New Castle Junior High School

Summary:

New Castle Junior High School is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in New Castle, Pennsylvania, which is part of the New Castle Area School District. With 706 students, the school consistently ranks in the bottom quartile of Pennsylvania middle schools, performing significantly below state averages across all grade levels and subject areas.

Academically, New Castle Junior High School ranks between 696-755 out of 797-893 schools over the past 5 years, with low proficiency rates for all student subgroups. The school has also seen an increase in dropout rates, rising from 0% in 2020-2021 to 1.6% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the state average. Additionally, the school has an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at over 99% in recent years, indicating significant socioeconomic challenges.

When compared to nearby middle schools, such as Wilmington Area Middle School and Slippery Rock Area Middle School, New Castle Junior High School consistently underperforms academically. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the percentage of students proficient or better in Math ranged from 29.6% at Wilmington Area Middle School to 53.9% at Slippery Rock Area Middle School, while New Castle Junior High School had only 11.3% proficiency. Despite being a low-performing school, New Castle Junior High School has not shown significant improvement over the years, and addressing the underlying factors contributing to the school's struggles will be crucial for improving student outcomes.

Detail:

Public 6-8

310 E Lincoln Ave
New Castle, PA 16101

(724) 656-4700

District: New Castle Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
755^th of 891 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,237

Students who attend New Castle Junior High School usually attend:

High:

New Castle Senior High School

Feeder schools for New Castle Junior High School:

Elementary:

Washington Intrmd School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.0

Number of students: 681

Racial breakdown:

White:

53.5%

Two or more races:

20.9%

African American:

17.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details New Castle Junior High School ranks worse than 84.7% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 13.22. (See more...)

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at New Castle Junior High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (53.5%), two or more races (20.9%), African American (17.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 99.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at New Castle Junior High School is 17. (See more...)

Compare New Castle Junior High School employs 40 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at New Castle Junior High School is $13,237.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

New Castle Junior High School:

SchoolDigger ranks New Castle Junior High School 755^th of 891 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See New Castle Junior High School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

New Castle Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks New Castle Area School District 515^th of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for New Castle Junior High School

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Rank History for all students at New Castle Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile
2015	31.44	577^th	835	30.9%
2016	28.81	622^nd	870	28.5%
2017	28.26	627^th	877	28.5%
2018	30.17	605^th	861	29.7%
2019	21.14	677^th	891	24.0%
2021	11.79	696^th	797	12.7%
2022	14.23	733^rd	883	17.0%
2023	12.64	763^rd	893	14.6%
2024	13.22	755^th	891	15.3%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at New Castle Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	13.67	170^th	187	9.1%
2024	11.27	191^st	199	4.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at New Castle Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	16.40	743^rd	874	15.0%
2024	17.35	737^th	877	16.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at New Castle Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	14.26	727^th	860	15.5%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at New Castle Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	23.46	538^th	660	18.5%
2024	25.86	521^st	672	22.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at New Castle Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	12.12	755^th	870	13.2%

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

Rank History for African American students at New Castle Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	18.85	391^st	421	7.1%
2024	26.43	312^th	408	23.5%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at New Castle Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	21.23	305^th	362	15.7%
2024	17.29	321^st	362	11.3%

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

Rank History for White students at New Castle Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	4.93	666^th	681	2.2%
2024	4.53	654^th	673	2.8%

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 New Castle Junior High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2014	302	130	1	8	0	0	21	462
2015	315	123	2	7	0	0	10	457
2016	297	119	4	12	0	0	6	438
2017	304	132	2	10	0	0	13	461
2018	310	140	0	13	1	0	13	477
2019	319	141	0	18	1	0	19	498
2020	442	179	0	30	1	0	80	732
2021	402	167	1	31	1	1	106	709
2022	389	168	1	49	3	1	111	722
2023	374	151	1	55	2	1	122	706
2024	364	118	0	52	2	3	142	681

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 New Castle Junior High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	462	30.9	14.9	71.9
2015	457	32.0	14.2	99.8
2016	438	34.0	12.8	99.3
2017	461	34.6	13.3	100
2018	477	32.9	14.4	100
2019	498	33.9	14.6	100
2020	732	44.5	16.4	100
2021	709	44.1	16.0	n/a
2022	722	43.8	16.4	99.6
2023	706	41.5	17.0	99.6
2024	681	40.0	17.0	99.6

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 New Castle Junior High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	462	30.9	14.9	71.9
2015	457	32.0	14.2	99.8
2016	438	34.0	12.8	99.3
2017	461	34.6	13.3	100
2018	477	32.9	14.4	100
2019	498	33.9	14.6	100
2020	732	44.5	16.4	100
2021	709	44.1	16.0	n/a
2022	722	43.8	16.4	99.6
2023	706	41.5	17.0	99.6
2024	681	40.0	17.0	99.6

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 New Castle Junior High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,394 (9.6%)	$13,092 (90.4%)	$14,486
2020	$1,049 (9.2%)	$10,379 (90.8%)	$11,428
2021	$1,357 (11.6%)	$10,328 (88.4%)	$11,685
2022	$2,126 (16.1%)	$11,111 (83.9%)	$13,237

