Middle school (grades 6-8) · Wilkes-Barre, PA

G a R Ms

Federal NCES profile for G a R Ms, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.

2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 422630003008
0/100100/10024/100
👥 S:T ratio
25
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
0
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

G a R Ms earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Pennsylvania schools.

#2 of 3
public schools in Wilkes-Barre · Resource Index
24
Resource Index · Lower
18.7:1
large classes for Pennsylvania
100.0%
free-lunch eligible

G a R Ms has class sizes larger than 96% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, G a R Ms ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Enrollment

1,101

Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

59.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

18.7:1

vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg

+38% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

100.0%

vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg

+72% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How G a R Ms compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians

Larger classes than state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at G a R Ms

G a R Ms is a high-poverty, large middle school in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, enrolling 1,101 students.

Class loads run heavy: 18.7:1 is larger than about 96% of Pennsylvania schools and 38% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.

Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 100.0% of students eligible for free meals.

By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Pennsylvania, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,101 students.

Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 2,889 Pennsylvania schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.

Among 188 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #164, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.

Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (61%) and African American (20%) (diversity index 57/100).

Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1101 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.

Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).

The surrounding Wilkes-Barre Area Sd spends $13,221 per pupil, 26% below the Pennsylvania average, a leaner-resourced district than most.

Its district draws 16.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.

Discipline events run high: 409 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,101 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.

The federal civil-rights collection also records 10 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.

Wilkes-Barre Area Sd also operates Wilkes-Barre Area Hs (2,569 students) and Dr David W Kistler El Sch (961 students) alongside G a R Ms.

Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25

How G a R Ms compares

G a R Ms on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Pennsylvania Pennsylvania avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 18.7:1 ▲ 38% 13.6:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 100.0% ▲ 72% 58.1% 51.7%
Enrollment 1,101 top 8% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

18.7:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,101
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible - 72% above the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.7:1
students per teacher - 38% above state mean
Top 96% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
44.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,221
per pupil, district-wide - below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 1101 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
148
in-school suspensions + 261 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 37.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 10 expulsions.

Overview

  • Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
  • Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
  • F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.

Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.

Student demographics

Hispanic or Latino 60.7%
African American 19.7%
White 12.9%
Two or More 6.2%
Asian 0.5%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 60.7% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 57.2/100

Simpson diversity index - at 57.2, G a R Ms is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wilkes-Barre Area Sd, which includes G a R Ms.

$13,221
Per student
-26%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.8%
State 37.4%
Federal 16.8%

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.

How G a R Ms Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Wilkes-Barre Area Hs Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Dr David W Kistler El Sch Similar size Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Heights/Murray El Sch Similar size Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Solomon/Plains Ms Smaller Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Solomon/Plains El Sch Smaller Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to G a R Ms's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Wilkes-Barre Area Sd · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar middle schools statewide

Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Pennsylvania, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on G a R Ms's federal record.

Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.

Frequently asked questions about G a R Ms

How many students attend G a R Ms?

G a R Ms has 1,101 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

What is the student-teacher ratio at G a R Ms?

The student-teacher ratio at G a R Ms is 18.7:1, which is 38% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 19% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at G a R Ms?

100.0% of students at G a R Ms are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of G a R Ms?

The largest demographic group at G a R Ms is Hispanic or Latino at 60.7% of enrollment, in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.2/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for G a R Ms?

G a R Ms has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does G a R Ms rank among public schools in Wilkes-Barre?

By Resource Investment Index, G a R Ms ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Wilkes-Barre, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Wilkes-Barre on the city page.

Is G a R Ms a good school?

G a R Ms earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Pennsylvania schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.

What other schools are in Wilkes-Barre Area Sd?

Besides G a R Ms, Wilkes-Barre Area Sd also operates Wilkes-Barre Area Hs (2,569 students), Dr David W Kistler El Sch (961 students), and Heights/Murray El Sch (838 students). See the Wilkes-Barre Area Sd district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.