Marshall Academy

Marshall Academy is a public middle school located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, serving grades 5-8 with an enrollment of 87 students. It is part of the Harrisburg City School District, which is ranked 575 out of 610 school districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Marshall Academy has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Pennsylvania middle schools over the past several years, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Marshall Academy's academic performance is significantly below state and district averages across all subject areas and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 1.7% of students were proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to 40.4% statewide and 5.7% in the Harrisburg City School District. The school's English Language Arts (ELA) performance is slightly better, with 15.5% of students proficient or better, but still well below the state average of 53%. Marshall Academy also has high dropout rates in recent years, ranging from 0.0% to 7.0%, which are significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, the school serves a student population that is 100% eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage.

Despite the high per-student spending at Marshall Academy, ranging from $19,678 to $30,952 per student in recent years, the school's academic outcomes are among the lowest in the state. This suggests that simply increasing funding may not be enough to improve student performance. Nearby middle schools, such as Camp Curtin Academy, Rowland Academy, and Marshall Math Science Academy, which are also part of the Harrisburg City School District, outperform Marshall Academy across all subject areas and grade levels, indicating that the challenges at Marshall Academy may require a more comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to address the underlying issues.