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on New Castle Junior High 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 677^th of 891 Middle schools	Ranks 763^rd of 893 Middle schools	9.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade Math (New Castle Junior High School)	20.1	13.8	6.3%
7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	38.2	33.2	5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (New Castle Junior High School)	32.4	17.8	14.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.5	54.5	6%
8th Grade Math (New Castle Junior High School)	12.8	6.3	6.5%
8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	32.2	26	6.2%
8th Grade Science (New Castle Junior High School)	41.3	26.8	14.5%
8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	58.2	57	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (New Castle Junior High School)	33.5	22.1	11.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	57.9	52.8	5.1%
All Grades Math (New Castle Junior High School)	16.5	10.9	5.6%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (New Castle Junior High School)	41.3	26.8	14.5%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (New Castle Junior High School)	33	19.9	13.1%
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	498	706	41.8%
African American	141	151	7.1%
American Indian	1	2	100%
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	18	55	205.6%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	319	374	17.2%
Two or More Races	19	122	542.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	99.6%	0.4%

Schools Near New Castle Junior High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				PSSA Math (2024)						PSSA Science (2024)			PSSA English Language Arts (2024)						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 (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	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
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	681	40	17.0	99.6%	364 (53.5%)	118 (17.3%)	52 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	142 (20.9%)	13.2	755^th of 891 public middle schools	15.3%		12.6	763^rd of 893 public middle schools	14.6%	8			11.1	15.8	7.5	11.3		27.9	27.9			16.9	20.8	18.0	18.4	$13,237	$2,126	$11,111
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	161	12	13.6	100.0%	120 (74.5%)	27 (16.8%)	3 (1.9%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (6.2%)	66.7	290^th of 891 public middle schools	67.5%		73.6	212^th of 893 public middle schools	76.3%	78			38.0	39.3	31.7	36.8		56.1	56.1			70.0	64.0	41.5	59.9	$18,107	$1,267	$16,840
Laurel Middle School	Public	7-8	2497 Harlansburg RD	New Castle	16101	Lawrence County	Laurel School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 658-9056	163	8	20.6	36.2%	160 (98.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	81.2	130^th of 891 public middle schools	85.4%		66.9	279^th of 893 public middle schools	68.8%	149				46.2	38.0	42.1		72.1	72.1				71.8	60.2	66.0	$18,169	$460	$17,709
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	341	22	15.2	48.7%	325 (95.3%)	2 (0.6%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.2%)	66.2	293^rd of 891 public middle schools	67.1%		71.1	233^rd of 893 public middle schools	73.9%	60			64.8	37.3	30.3	43.6		46.5	46.5			76.2	56.1	45.5	58.8	$10,287	$794	$9,494
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	302	19	16.1	46.4%	286 (94.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.6%)	40.3	554^th of 891 public middle schools	37.8%		55.6	405^th of 893 public middle schools	54.6%	149		61.3	17.7	28.8	15.1	29.6		57.5	57.5		54.9	40.3	46.3	39.4	45.0	$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	250	18	13.8	58.4%	225 (90.0%)	5 (2.0%)	8 (3.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.4%)								(n/a)		47.3	40.8			43.8					64.8	73.6			69.5	$15,297	$1,258	$14,039
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	322	21	15.7	52.8%	308 (95.7%)	3 (0.9%)	3 (0.9%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	80.6	131^st of 891 public middle schools	85.3%		81.8	132^nd of 893 public middle schools	85.2%	1			49.5	52.3	41.9	47.8		61.0	61.0			70.3	62.9	66.1	66.2	$15,409	$864	$14,545
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	165	14	11.6	53.3%	151 (91.5%)	3 (1.8%)	4 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	6 (3.6%)								(n/a)	51.8	59.3	49.0			53.6	87.1		87.1	55.5	63.0	68.7			62.2	$14,417	$523	$13,894
Mercer Area Middle School	Public	7-8	545 W Butler Street	Mercer	16137	Mercer County	Mercer Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 662-5104	133	10	13.1	100.0%	122 (91.7%)	4 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (5.3%)	62	336^th of 891 public middle schools	62.3%		61.1	342^nd of 893 public middle schools	61.7%	6				40.3	10.4	27.3		58.4	58.4				73.0	48.0	62.1	$14,332	$1,107	$13,225
Slippery Rock Area Middle School	Public	6-8	201 Kiester Rd	Slippery Rock	16057	Butler County	Slippery Rock Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 794-2960	422	38	11.1	37.7%	409 (96.9%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.4%)	85.4	96^th of 891 public middle schools	89.2%		90.5	60^th of 893 public middle schools	93.3%	36			69.5	57.5	37.8	53.9		72.1	72.1			71.3	69.4	62.8	67.6	$9,911	$203	$9,707

Frequently Asked Questions about New Castle Junior High School

What district is New Castle Junior High School in?

New Castle Area School District

How many students attend New Castle Junior High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 681 students attended New Castle Junior High School.

What is the racial makeup of New Castle Junior High School?

Students at New Castle Junior High School are 53% White, 21% Two or more races, 17% African American, 8% Hispanic.

What high school do graduates of New Castle Junior High School attend?

Students who attend New Castle Junior High School usually go on to attend New Castle Senior High School

Is New Castle Junior High School a good school?

New Castle Junior High School ranks in the bottom 15.3% of Pennsylvania middle schools.

Rate New Castle Junior High School!

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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.