Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Penn Wood Middle School

Public Grades 7-8

720^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 873 Pennsylvania Middle Schools

Better than 18% of Pennsylvania middle schools

Summary

Penn Wood Middle School is a public middle school located in Darby, Pennsylvania, serving 635 students in grades 7-8. The school is part of the William Penn School District, which is ranked 512 out of 606 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Penn Wood Middle School has consistently underperformed compared to state and district averages on PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) tests. In the 2024-2025 school year, only 7% of students were proficient or better in PSSA Math, compared to 41.7% statewide and 16% in the William Penn School District. Similarly, in PSSA English Language Arts, only 25.5% of students were proficient or better, compared to 48.5% statewide and 26.7% in the district. The school's performance is particularly concerning for certain student subgroups, such as English Language Learners and students with disabilities, who perform significantly below state and district averages.

When comparing Penn Wood Middle School to nearby middle schools, the performance gap is quite stark. For example, Richardson Middle School in the Springfield School District, located just 4.55 miles away, consistently ranks in the top 5% of Pennsylvania middle schools and outperforms Penn Wood Middle School by a wide margin on PSSA tests. Despite the high per-student spending at Penn Wood Middle School, the school has not shown any meaningful improvement in its academic performance over the past 10 years, suggesting that a more targeted and holistic approach may be needed to address the underlying factors contributing to the school's poor outcomes.

667

Students ?

12.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,939

Per pupil spending ?

95.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

121 Summit St
Darby, PA 19023-2298

(610) 586-1804

District: William Penn School District

Students who attend Penn Wood Middle School usually attend:

High:

Penn Wood High School

Feeder schools for Penn Wood Middle School:

Elementary:	Aldan Elementary School
	Ardmore Avenue Elementary School
	Bell Avenue School
	Colwyn Elementary School
	More...
	East Lansdowne Elementary School
	Park Lane Elementary School
	W B Evans Elementary School
	Walnut Street Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

86.1%

Two or more races:

4.6%

Hispanic:

4.2%

See top rated Pennsylvania middle schools

Compare Penn Wood Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 20th percentile in 2015 → 18th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Pennsylvania average (16% vs 45% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (18th percentile)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school16%

District avg21%

Pennsylvania avg45%

720^th of 873

Pennsylvania public middle schools ?

Bottom 18%▼ down 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Pennsylvania Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

512^th of 606William Penn 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	15.4	720 of 873	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.1	748 of 891	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.9	743 of 893	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.0	748 of 883	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.6	666 of 797	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	10.5	780 of 891	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.7	727 of 861	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	11.8	742 of 877	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	16.1	705 of 870	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	16.7	669 of 835	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	12.0	630 of 728	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	11.5	658 of 758	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	19.0	703 of 834	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	16.9	722 of 825	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	10.2	739 of 805	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	10.2	705 of 770	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	36.3	234 of 393	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.1	253 of 408	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.0	260 of 421	38.2%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	23.1	536 of 643	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.2	558 of 672	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.1	580 of 660	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2023	18.1	142 of 143	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	15.9	692 of 835	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.8	736 of 860	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	22.2	674 of 843	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.5	725 of 877	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.7	731 of 874	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	14.6	717 of 839	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.4	731 of 870	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2025	25.8	135 of 174	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.7	167 of 199	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.3	137 of 187	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Pennsylvania percentile	Rating
2024	39.4	413 of 673	38.6%	★★☆☆☆

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)

African American (2025)40th percentile+23 vs school

White (2024)39th percentile+23 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)22nd percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)20th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2025)17th percentile~ school

Disabled (2025)17th percentile~ school

Male (2025)15th percentile-3 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)1st percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Pennsylvania (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts26%-23 vs state

Math7%-35 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Penn Wood Middle School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a student
Monday, July 14, 2014

