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Palmerton Area Junior High School

Q: Is Palmerton Area Junior High School a good school?

Palmerton Area Junior High School ranks 330 th of 873 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-8

330^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 873 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Better than 62% of Pennsylvania middle schools

Summary

Palmerton Area Junior High School is a public middle school serving grades 7-8 in the Palmerton Area School District. With 271 students, the school is located in Palmerton, PA, a district ranked 188 out of 606 in Pennsylvania and rated 3 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

While the school's test scores are generally lower than state and district averages, with proficiency rates in PSSA Math (32.7%) and PSSA English Language Arts (49%) below the state (41.7% and 48.5%) and district (43.3% and 50.3%) averages, the school's performance varies across different student subgroups. Female students generally outperform male students, and Hispanic students outperform White students. However, students with disabilities perform significantly worse than the state and district averages. The school has also seen a fluctuating dropout rate, ranging from 0% to 1.6% in recent years, which is generally higher than the state average.

Compared to nearby high-performing schools like Orefield Middle School and Northwestern Lehigh Middle School, Palmerton Area Junior High School's performance is generally lower. Additionally, the school's statewide ranking has declined from 276 out of 797 Pennsylvania middle schools in 2020-2021 to 330 out of 873 in 2024-2025, indicating a potential trend of declining performance. The school's increasing percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 33.88% in 2021-2022 to 46.49% in 2023-2024, suggests that the school may be facing challenges related to socioeconomic factors, which could be impacting student achievement.

261

Students ?

12.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,788

Per pupil spending ?

48.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3529 Fireline Rd
Palmerton, PA 18071-9312

(610) 826-2492

District: Palmerton Area School District

Students who attend Palmerton Area Junior High School usually attend:

High:

Palmerton Area High School

Feeder schools for Palmerton Area Junior High School:

Elementary:	Parkside Education Center
	S S Palmer Elementary School
	Towamensing Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.3%

Hispanic:

8.0%

Two or more races:

1.5%

See top rated Pennsylvania middle schools

Compare Palmerton Area Junior High School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 45th percentile in 2015 → 62nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 17 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the Pennsylvania median (62nd percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school41%

District avg47%

Pennsylvania avg45%

330^th of 873

Pennsylvania public middle schools ?

Top 38%▲ up 17 pts since 2015

From bottom 45% (2015) to top 38% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

188^th of 606Palmerton 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	60.2	330 of 873	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.3	231 of 891	74.1%	★★★★☆
2023	60.1	357 of 893	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.9	368 of 883	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.2	276 of 797	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.5	279 of 891	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.0	418 of 861	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	48.1	492 of 877	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	42.3	543 of 870	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	49.2	459 of 835	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	52.2	420 of 728	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	48.3	485 of 758	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	40.6	594 of 834	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	45.4	559 of 825	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	41.1	578 of 805	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	53.9	436 of 770	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	55.0	402 of 753	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2007	53.4	437 of 749	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	50.9	443 of 736	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2005	58.1	341 of 687	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2004	70.9	212 of 663	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2003	62.7	281 of 643	56.3%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	29.6	461 of 643	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	52.2	247 of 672	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.7	270 of 660	59.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	57.7	345 of 835	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	76.9	157 of 860	81.7%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2023	53.0	155 of 362	57.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	58.5	314 of 843	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.4	252 of 877	71.3%	★★★★☆
2023	55.9	366 of 874	58.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	58.9	310 of 839	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.1	323 of 870	62.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	45.6	332 of 649	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.5	258 of 673	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.3	374 of 681	45.1%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Male (2025)63rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)63rd percentile~ school

Female (2025)59th percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2023)57th percentile-3 vs school

White (2025)49th percentile-13 vs school

Disabled (2025)28th percentile-34 vs school

By subject vs Pennsylvania (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts49%~ state avg

