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Drums El/Middle School

Q: Is Drums El/Middle School a good school?

Drums El/Middle School ranks 839 th of 1511 Pennsylvania elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-8

839^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,511 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Better than 44% of Pennsylvania elementary schools

Summary

Drums El/Middle School is a public elementary and middle school located in Drums, Pennsylvania, serving 801 students in grades K-8. Despite being part of the Hazleton Area School District, which is ranked 492 out of 606 districts in the state, Drums El/Middle School consistently outperforms both the district and the state of Pennsylvania on standardized tests.

In the 2024-2025 school year, 49.1% of Drums students were proficient or better in PSSA English Language Arts, compared to 29.5% for the district and 48.5% for the state. In PSSA Math, 31.3% of Drums students were proficient or better, compared to only 13.9% for the district and 41.7% for the state. Drums El/Middle School's performance is particularly impressive given that 100% of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

When compared to other schools in the Hazleton Area School District, Drums El/Middle School stands out as a high-performing institution. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Drums had 31.3% of students proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to only 11.1% at McAdoo-Kelayres El/Middle School and 14% at Heights Terrace El/Middle School. This suggests that Drums El/Middle School is effectively addressing the challenges faced by its student population and providing a quality education to its community.

842

Students ?

16.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,411

Per pupil spending ?

95.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

85 South Old Turnpike Road
Drums, PA 18222

(570) 459-3111

District: Hazleton Area School District

Students who attend Drums El/Middle School usually attend:

High:

Hazleton Area High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.5%

Hispanic:

29.7%

African American:

3.1%

See top rated Pennsylvania elementary schools

Compare Drums El/Middle School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 52nd percentile in 2015 → 44th in 2025

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Hazleton Area School District

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Math scores 10 pts below the Pennsylvania average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school40%

District avg22%

Pennsylvania avg45%

Elementary school

839^th of 1,511

Pennsylvania public elementary schools ?

Bottom 44%▼ down 7 pts since 2015

From top 48% (2015) to bottom 44% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

442^nd of 873

Pennsylvania public middle schools ?

Bottom 49%▼ down 19 pts since 2015

From top 32% (2015) to bottom 49% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 6Elementary Schools in the Hazleton Area School District

492^nd of 606Hazleton Area School District among Pennsylvania districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	49.1	839 of 1511	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	55.1	789 of 1526	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.6	833 of 1534	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.9	863 of 1534	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.9	910 of 1433	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.1	951 of 1544	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.6	996 of 1530	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	49.3	939 of 1547	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	61.2	723 of 1554	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	59.8	709 of 1474	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	58.0	782 of 1467	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	66.0	619 of 1519	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	64.9	695 of 1599	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	70.2	496 of 1597	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	77.1	288 of 1579	81.8%	★★★★☆
2009	75.4	333 of 1549	78.5%	★★★★☆
2008	64.6	632 of 1551	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	71.0	455 of 1555	70.7%	★★★★☆
2006	73.2	401 of 1545	74.0%	★★★★☆
2005	71.9	367 of 1299	71.7%	★★★★☆
2004	79.8	254 of 1308	80.6%	★★★★☆
2003	86.2	143 of 1302	89.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	45.5	868 of 1466	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	56.7	740 of 1488	50.3%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	58.1	142 of 429	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.9	142 of 454	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.8	162 of 432	62.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	48.7	732 of 1369	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.8	922 of 1432	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.3	1066 of 1414	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	52.2	757 of 1475	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.9	800 of 1495	46.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	37.6	809 of 1201	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.4	747 of 1229	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.3	813 of 1236	34.2%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	49.2	442 of 873	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.3	446 of 891	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.6	504 of 893	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.8	422 of 883	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.3	434 of 797	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	68.2	282 of 891	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.7	403 of 861	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	66.1	288 of 877	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	68.3	279 of 870	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	67.5	264 of 835	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	70.0	230 of 728	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	74.5	188 of 758	75.2%	★★★★☆
2012	66.7	327 of 834	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	77.5	152 of 825	81.6%	★★★★☆
2010	81.5	97 of 805	88.0%	★★★★☆
2009	75.6	159 of 770	79.4%	★★★★☆
2008	67.0	270 of 753	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	76.6	143 of 749	80.9%	★★★★☆
2006	81.2	94 of 736	87.2%	★★★★☆
2005	88.1	54 of 687	92.1%	★★★★★
2004	77.6	143 of 663	78.4%	★★★★☆
2003	76.2	156 of 643	75.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	45.8	465 of 835	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.1	483 of 860	43.8%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	42.3	175 of 348	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.1	211 of 362	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.3	207 of 362	42.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	34.7	564 of 843	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.1	644 of 877	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.6	711 of 874	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	50.7	401 of 839	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.6	405 of 870	53.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	44.7	345 of 649	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.0	375 of 673	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.5	452 of 681	33.6%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

Hispanic (2025)67th percentile+22 vs school

Male (2025)49th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)47th percentile~ school

Female (2025)41st percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)33rd percentile-12 vs school

Middle school

Male (2025)52nd percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)50th percentile~ school

White (2025)47th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2025)44th percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)33rd percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Pennsylvania (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts49%~ state avg

