Palmyra Area Middle School

Summary:

Palmyra Area Middle School is a public middle school serving 829 students in grades 6-8 in the Palmyra Area School District in Palmyra, Pennsylvania. This exceptional school has consistently ranked highly in the state, with a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and ranking in the top 10-20% of Pennsylvania middle schools over the past several years.

Palmyra Area Middle School stands out for its exceptional academic performance, consistently outperforming state averages on PSSA tests across all subjects and grade levels. In 2023-2024, the school had 74.2% of students proficient or better in ELA, 56.6% in Math, and 70.2% in Science - all significantly higher than the state averages. The school also performs exceptionally well for Hispanic and low-socioeconomic status students, ranking in the top 25-30 middle schools in the state for these subgroups. Additionally, Palmyra Area Middle School has very low dropout rates, ranging from 0-1.6% over the past few years, well below the state average.

Compared to nearby middle schools, such as Central Dauphin East Middle School, Lebanon Middle School, and Middletown Area Middle School, Palmyra Area Middle School significantly outperforms them by 30-50 percentage points on ELA and Math proficiency. This high performance is achieved despite having a relatively low 29% free/reduced lunch rate, suggesting the school is effectively supporting students from lower-income backgrounds. With a student-teacher ratio of 14 students per teacher, Palmyra Area Middle School has a lower ratio compared to many nearby schools, which likely contributes to its strong academic outcomes.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 50 W Cherry St
       Palmyra, PA  17078-2301


(717) 838-1331

District: Palmyra Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
69th of 891 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,278 Help


Students who attend Palmyra Area Middle School usually attend:

High:    Palmyra Area Senior High School

Feeder schools for Palmyra Area Middle School:

Elementary:    Forge Road Elementary School
    Lingle Avenue Elementary School
    Northside Elementary School
    Pine Street Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.5 Help
Number of students:  817

Racial breakdown:

White:
79.6%
Hispanic:
7.7%
Asian:
5.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  30.4% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Palmyra Area Middle School ranks better than 92.3% of middle schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 89.42. (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
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (79.6%), Hispanic (7.7%), Asian (5.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 30.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Palmyra Area Middle School is 13.5. (See more...)
Help
Compare Palmyra Area Middle School employs 60.4 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Palmyra Area Middle School is $13,278.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Palmyra Area Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Palmyra Area Middle School 69th of 891 Pennsylvania public middle schools. (See Palmyra Area Middle 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:
Asian students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Palmyra Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Palmyra Area School District 44th of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Palmyra Area Middle School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Palmyra Area Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 85.71 71st 643 89.0%
2004 74.42 180th 663 72.9%
2005 79.75 137th 687 80.1%
2006 79.73 106th 736 85.6%
2007 71.50 214th 749 71.4%
2008 70.75 218th 753 71.0%
2009 72.37 206th 770 73.2%
2010 70.76 234th 805 70.9%
2011 75.93 175th 825 78.8%
2012 81.20 102nd 834 87.8%
2013 72.13 216th 758 71.5%
2014 73.82 180th 728 75.3%
2015 82.62 106th 835 87.3%
2016 84.42 107th 870 87.7%
2017 80.59 138th 877 84.3%
2018 78.76 152nd 861 82.3%
2019 86.34 88th 891 90.1%
2021 84.02 88th 797 89.0%
2022 88.15 72nd 883 91.8%
2023 90.81 54th 893 94.0%
2024 89.42 69th 891 92.3%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Palmyra Area Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 80.23 36th 199 81.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 87.56 60th 874 93.1%
2024 84.06 83rd 877 90.5%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Palmyra Area Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 87.18 71st 860 91.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Palmyra Area Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 73.97 90th 660 86.4%
2024 69.69 121st 672 82.0%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Palmyra Area Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 89.11 68th 870 92.2%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Palmyra Area Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 28.20 111th 144 22.9%
2024 38.54 99th 145 31.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Palmyra Area Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 83.97 37th 362 89.8%
2024 89.07 26th 362 92.8%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Palmyra Area Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 88.18 54th 681 92.1%
2024 83.82 72nd 673 89.3%
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.

Palmyra Area Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

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Enrollment information for Palmyra Area Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 763 4 8 4 0 n/a n/a 0 779
1989 704 4 10 0 0 n/a n/a 0 718
1990 722 3 4 0 0 n/a n/a 0 729
1991 799 3 10 1 1 n/a n/a 0 814
1992 628 3 8 5 3 n/a n/a 0 647
1993 656 7 5 4 0 n/a n/a 0 672
1994 631 12 5 5 0 n/a n/a 0 653
1995 618 11 8 2 0 n/a n/a 0 639
1996 618 11 8 2 0 n/a n/a 0 639
1997 582 9 9 3 1 n/a n/a 0 604
1998 618 9 11 2 0 n/a n/a 0 640
1999 604 6 11 7 0 n/a n/a 0 628
2000 628 5 16 4 1 n/a n/a 0 654
2001 637 5 9 6 0 n/a n/a 0 657
2002 651 8 16 3 0 n/a n/a 0 678
2003 651 8 16 3 0 n/a n/a 0 678
2004 675 12 13 8 0 n/a n/a 0 708
2005 672 11 11 11 1 n/a n/a 0 706
2006 662 11 9 6 2 n/a n/a 0 690
2007 688 11 12 16 0 n/a n/a 0 727
2008 658 15 16 19 0 n/a n/a 0 708
2009 632 18 21 14 1 n/a n/a 0 686
2010 650 19 22 13 1 n/a n/a 0 705
2011 706 9 22 24 0 0 16 0 777
2012 738 8 15 25 1 0 16 0 803
2013 742 8 18 29 1 0 17 0 815
2014 746 8 16 36 2 0 25 0 833
2015 724 8 19 36 1 0 30 0 818
2016 741 7 20 44 1 0 27 0 840
2017 746 7 23 58 0 0 32 0 866
2018 782 8 23 54 0 0 30 0 897
2019 757 5 31 58 0 0 38 0 889
2020 749 9 38 56 1 1 34 0 888
2021 692 13 43 46 1 2 30 0 827
2022 688 13 38 59 1 2 29 0 830
2023 678 14 42 60 0 0 35 0 829
2024 650 13 48 63 0 0 43 0 817

