
2020 399 30.5 13.0 48.6
2021 408 24.4 16.6 n/a
2022 378 30.5 12.3 51.3
2023 347 31.7 10.9 77.2
2024 356 30.0 11.8 80.1

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 Amherst Middle

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $10 (0.1%) $7,475 (99.9%) $7,486
2020 $08 (0.1%) $7,437 (99.9%) $7,444
2021 $03 (0.0%) $7,922 (100.0%) $7,925

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Amherst Middle

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 165th of 424 Middle schoolsRanks 209th of 422 Middle schools
 10.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (Amherst Middle)6047.8
 12.2%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Amherst County Public Schools)6833.5
 34.5%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)7857.8
 20.2%
6th Grade English Reading (Amherst Middle)7872.2
 5.8%
   6th Grade English Reading (Amherst County Public Schools)7965.9
 13.1%
   6th Grade English Reading (Virginia)7770.4
 6.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (Amherst Middle)9067.7
 22.3%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Amherst County Public Schools)8146
 35%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)7851.4
 26.6%
7th Grade English Reading (Amherst Middle)8576.9
 8.2%
   7th Grade English Reading (Amherst County Public Schools)7873.1
 4.9%
   7th Grade English Reading (Virginia)7970.3
 8.7%
8th Grade Writing (Amherst Middle)7956.5
 22.5%
   8th Grade Writing (Amherst County Public Schools)7251.5
 20.5%
   8th Grade Writing (Virginia)7055.5
 14.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Amherst Middle)8458.5
 25.5%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Amherst County Public Schools)8242.9
 39.1%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)7748.4
 28.6%
8th Grade Science (Amherst Middle)7739
 38%
   8th Grade Science (Amherst County Public Schools)7044
 26%
   8th Grade Science (Virginia)7861
 17%
8th Grade English Reading (Amherst Middle)8372.8
 10.2%
   8th Grade English Reading (Amherst County Public Schools)8069.1
 10.9%
   8th Grade English Reading (Virginia)7670.7
 5.3%
End of Course Algebra I (Amherst Middle)10094
 6%
   End of Course Algebra I (Amherst County Public Schools)9069
 21%
   End of Course Algebra I (Virginia)8680
 6%
End of Course Earth Science (Amherst Middle)9279
 13%
   End of Course Earth Science (Amherst County Public Schools)8657
 29%
   End of Course Earth Science (Virginia)8172
 9%
End of Course World History I (Amherst Middle)8572
 13%
   End of Course World History I (Amherst County Public Schools)8047
 33%
   End of Course World History I (Virginia)8066
 14%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students372347
 6.7%
African American4449
 11.4%
American Indian45
 25%
Asian22
Hispanic1114
 27.3%
Pacific Islander00
White279251
 10%
Two or More Races3226
 18.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients48.7%77.2%
 28.6%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Amherst Middle

Amherst Middle ranks 187th of 417 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at Amherst Middle are 70% White, 15% African American, 7% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic.

In the 2023-24 school year, 356 students attended Amherst Middle.

Students who attend Amherst Middle usually go on to attend Amherst County High


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Virginia 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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