Is Pennington Middle a good school?

Pennington Middle ranks 175 th of 417 Virginia middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Pennington Middle?

In the 2023-24 school year, 287 students attended Pennington Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Pennington Middle?

Students at Pennington Middle are 97% White, 1% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Pennington Middle attend?

Students who attend Pennington Middle usually go on to attend Lee High

Pennington Middle

Summary:

Pennington Middle is a public middle school located in Pennington Gap, Virginia, serving grades 5-7 with a total enrollment of 274 students. The school is part of the Lee County Public Schools district, which is ranked 45 out of 130 school districts in Virginia and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Pennington Middle has a significantly higher percentage of white students (96.35%) compared to the state average and nearby schools, which is an important factor to consider. The school has shown strong performance in Mathematics, with a 7th-grade proficiency rate of 91.11%, significantly higher than the state average of 52.49% and the Lee County Public Schools district average of 80.75%. Pennington Middle has also performed exceptionally well in supporting its low socioeconomic status (SES) and disabled student subgroups, ranking 62nd out of 402 Virginia middle schools for low SES students and 45th out of 281 Virginia middle schools for disabled students.

While Pennington Middle has shown strong performance in certain areas, its statewide ranking has declined over the years, from 138th out of 424 Virginia middle schools in 2018-2019 to 175th out of 417 in 2023-2024. The school's performance is generally on par with or slightly lower than its neighboring school, Jonesville Middle, but lags behind the higher-performing Union Middle, which is part of the Wise County Public Schools district. Pennington Middle also has an exceptionally high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 99.01% to 100% over the past three school years.

Detail:

Public 5-7

121 Bobcat Circle
Pennington Gap, VA 24277

(276) 546-1453

District: Lee County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
175^th of 417 Virginia Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,506

Students who attend Pennington Middle usually attend:

High:	Lee High
	Thomas Walker High

Feeder schools for Pennington Middle:

Elementary:	Dryden Elementary
	Elk Knob Elementary
	Flatwoods Elementary
	Rose Hill Elementary
	More...
	St. Charles Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 9.6

Number of students: 287

Racial breakdown:

White:

96.9%

Two or more races:

1.4%

African American:

0.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated Virginia middle schools

Compare Pennington Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Pennington Middle ranks better than 58% of middle schools in Virginia. It also ranks last among 3 ranked middle schools in the Lee County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 60.43. (See more...)

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

Compare Details Pennington Middle has the largest middle school student body size in the Lee County Public Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (96.9%), two or more races (1.4%), African American (0.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Lee County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pennington Middle is 9.6, which is the lowest among 3 middle schools in the Lee County Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Pennington Middle employs 29.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pennington Middle is $8,506, which is the lowest among 3 middle schools in the Lee County Public Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pennington Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Pennington Middle 175^th of 417 Virginia public middle schools. (See Pennington Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

White students:

Lee County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Lee County Public Schools 45^th of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Pennington Middle?

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Rank History for Pennington Middle

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Rank History for all students at Pennington Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	VA State Percentile
2005	37.69	259^th	340	23.8%
2006	56.89	144^th	383	62.4%
2007	48.25	209^th	387	46.0%
2008	76.69	30^th	391	92.3%
2009	56.02	142^nd	390	63.6%
2010	46.65	233^rd	408	42.9%
2011	44.56	249^th	413	39.7%
2012	53.35	176^th	413	57.4%
2013	39.55	259^th	416	37.7%
2014	57.05	144^th	416	65.4%
2015	39.39	266^th	412	35.4%
2016	31.29	312^th	409	23.7%
2017	33.45	306^th	415	26.3%
2018	42.90	253^rd	413	38.7%
2019	62.31	138^th	424	67.5%
2021	57.96	144^th	419	65.6%
2022	50.60	197^th	415	52.5%
2023	49.31	220^th	422	47.9%
2024	60.43	175^th	417	58.0%

See the entire list of Virginia Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pennington Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	75.74	62^nd	402	84.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Pennington Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	45.28	244^th	411	40.6%
2024	62.11	166^th	407	59.2%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Pennington Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	77.93	45^th	281	84.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at Pennington Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	52.20	204^th	409	50.1%
2024	58.75	171^st	407	58.0%

See the entire list of Best Virginia Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Pennington Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	VA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	32.01	307^th	402	23.6%
2024	42.65	247^th	396	37.6%

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.

