Middle school (grades 6-8) · Mercersburg, PA

James Buchanan Ms

Federal NCES profile for James Buchanan Ms, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.

2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 422274006281
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10020/100
👥 S:T ratio
46
🌟 Gifted program
30
🎓 Counselors
0
📋 Attendance
3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

James Buchanan Ms earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median.

#5 of 5
public schools in Mercersburg · Resource Index
20
Resource Index · Lower
13.4:1
students per teacher
100.0%
free-lunch eligible

James Buchanan Ms has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, James Buchanan Ms ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Mercersburg, PA.

School address

Mercersburg, PA 17236
District: Tuscarora Sd · Pennsylvania

NCES ID 422274006281 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

+4 students YoY

James Buchanan Ms held near 554 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+4 headcount).

Teacher FTE added 40.1 → 41.5 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

+4 students YoY 422274006281 · Mercersburg, PA Middle · MID · TRAD

535 enr · 13.4:1 · 100.0% lunch · RII 20

Nearest enrollment peer: James Buchanan Hs (721 students)

James Buchanan Ms held near 554 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+4 headcount). Teacher FTE added 40.1 → 41.5 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Pennsylvania schools → · Find another →

James Buchanan Ms in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows James Buchanan Ms reports 535 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How James Buchanan Ms compares

James Buchanan Ms held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Pennsylvania and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Pennsylvania Pennsylvania avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 13.4:1 ▼ 1% 13.6:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 100.0% ▲ 72% 58.1% 51.7%
Enrollment 535 top 38% - -

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

13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
535
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

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
13.4:1
students per teacher - 1% below state mean
Top 51% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
38.7%
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
$16,360
per pupil, district-wide - below Pennsylvania avg of $18,725
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 535 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.

Student demographics

White 91.2%
Hispanic or Latino 3.6%
Two or More 3.2%
African American 1.1%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%

Largest group: White at 91.2% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 16.6/100

Simpson diversity index - at 16.6, James Buchanan Ms is less mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.

Programs

District finance for Tuscarora Sd reports $16,360 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How James Buchanan Ms Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
James Buchanan Hs Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
St Thomas El Sch Smaller Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Mercersburg El Sch Smaller Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Montgomery El Sch Smaller Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Mountain View El Sch Smaller Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio

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

Other Schools in This District

Tuscarora Sd · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide middle schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~535 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)

Frequently asked questions about James Buchanan Ms

How many students attend James Buchanan Ms?

James Buchanan Ms has 535 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Mercersburg, PA. CCD year-over-year: 550 (2022-23) → 554 (2023-24), nearly flat (+4).

What is the student-teacher ratio at James Buchanan Ms?

The student-teacher ratio at James Buchanan Ms is 13.4:1, which is 1% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at James Buchanan Ms?

100.0% of students at James Buchanan Ms are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James Buchanan Ms?

The largest demographic group at James Buchanan Ms is White at 91.2% of enrollment, in Mercersburg, PA.

What is the Resource Investment Index for James Buchanan Ms?

James Buchanan Ms has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does James Buchanan Ms rank among public schools in Mercersburg?

By Resource Investment Index, James Buchanan Ms ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Mercersburg, 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 Mercersburg on the city page.

What other schools are in Tuscarora Sd?

Besides James Buchanan Ms, Tuscarora Sd also operates James Buchanan Hs (721 students), St Thomas El Sch (297 students), and Mercersburg El Sch (232 students). See the Tuscarora Sd district page for the complete list.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 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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Compiled from official source data by .