Math31%-10 vs state

★

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Schools Near Drums El/Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSSA Math (2025)							PSSA English Language Arts (2025)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSSA Math 3rd Grade	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 English Language Arts 3rd Grade	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
Drums El/Middle School	Public	K-8	85 South Old Turnpike Road	Drums	18222	Luzerne County	Hazleton Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 459-3111	842	51	16.4	95.1%	526 (62.5%)	26 (3.1%)	250 (29.7%)	11 (1.3%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	24 (2.9%)	49.1	839^th of 1511 public elementary schools	44.5%		55.1	789^th of 1526 public elementary schools	48.3%	50	43.6	35.8	47.4	36.5	11.1	12.9	31.3	38.3	44.4	51.4	64.8	50.0	48.6	49.1	$11,411	$429	$10,982
Hazle Township Early Learning Center	Public	PK, KG-2	1400 W 23rd Street	Hazle Township	18202	Luzerne County	Hazleton Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(570) 459-3221	633	43	14.6	86.1%	37 (5.8%)	3 (0.5%)	589 (93.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)								(n/a)															$11,236	$1,571	$9,665
West Hazleton El/Middle School	Public	K-8	325 North St	West Hazleton	18202	Luzerne County	Hazleton Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(570) 459-3111	1,023	61	16.7	97.7%	78 (7.6%)	22 (2.2%)	910 (89.0%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (0.7%)	20.1	1197^th of 1511 public elementary schools	20.8%		23.2	1178^th of 1526 public elementary schools	22.8%	19	18.3	11.9	13.9	11.4	1.0	7.6	10.6	29.8	35.7	34.3	39.7	30.7	25.0	32.5	$10,261	$1,120	$9,141
Arthur Street Elementary School	Public	K-2	424 East 9th St	Hazleton	18201	Luzerne County	Hazleton Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(570) 459-3111	431	25	16.9	105.3%	34 (7.9%)	6 (1.4%)	379 (87.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.2%)	2 (0.5%)	5 (1.2%)								(n/a)															$10,209	$1,368	$8,841
Valley El/Middle School	Public	K-8	100 Rock Glen Rd	Sugarloaf	18249	Luzerne County	Hazleton Area School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 459-3111	957	68	14.0	95.1%	680 (71.1%)	13 (1.4%)	222 (23.2%)	12 (1.3%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	26 (2.7%)	31.3	1071^st of 1511 public elementary schools	29.1%		36.1	1057^th of 1526 public elementary schools	30.7%	14	31.1	20.0	28.6	14.0	29.8	32.3	26.4	36.8	40.0	46.4	50.6	45.9	43.3	43.5	$12,686	$341	$12,345
Heights Terrace El/Middle School	Public	K-8	275 Mill St	Hazleton	18201	Luzerne County	Hazleton Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(570) 459-3111	1,236	68	18.1	97.8%	87 (7.0%)	12 (1.0%)	1,126 (91.1%)	6 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	14.4	1282^nd of 1511 public elementary schools	15.2%		20.1	1217^th of 1526 public elementary schools	20.2%	65	16.6	8.0	29.1	9.2	8.6	13.1	14.0	14.2	19.7	22.9	38.0	29.3	25.3	24.6	$9,636	$1,046	$8,590
Freeland El/Middle School	Public	K-8	400 Alvin St	Freeland	18224	Luzerne County	Hazleton Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(570) 459-3111	991	61	16.2	95.4%	421 (42.5%)	24 (2.4%)	510 (51.5%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (3.0%)	13.9	1291^st of 1511 public elementary schools	14.6%		18.6	1238^th of 1526 public elementary schools	18.9%	53	11.7	18.7	4.9	11.9	5.4	4.1	9.9	16.9	24.1	25.0	38.1	24.7	23.9	25.7	$11,007	$1,840	$9,168
McAdoo-Kelayres El/Middle School	Public	K-8	15 Kelayres Rd	McAdoo	18237	Schuylkill County	Hazleton Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(570) 459-3111	900	57	15.8	97.4%	280 (31.1%)	8 (0.9%)	583 (64.8%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (2.8%)	18.7	1224^th of 1511 public elementary schools	19.0%		11.6	1335^th of 1526 public elementary schools	12.5%	111	24.0	16.0	10.0	8.1	5.4	4.6	11.1	38.0	41.4	20.0	35.1	24.8	18.3	29.1	$11,083	$1,057	$10,025
Rice Elementary School	Public	K-6	3700 Church Road	Mountain Top	18707	Luzerne County	Crestwood School District	No	No	No	Yes	(570) 868-3161	735	39	18.6	22.4%	660 (89.8%)	9 (1.2%)	36 (4.9%)	21 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.7%)	4 (0.5%)	68.5	500^th of 1511 public elementary schools	66.9%		74.6	408^th of 1526 public elementary schools	73.3%	92	57.7	49.5	66.7	44.1			54.9	47.4	62.9	53.3	64.8			57.1	$15,709	$714	$14,995
Weatherly Area Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	602 6th St	Weatherly	18255	Carbon County	Weatherly Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(570) 427-8687	291	20	14.7	66.7%	242 (83.2%)	3 (1.0%)	37 (12.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.4%)	45.4	892^nd of 1511 public elementary schools	41.0%		57.8	746^th of 1526 public elementary schools	51.1%	146	55.8	31.1	57.9				47.6	65.1	23.9	31.6				40.2	$13,411	$1,514	$11,897

Frequently Asked Questions about Drums El/Middle School

What schools do graduates of Drums El/Middle School attend?

Students who attend Drums El/Middle School usually go on to attend:

High : Hazleton Area High School

Is Drums El/Middle School a good school?

Drums El/Middle School ranks 839^th of 1511 Pennsylvania elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Drums El/Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 842 students attended Drums El/Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Drums El/Middle School?

Students at Drums El/Middle School are 62% White, 30% Hispanic, 3% African American, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What district is Drums El/Middle School in?

Hazleton Area School District

Rate Drums El/Middle 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.