Mercer Area MS

Located at 545 W Butler Street, in Mercer, Pennsylvania, Mercer Area MS is a tiny middle school that caters to 136 students (grades 7 through 8), run under Mercer Area SD. Compared to the state average of about 594 students per school, that is 77% smaller than typical.

Mercer Area SD comprises 3 schools with combined enrollment of 985 students; Mercer Area MS is among them.

Demographically, Mercer Area MS records that the student body is overwhelmingly White (91%); the rest reads as 4% multiracial, 3% Black. That composition is broadly in line with Mercer County as a whole.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school lists 10 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 13.9:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.2:1, putting Mercer Area MS higher than the state norm the norm. Roughly 98% of students at Mercer Area MS qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is north of Mercer County's rate of about 71%.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Mercer Area MS tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 35.7% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 46.1%.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Mercer County put median household income runs about $59,976, about 26% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. Across Mercer County's 37 public schools (combined enrollment of about 12,815 students), Mercer Area MS is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Mercer Area SHS, roughly 0.0 miles away. 3 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Mercer Area MS at 6th of 7; the average score across the group is 55.3%.

Mercer Area MS operates from a rural location.

Looking at the recent track record. Mercer Area MS's enrollment has decreased 19% since 2018, when it stood at 167 (now 136). Class-load math has narrowed: from 15.3:1 in 2018 to 13.9:1 in 2025.

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