Upper Adams MS

Upper Adams MS is one of the compact junior highs in Biglerville, Pennsylvania, one of the schools within Upper Adams SD, with 242 students on its rolls from grades 7 through 8. By comparison, Pennsylvania's public schools average about 594 students each, so Upper Adams MS sits 59% below that benchmark.

Across the 4 schools in Upper Adams SD (1,559 students total), Upper Adams MS accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On demographics, Upper Adams MS records that the largest single group is White, at 65% of enrollment. Beyond that, the school lists 32% Hispanic. The wider county runs roughly 89% White, putting the school's mix meaningfully less White than the area baseline.

On the resource side, Upper Adams MS lists 17 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 14.2:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 13.2:1 average. Around 58% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Adams County (around 47%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.

After controlling for student poverty, Upper Adams MS sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 52.8%; this one delivers 44.3%.

Zooming out to the county, ACS estimates for Adams County put the typical household earns roughly $84,092 per year, roughly 26% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 5%. In all, Adams County runs 26 public schools (combined enrollment of about 12,831 students), of which Upper Adams MS is one.

The closest other public school is Biglerville HS, roughly 0.0 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 3 other public schools cluster around Upper Adams MS. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Upper Adams MS at 7th of 8; the average score across the group is 54.5%.

The school occupies a countryside site.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count declined 10%: 270 students in 2018 compared to 242 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment rose from 27% to 32% over that span.

On the community side, posts here usually surface around sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.