Summary:
The city of Hazleton, Pennsylvania has only one middle school, Hazleton El/Middle School, which serves students in grades 6-8. This school has consistently underperformed compared to state and district averages on key academic measures, ranking in the bottom quartile of Pennsylvania middle schools for the past three years.
Hazleton El/Middle School struggles with low proficiency rates, with only 7% of students proficient or better in Math and 21% in English Language Arts (ELA) in the 2024-2025 school year, far below the state averages of 41.7% and 48.5%, respectively. The school's performance on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) tests is significantly below the Hazleton Area School District and state averages. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, at 100% in 2023-2024, indicating a predominantly low-income student population.
Despite the school's academic challenges, its dropout rate of 1.4% for the 2023-2024 school year is relatively low. However, the school's per-student spending of $10,157 for the 2022-2023 school year is not significantly lower than the state average, suggesting that the issue may not be a lack of funding, but rather how the available resources are being allocated and utilized within the school. Addressing the significant performance gaps at Hazleton El/Middle School will likely require a comprehensive approach that addresses the school's socioeconomic factors and resource allocation to provide a high-quality education for its students.
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