Enrollment
282
High
DISTRICT 328 · STATE 738
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·MERCER AREA SD·NCES 421512003158
Mercer Area SHS
545 W Butler St, Mercer, PA 16137 · (724) 662-5104 · Mercer County
GRADES 09–12HIGH42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL282 STUDENTS
A
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 88% of Pennsylvania public high schools
- A-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ·Beats expectations Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Pennsylvania public high schools
Student : Teacher
13.3:1
21 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.3:1 · STATE 12.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
110%
311 students
DISTRICT 103% · STATE 75%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 55 | 20% |
| Grade 10 | 76 | 27% |
| Grade 11 | 78 | 28% |
| Grade 12 | 73 | 26% |
Student demographics
10%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 13% · STATE 59% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within Mercer Area SD. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
PSSA + Keystone 2024-25 . % Proficient or AdvancedEnglish Language Arts
80.9%
PA avg 51.1% . +3.0pp since 2023
Math
62.9%
PA avg 43.0% . +18.1pp since 2023
What this means: On the PSSA + Keystone, Pennsylvania's statewide test, about 81 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 63 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Pennsylvania schools, those numbers are about 51 and 43. Reading and writing scores are up about 3 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 18 points.
PSSA + Keystone results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 80.9% | 62.9% |
| 2023-24 | 77.9% | 44.8% |
% Proficient or Advanced, all students and all tested grades.
Source: PSSA + Keystone. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where Mercer Area SHS ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Pennsylvania | In Mercer County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 62.9% | #89 of 626 ▲ 145 | #1 of 12 ▲ 2 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 80.9% | #59 of 626 ▲ 38 | #1 of 12 no change |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 282 | #563 of 713 | #9 of 13 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 13.3:1 | #253 of 601 | #8 of 11 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 9.5% | #520 of 604 | #9 of 11 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 110% | #14 of 619 | #1 of 12 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -21.7% | #41 of 373 | #4 of 10 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
282
-32 (-10%) vs 2020
-62% since 1990-91, when it was 734
Student : Teacher
13.3:1
was 16.5:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 282 | 21.2 | 13.3:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 311 | 21 | 14.8:1 | 100% (311) |
| 2022-23 | 334 | 20.8 | 16.0:1 | 88% (293) |
| 2020-21 | 314 | 19 | 16.5:1 | 37% (116) |
| 2017-18 | 360 | 21.9 | 16.4:1 | 30% (108) |
| 2015-16 | 374 | 20 | 18.7:1 | 33% (125) |
| 2010-11 | 458 | 25 | 18.3:1 | 29% (133) |
| 2000-01 | 738 | 47 | 15.7:1 | 18% (136) |
| 1990-91 | 734 | 51 | 14.4:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Mercer Area SHS.
Since 2017-18: students down 22% (360 to 282); teachers down 3% (21.9 to 21.2).
About Mercer Area SHS
A small high school in Mercer, Pennsylvania, Mercer Area SHS is part of Mercer Area SD. The student body numbers 282 students, from grades 9 through 12. An average school in this group (high schools in Pennsylvania) has about 738 students.
Mercer Area SD counts 3 schools and 985 students, including Mercer Area SHS.
At Mercer Area SHS, White students make up 95% of the student body. Other students are 4% multiracial. The chance that two students picked at random at Mercer Area SHS belong to different racial or ethnic groups, known as the diversity index, is 10%.
The school employs the equivalent of 21.2 full-time teachers, for a ratio of 13.3:1. High schools in Pennsylvania average about 12.8:1, a similar figure.
The allk12 Grade for Mercer Area SHS is A. Compared with Pennsylvania public high schools, the school scored higher than 88% on a mix of test scores, poverty-adjusted results, and recent trend.
In Mercer County (population about 109,257), median household income is about $59,976, 26% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. A total of 37 public schools operate in Mercer County, serving about 12,815 students.
The shortest distance from Mercer Area SHS to another public school is less than a tenth of a mile, to Mercer Area Middle School. The five-mile area around Mercer Area SHS holds 3 other public schools.
Federal records code the school's setting as Rural: Distant.
The student count in 2024-25 was 282, 10% below the 314 of 2020-21. By 2024-25, the school had 13.3 students per teacher, compared with 16.5 in 2020-21.
The discussion area below is open to posts about school events, clubs, and volunteer needs. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Mercer County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
109,257
Census ACS
Median income
$59,976
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
26%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
37
12,815 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Mercer Area SD
- Mercer Area Elementary SchoolElementary · 567 students
- Mercer Area Middle SchoolMiddle · 136 students
Other schools in Mercer
- Mercer Area Elementary SchoolElementary · 567 students
- Mercer Area Middle SchoolMiddle · 136 students
- Mercer County Career CenterHigh · 8 students
Nearby schools
- Mercer Area Middle School0.0 mi · 136
- Mercer Area Elementary School0.3 mi · 567
- Mercer County Career Center1.8 mi · 8
- Wilmington Area Elementary School8.3 mi · 357
- Wilmington Area JSHS8.3 mi · 444
- Wilmington Area Upper Elementary School8.3 mi · 142
Frequently asked questions
About Mercer Area SHSHow many students attend Mercer Area SHS?
Mercer Area SHS enrolls approximately 282 students in grades 09-12.
What grades does Mercer Area SHS serve?
Mercer Area SHS serves grades 09-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mercer Area SHS?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Mercer Area SHS is approximately 13.3:1 (21 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Mercer Area SHS?
At Mercer Area SHS, the student body is approximately 95% White, 0% Hispanic, 0% Black, 1% Asian, 4% Two or more.
What district is Mercer Area SHS in?
Mercer Area SHS is part of Mercer Area SD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.