Best school I ever been too :) Close Quote

Schools Near Penn Wood 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 5th Grade	PSSA Math 6th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	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
Penn Wood Middle School	Public	7-8	121 Summit St	Darby	19023	Delaware County	William Penn School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 586-1804	667	53	12.5	95.2%	15 (2.2%)	574 (86.1%)	28 (4.2%)	12 (1.8%)	5 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	31 (4.6%)	15.4	720^th of 873 public middle schools	17.5%		14.1	748^th of 891 public middle schools	16.0%	28			8.6	5.3	7.0			26.1	24.9	25.5	$21,939	$1,685	$20,253
Tilden William T Middle School	Public	5-8	6601 Elmwood Ave	Philadelphia	19142	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-8170	266	21	12.4	98.9%	5 (1.9%)	199 (74.8%)	39 (14.7%)	18 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.9%)	6.6	850^th of 873 public middle schools	2.6%		7.1	849^th of 891 public middle schools	4.7%	1	4.3	2.8	0.0	1.5	1.9	4.8	8.6	15.2	14.7	11.8	$34,663	$20,245	$14,418
Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School	Public, Charter	5-9	2601 S 58th St	Philadelphia	19143	Philadelphia County	Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 878-1544	315	23	13.6	117.1%	3 (1.0%)	292 (92.7%)	9 (2.9%)	8 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	10	790^th of 873 public middle schools	9.5%		10.9	780^th of 891 public middle schools	12.5%	10	4.3	1.4	4.8	0.0	2.5	18.6	24.3	19.1	21.0	20.9	$23,175	$8,069	$15,106
Beverly Hills Middle School	Public	6-8	1400 Garrett Rd	Upper Darby	19082	Delaware County	Upper Darby School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 626-9317	1,475	109	13.5	101.4%	60 (4.1%)	694 (47.1%)	373 (25.3%)	300 (20.3%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	45 (3.1%)	14.4	735^th of 873 public middle schools	15.8%		13.1	757^th of 891 public middle schools	15.0%	22		12.1	9.0	7.9	9.5		24.4	24.2	19.6	22.7	$16,301	$2,687	$13,615
Drexel Hill Middle School	Public	6-8	3001 State Rd	Drexel Hill	19026	Delaware County	Upper Darby School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 853-4580	1,244	102	12.2	103.7%	302 (24.3%)	644 (51.8%)	120 (9.6%)	99 (8.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (6.3%)	18.8	688^th of 873 public middle schools	21.2%		20.5	685^th of 891 public middle schools	23.1%	3		10.3	13.1	12.6	12.1		28.6	25.4	27.1	27.0	$17,325	$1,022	$16,303
Middle Years Alternative	Public	5-8	4725 Fairmont Ave	Philadelphia	19139	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-7720	128	12	10.5	121.1%	1 (0.8%)	101 (78.9%)	16 (12.5%)	3 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	6 (4.7%)	24.5	642^nd of 873 public middle schools	26.5%		29.6	619^th of 891 public middle schools	30.5%	23		6.4	24.0	17.1	13.0		28.2	19.2	41.7	29.3	$24,823	$10,055	$14,767
Universal Vare Charter School	Public, Charter	5-8	2100 South 24th Street	Philadelphia	19145	Philadelphia County	Universal Vare Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(215) 952-8611	107	7	15.2	133.6%	2 (1.9%)	69 (64.5%)	11 (10.3%)	21 (19.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.7%)	12.2	760^th of 873 public middle schools	12.9%		14.5	741^st of 891 public middle schools	16.8%	19	5.9	3.7	0.0	5.8	4.3	17.6	23.1	13.6	26.9	22.3	$14,018	$7,052	$6,966
Science Leadership Academy Middle School	Public	5-8	3610 Warren St	Philadelphia	19104	Philadelphia County	Philadelphia City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(215) 400-8320	353	12	30.4	99.7%	94 (26.6%)	204 (57.8%)	19 (5.4%)	19 (5.4%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.2%)	53	402^nd of 873 public middle schools	54.0%		50.2	461^st of 891 public middle schools	48.3%	59	35.0	32.1	25.0	14.4	26.9	56.1	58.3	59.8	43.6	54.7	$18,404	$6,736	$11,668
Richardson Middle School	Public	6-8	20 W Woodland Ave	Springfield	19064	Delaware County	Springfield School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 938-6300	1,081	74	14.5	24.6%	800 (74.0%)	103 (9.5%)	50 (4.6%)	96 (8.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (3.0%)	94.4	42^nd of 873 public middle schools	95.2%		94	37^th of 891 public middle schools	95.8%	5		69.9	59.0	52.7	60.6		77.0	83.2	73.7	77.8	$16,236	$335	$15,901
Ridley Middle School	Public	6-8	400 Free St.	Ridley Park	19078	Delaware County	Ridley School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 534-1900	1,291	94	13.6	56.7%	839 (65.0%)	254 (19.7%)	72 (5.6%)	37 (2.9%)	3 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	83 (6.4%)	44	497^th of 873 public middle schools	43.1%		50.6	458^th of 891 public middle schools	48.6%	39		26.3	28.5	23.6	26.1		41.8	43.4	41.7	42.3	$22,557	$839	$21,718

Frequently Asked Questions about Penn Wood Middle School

What high school do graduates of Penn Wood Middle School attend?

Students who attend Penn Wood Middle School usually go on to attend Penn Wood High School

Is Penn Wood Middle School a good school?

Penn Wood Middle School ranks in the bottom 17.5% of Pennsylvania middle schools.

What district is Penn Wood Middle School in?

William Penn School District

How many students attend Penn Wood Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 667 students attended Penn Wood Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Penn Wood Middle School?

Students at Penn Wood Middle School are 86% African American, 5% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 2% White, 2% Asian.

Rate Penn Wood Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

PAPennsylvania Middle School Rankings

PAPennsylvania District Rankings

Schools in Darby, PA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Penn Wood Middle School!

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.