Math33%-9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Palmerton Area Junior High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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 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 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
Palmerton Area Junior High School	Public	7-8	3529 Fireline Rd	Palmerton	18071	Carbon County	Palmerton Area School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 826-2492	261	20	12.9	48.3%	233 (89.3%)	2 (0.8%)	21 (8.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.5%)	60.2	330^th of 873 public middle schools	62.2%		71.3	231^st of 891 public middle schools	74.1%	99				34.2	31.3	32.7				53.1	45.4	49.0	$16,788	$765	$16,023
Northern Lehigh Middle School	Public	7-8	600 Diamond St	Slatington	18080	Lehigh County	Northern Lehigh School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 767-9812	238	20	11.6	96.6%	175 (73.5%)	6 (2.5%)	42 (17.6%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.5%)	48.6	450^th of 873 public middle schools	48.5%		58.3	383^rd of 891 public middle schools	57.0%	67				21.9	22.9	22.4				45.5	50.5	47.9	$22,753	$499	$22,254
Lehighton Area Middle School	Public	6-8	301 Beaver Run Rd	Lehighton	18235	Carbon County	Lehighton Area School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 377-6535	478	44	10.9	52.5%	391 (81.8%)	7 (1.5%)	55 (11.5%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.4%)	50.6	428^th of 873 public middle schools	51.0%		49	472^nd of 891 public middle schools	47.0%	44			38.7	28.0	24.9	30.5			40.9	46.0	47.4	44.8	$19,666	$1,000	$18,666
Northampton Area Middle School	Public	6-8	1617 Laubach Ave	Northampton	18067	Northampton County	Northampton Area School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 262-7817	1,175	84	13.9	49.4%	907 (77.2%)	36 (3.1%)	186 (15.8%)	7 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (3.3%)	54.3	393^rd of 873 public middle schools	55.0%		49	474^th of 891 public middle schools	46.8%	81			43.7	31.6	16.6	30.2			53.9	47.2	46.3	49.0	$19,428	$1,199	$18,229
Northwestern Lehigh Middle School	Public	6-8	6636 Northwest Rd	New Tripoli	18066	Lehigh County	Northwestern Lehigh School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 298-8661	440	34	12.8	24.8%	400 (90.9%)	5 (1.1%)	18 (4.1%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.4%)	80.6	132^nd of 873 public middle schools	84.9%		75.1	196^th of 891 public middle schools	78.0%	64			57.4	46.1	36.7	46.7			59.4	69.6	62.0	63.4	$21,476	$404	$21,073
Orefield Middle School	Public	6-8	2675 PA Route 309	Orefield	18069	Lehigh County	Parkland School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 351-5750	1,034	76	13.5	34.5%	650 (62.9%)	44 (4.3%)	206 (19.9%)	83 (8.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	49 (4.7%)	84.3	110^th of 873 public middle schools	87.4%		82.9	117^th of 891 public middle schools	86.9%	7			70.2	49.1	36.6	53.0			68.9	63.6	60.7	64.6	$23,810	$531	$23,280
Whitehall-Coplay Middle School	Public	6-8	2930 Zephyr Blvd	Whitehall	18052	Lehigh County	Whitehall-Coplay School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 439-1439	975	65	15.0	102.4%	381 (39.1%)	90 (9.2%)	397 (40.7%)	47 (4.8%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)	55 (5.6%)	55.1	383^rd of 873 public middle schools	56.1%		54.8	418^th of 891 public middle schools	53.1%	35			31.7	32.2	33.2	32.4			46.0	43.4	51.2	47.0	$16,506	$1,033	$15,473
Panther Valley Intermediate School	Public	4-6	678 Panther Pride Drive	Lansford	18232	Carbon County	Panther Valley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(570) 645-2175	458	27	16.9	98.0%	315 (68.8%)	27 (5.9%)	80 (17.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.9%)								(n/a)	15.2	16.1	20.3			16.9	12.7	21.4	30.5			20.6	$10,230	$2,190	$8,041
Catasauqua Middle School	Public	5-8	850 Pine street	Catasauqua	18032	Lehigh County	Catasauqua Area School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 264-4341	477	32	14.9	98.1%	224 (47.0%)	35 (7.3%)	179 (37.5%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	34 (7.1%)	46.9	475^th of 873 public middle schools	45.6%		41.5	544^th of 891 public middle schools	38.9%	69		27.4	33.0	32.4	23.9	29.0		22.1	34.9	49.5	40.7	36.6	$18,331	$1,123	$17,208
Pleasant Valley Middle School	Public	6-8	2233 Route 115	Brodheadsville	18322	Monroe County	Pleasant Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(570) 402-1000	908	46	19.5		606 (66.7%)	57 (6.3%)	171 (18.8%)	14 (1.5%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	57 (6.3%)	51.7	415^th of 873 public middle schools	52.5%		54.4	421^st of 891 public middle schools	52.7%	6			45.4	24.0	30.3	33.8			53.7	40.0	34.3	43.3	$22,123	$1,218	$20,906

Frequently Asked Questions about Palmerton Area Junior High School

What high school do graduates of Palmerton Area Junior High School attend?

Students who attend Palmerton Area Junior High School usually go on to attend Palmerton Area High School

What is the racial makeup of Palmerton Area Junior High School?

Students at Palmerton Area Junior High School are 89% White, 8% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

What district is Palmerton Area Junior High School in?

Palmerton Area School District

Is Palmerton Area Junior High School a good school?

Palmerton Area Junior High School ranks 330^th of 873 Pennsylvania middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Palmerton Area Junior High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 261 students attended Palmerton Area Junior High School.

Rate Palmerton Area Junior High School!

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Latest Pennsylvania data All new data »

2024–25 graduation ratesMar 29, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesMar 27, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataJan 29, 2026

2024–25 Keystone Exams & PSSA scoresNov 13, 2025

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.