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 Palmyra Area Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 779 48.6 16.0 n/a
1989 718 41.9 17.1 n/a
1990 729 44.3 16.4 0
1991 814 48.8 16.6 n/a
1992 647 41.9 15.4 n/a
1993 672 35.0 19.2 n/a
1994 653 34.5 18.9 n/a
1995 639 36.0 17.8 n/a
1996 639 36.0 17.8 n/a
1997 604 36.5 16.5 n/a
1998 640 33.8 18.9 n/a
1999 628 37.5 16.7 n/a
2000 654 36.5 17.9 10.7
2001 657 37.5 17.5 12.2
2002 678 39.5 17.2 9.3
2003 678 39.5 17.2 9.3
2004 708 40.5 17.5 9.9
2005 706 39.5 17.9 8.9
2006 690 38.5 17.9 0
2007 727 41.0 17.7 11.8
2008 708 48.7 14.5 10.9
2009 686 50.3 13.6 11.5
2010 705 49.0 14.3 15.9
2011 777 47.0 16.5 15.1
2012 803 48.4 16.5 13.7
2013 815 49.6 16.4 18.2
2014 833 50.4 16.4 22.7
2015 818 51.0 16.0 24.2
2016 840 54.0 15.5 23.3
2017 866 54.6 15.8 25.1
2018 897 58.1 15.4 24
2019 889 58.1 15.3 26
2020 888 55.0 16.1 22.1
2021 827 59.9 13.8 28.2
2022 830 60.1 13.7 27.7
2023 829 59.0 14.0 29.2
2024 817 60.4 13.5 30.4

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 Palmyra Area Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 779 48.6 16.0 n/a
1989 718 41.9 17.1 n/a
1990 729 44.3 16.4 0
1991 814 48.8 16.6 n/a
1992 647 41.9 15.4 n/a
1993 672 35.0 19.2 n/a
1994 653 34.5 18.9 n/a
1995 639 36.0 17.8 n/a
1996 639 36.0 17.8 n/a
1997 604 36.5 16.5 n/a
1998 640 33.8 18.9 n/a
1999 628 37.5 16.7 n/a
2000 654 36.5 17.9 10.7
2001 657 37.5 17.5 12.2
2002 678 39.5 17.2 9.3
2003 678 39.5 17.2 9.3
2004 708 40.5 17.5 9.9
2005 706 39.5 17.9 8.9
2006 690 38.5 17.9 0
2007 727 41.0 17.7 11.8
2008 708 48.7 14.5 10.9
2009 686 50.3 13.6 11.5
2010 705 49.0 14.3 15.9
2011 777 47.0 16.5 15.1
2012 803 48.4 16.5 13.7
2013 815 49.6 16.4 18.2
2014 833 50.4 16.4 22.7
2015 818 51.0 16.0 24.2
2016 840 54.0 15.5 23.3
2017 866 54.6 15.8 25.1
2018 897 58.1 15.4 24
2019 889 58.1 15.3 26
2020 888 55.0 16.1 22.1
2021 827 59.9 13.8 28.2
2022 830 60.1 13.7 27.7
2023 829 59.0 14.0 29.2
2024 817 60.4 13.5 30.4

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 Palmyra Area Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $06 (0.1%) $11,235 (99.9%) $11,241
2020 $04 (0.0%) $11,532 (100.0%) $11,536
2021 $257 (2.0%) $12,498 (98.0%) $12,755
2022 $373 (2.8%) $12,906 (97.2%) $13,278

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Palmyra 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 88th of 891 Middle schoolsRanks 54th of 893 Middle schools
 3.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade Math (Palmyra Area Middle School)57.564.3
 6.8%
   6th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)3936.4
 2.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Palmyra Area Middle School)82.382.8
 0.5%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)6355.6
 7.4%
7th Grade Math (Palmyra Area Middle School)53.453.3
 0.1%
   7th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)38.233.2
 5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Palmyra Area Middle School)75.373.3
 2%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)60.554.5
 6%
8th Grade Math (Palmyra Area Middle School)52.752.2
 0.5%
   8th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)32.226
 6.2%
8th Grade Science (Palmyra Area Middle School)77.673.1
 4.5%
   8th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)58.257
 1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Palmyra Area Middle School)75.374.3
 1%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)57.952.8
 5.1%
All Grades Math (Palmyra Area Middle School)54.456.5
 2.1%
   All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)42.439.3
 3.1%
All Grades Science (Palmyra Area Middle School)77.673.1
 4.5%
   All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)6865.6
 2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Palmyra Area Middle School)77.476.7
 0.7%
   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 Students889829
 6.7%
African American514
 180%
American Indian00
Asian3142
 35.5%
Hispanic5860
 3.4%
Pacific Islander00
White757678
 10.4%
Two or More Races3835
 7.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients26%29.2%
 3.2%


Schools Near Palmyra Area Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about Palmyra Area Middle School

Yes. Palmyra Area Middle School ranks in the top 7.7% of Pennsylvania middle schools.

Students who attend Palmyra Area Middle School usually go on to attend Palmyra Area Senior High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 817 students attended Palmyra Area Middle School.

Students at Palmyra Area Middle School are 80% White, 8% Hispanic, 6% Asian, 5% Two or more races, 2% African American.


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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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