Data source: Virginia Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Pennington 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	766	766
1990	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	633	633
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	621	621
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	637	637
1993	567	3	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	571
1994	507	5	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	512
1995	459	9	1	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	470
1996	459	9	1	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	470
1997	423	7	1	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	433
1998	420	5	1	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	429
1999	445	4	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	451
2000	481	4	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	-4	483
2001	481	3	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	484
2002	423	4	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	428
2003	423	4	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	428
2004	428	9	0	1	2	n/a	n/a	0	440
2005	402	7	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	410
2006	325	6	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	332
2007	301	6	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	307
2008	271	2	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	1	276
2009	309	0	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	1	314
2010	335	0	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	337
2011	323	1	0	3	0	0	0	0	327
2012	387	1	2	1	0	0	0	0	391
2013	374	2	3	1	0	0	1	0	381
2014	383	3	2	1	0	0	1	0	390
2015	361	1	2	3	0	0	1	0	368
2016	358	0	1	4	0	0	0	0	363
2017	344	2	1	6	0	0	1	0	354
2018	343	6	1	6	0	0	1	0	357
2019	311	3	2	9	0	0	2	0	327
2020	317	3	1	6	0	0	4	0	331
2021	299	1	1	4	0	0	3	0	308
2022	288	4	0	2	1	0	8	0	303
2023	264	1	0	2	1	0	6	0	274
2024	278	2	0	2	1	0	4	0	287

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 Pennington Middle

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	766	39.6	19.3	n/a
1990	633	39.4	16.0	n/a
1991	621	41.3	15.0	n/a
1992	637	42.1	15.1	n/a
1993	571	43.3	13.2	n/a
1994	512	35.9	n/a	53.1
1995	470	n/a	0.0	49.6
1996	470	n/a	0.0	49.6
1997	433	n/a	0.0	54.5
1998	429	n/a	0.0	55
1999	451	42.0	10.7	71.2
2000	483	n/a	0.0	67.1
2001	484	41.0	11.8	59.7
2002	428	50.5	8.5	62.4
2003	428	50.5	8.5	62.4
2004	440	43.5	10.1	67.5
2005	410	36.0	11.4	70.2
2006	332	39.0	8.5	71.1
2007	307	33.6	9.1	66.1
2008	276	18.8	14.7	67.6
2009	314	19.2	16.4	66.5
2010	337	18.0	18.6	64.1
2011	327	18.9	17.2	61.8
2012	391	29.8	13.1	62.9
2013	381	29.7	12.7	66.4
2014	390	29.0	13.4	67.7
2015	368	29.0	12.6	67.9
2016	363	25.0	14.5	66.4
2017	354	25.0	14.1	71.2
2018	357	28.2	12.6	91.6
2019	327	29.3	11.1	94.8
2020	331	28.4	11.6	94.6
2021	308	27.6	11.1	n/a
2022	303	28.1	10.7	99
2023	274	28.7	9.5	100
2024	287	29.7	9.6	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 Pennington Middle

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	766	39.6	19.3	n/a
1990	633	39.4	16.0	n/a
1991	621	41.3	15.0	n/a
1992	637	42.1	15.1	n/a
1993	571	43.3	13.2	n/a
1994	512	35.9	n/a	53.1
1995	470	n/a	0.0	49.6
1996	470	n/a	0.0	49.6
1997	433	n/a	0.0	54.5
1998	429	n/a	0.0	55
1999	451	42.0	10.7	71.2
2000	483	n/a	0.0	67.1
2001	484	41.0	11.8	59.7
2002	428	50.5	8.5	62.4
2003	428	50.5	8.5	62.4
2004	440	43.5	10.1	67.5
2005	410	36.0	11.4	70.2
2006	332	39.0	8.5	71.1
2007	307	33.6	9.1	66.1
2008	276	18.8	14.7	67.6
2009	314	19.2	16.4	66.5
2010	337	18.0	18.6	64.1
2011	327	18.9	17.2	61.8
2012	391	29.8	13.1	62.9
2013	381	29.7	12.7	66.4
2014	390	29.0	13.4	67.7
2015	368	29.0	12.6	67.9
2016	363	25.0	14.5	66.4
2017	354	25.0	14.1	71.2
2018	357	28.2	12.6	91.6
2019	327	29.3	11.1	94.8
2020	331	28.4	11.6	94.6
2021	308	27.6	11.1	n/a
2022	303	28.1	10.7	99
2023	274	28.7	9.5	100
2024	287	29.7	9.6	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 Pennington Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,027 (14.3%)	$6,174 (85.7%)	$7,201
2020	$1,351 (17.3%)	$6,469 (82.7%)	$7,820
2021	$1,936 (22.8%)	$6,571 (77.3%)	$8,506

