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Public middle school · Altoona Area Sd · Altoona, Pennsylvania

Altoona Area JR HS

Altoona Area JR HS rates 5.8, right at the middle of Altoona Area Sd's middle schools, whose rated median is 5.8.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
5.8this school

5.8 on a one-to-ten scale; the Altoona Area Sd median is 5.8.

#1,722 of 2,848 schools in Pennsylvania · Altoona Area Sd: 1 middle schools rated, median 5.8

The brief

An Altoona Area Sd middle school where students score 7 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,722 of 2,848 schools in Pennsylvania and 7 of 10 in Altoona Area Sd.

Altoona Area JR HS is listed in Altoona Area Sd, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math33%4 points below the Pennsylvania average of 37%2025 PSSA
Reading44%6 points below the Pennsylvania average of 50%2025 PSSA
Proficiency is down 36 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 38% recently.2025 PSSA; 52 test records from PA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
6.2
40% of the rating
Academics
6.4
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
4.4
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 40% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 54% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 PSSA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 PSSA. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 PSSA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 PSSA. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 16602; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Altoona Area JR HS and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$53,097
Median home value
$120,200
Median rent
$842/mo
College educated
21%
Homeownership
67.6%
Poverty rate
18.3%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 16602; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
81
Very Walkable
Bike Score
50
Bikeable
City reported crime
1,819/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Altoona. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Altoona), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
99.8%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Altoona Area JR HSthis school
    5.8
  2. 4.6Compare →
One grade-compatible school using the same rating model sits within 5 miles, and none rates higher than Altoona Area JR HS.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Altoona Area JR HS serve?

Altoona Area JR HS serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Altoona Area JR HS?

Altoona Area JR HS has an enrollment of approximately 1,614 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Altoona Area JR HS?

The student-teacher ratio at Altoona Area JR HS is 12.5:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Altoona Area JR HS rank in PA?

Altoona Area JR HS ranks #1,722 of 2,848 schools in PA.

What is Altoona Area JR HS's MySchoolScout rating?

Altoona Area JR HS has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.8 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Altoona Area JR HS?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Altoona Area JR HS has 40% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 54% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Altoona Area JR HS a charter school?

No, Altoona Area JR HS is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Altoona Area JR HS a Title I school?

No, Altoona Area JR HS is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Altoona Area JR HS?

99.8% of students at Altoona Area JR HS qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
1,614
Student-teacher ratio
12.5:1
Teachers (FTE)
129
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Small City
County
Blair County
Rank in district
#7 of 10
Schools in district
11
District spending per student
$14,958
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
18.9%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 16602)
27,014
Area average commute
18.9 min
Area median age
41.9

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Pennsylvania Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.