Summary:
The 18222 zip code is home to a single school, Drums El/Middle School, which serves grades K-8 and is part of the Hazleton Area School District. While the school has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Pennsylvania elementary schools, it has shown some bright spots, particularly in its science proficiency rates which exceed the state average.
Academically, Drums El/Middle School has struggled, with its math and English language arts proficiency rates falling below the state averages. However, the school's science proficiency rates were stronger, with 69.5% of students scoring proficient or better in 2023-2024, compared to the state average of 65.8%. The school's overall performance on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) tests has been mixed, with the school ranking between 789-839 out of 1,500+ schools in recent years.
Drums El/Middle School faces significant socioeconomic challenges, with 100% of its students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2023-2024. Despite these challenges, the school maintains a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 15.9 to 1, and its per-student spending for the 2022-2023 school year was $10,721. While the school's performance indicates a need for improvement, the data suggests that the school is working to support its student population and may have opportunities to build on its strengths, particularly in science education.
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