Data source: Virginia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Pennington 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 138^th of 424 Middle schools	Ranks 220^th of 422 Middle schools	19.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
5th Grade Mathematics (Pennington Middle)	84	80.9	3.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Lee County Public Schools)	87	77.6	9.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	81	67	14%
5th Grade Science (Pennington Middle)	71	77.5	6.5%
5th Grade Science (Lee County Public Schools)	78	73.3	4.7%
5th Grade Science (Virginia)	79	66	13%
5th Grade English Reading (Pennington Middle)	71	65.2	5.8%
5th Grade English Reading (Lee County Public Schools)	78	69.1	8.9%
5th Grade English Reading (Virginia)	78	71.4	6.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Pennington Middle)	86	70.3	15.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Lee County Public Schools)	87	73.8	13.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	78	57.8	20.2%
6th Grade English Reading (Pennington Middle)	77	63.7	13.3%
6th Grade English Reading (Lee County Public Schools)	81	72	9%
6th Grade English Reading (Virginia)	77	70.4	6.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (Pennington Middle)	91	84.3	6.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (Lee County Public Schools)	89	82.6	6.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Virginia)	78	51.4	26.6%
7th Grade English Reading (Pennington Middle)	87	67.4	19.6%
7th Grade English Reading (Lee County Public Schools)	86	73.3	12.7%
7th Grade English Reading (Virginia)	79	70.3	8.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	327	274	16.2%
African American	3	1	66.7%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	2	0	100%
Hispanic	9	2	77.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	311	264	15.1%
Two or More Races	2	6	200%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	94.8%	100%	5.2%

Schools Near Pennington Middle

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				SOL Algebra I (2024)	SOL Mathematics (2024)				SOL Science (2024)		SOL English Reading (2024)				SOL Civics and Economics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SOL Algebra I 8th Grade	SOL Mathematics 5th Grade	SOL Mathematics 6th Grade	SOL Mathematics 7th Grade	SOL Mathematics 8th Grade	SOL Science 5th Grade	SOL Science 8th Grade	SOL English Reading 5th Grade	SOL English Reading 6th Grade	SOL English Reading 7th Grade	SOL English Reading 8th Grade	SOL Civics and Economics 7th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Pennington Middle	Public	5-7	121 Bobcat Circle	Pennington Gap	24277	Lee County	Lee County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 546-1453	287	30	9.6	100.0%	278 (96.9%)	2 (0.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)	60.4	175^th of 417 public middle schools	58.0%		49.3	220^th of 422 public middle schools	47.9%	45		65.9	76.7	91.1		63.3		58.2	71.9	68.5		64.0	$8,506	$1,936	$6,571
Jonesville Middle	Public	5-7	160 Bulldog Circle	Jonesville	24263	Lee County	Lee County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 346-1011	238	22	11.0	100.8%	229 (96.2%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	68.4	123^rd of 417 public middle schools	70.5%		69.3	125^th of 422 public middle schools	70.4%	2		67.6	75.6	81.3		66.2		68.9	76.8	72.5		73.8	$9,020	$3,388	$5,633
Union Middle	Public	5-8	3137 Second Avenue East	Big Stone Gap	24219	Wise County	Wise County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(276) 523-0195	569	47	12.1	93.5%	530 (93.1%)	13 (2.3%)	11 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.5%)	80.8	53^rd of 417 public middle schools	87.3%		80	55^th of 422 public middle schools	87.0%	2	100.0	80.5	80.7	81.1	73.7	78.1	73.5	87.5	80.6	82.0	84.6	86.1	$6,232	$148	$6,085
Rye Cove Intermediate	Public	5-7	158 Memorial School Lane	Clinchport	24244	Scott County	Scott County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(276) 940-2322	155	15	10.5	78.1%	136 (87.7%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.5%)	69.3	118^th of 417 public middle schools	71.7%		64.4	144^th of 422 public middle schools	65.9%	26		82.2	72.3	75.4		71.1		80.0	80.9	73.7		75.4	$8,305	$657	$7,648

Pennington Middle

Pennington Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Lee County Public Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Pennington Middle

Rank History for all students at Pennington Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pennington Middle

Rank History for Female students at Pennington Middle

Rank History for Disabled students at Pennington Middle

Rank History for Male students at Pennington Middle

Rank History for White students at Pennington Middle

Enrollment information for Pennington Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Pennington Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio Pennington Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for Pennington Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on Pennington Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Pennington Middle