Enrollment
535
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
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
👥 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
District: Tuscarora Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 422274006281 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James Buchanan Ms compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at James Buchanan Ms
James Buchanan Ms is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, enrolling 535 students.
At 13.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Pennsylvania median, within a few percentage points of the 13.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 100.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 535 students, its enrollment sits close to the Pennsylvania median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 2,889 Pennsylvania schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 515 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #485, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 535 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Tuscarora Sd also operates James Buchanan Hs (721 students) and St Thomas El Sch (297 students) alongside James Buchanan 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 James Buchanan Ms compares
James Buchanan 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 | 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 (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
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
$16,679
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
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.
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
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
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tuscarora Sd, which includes James Buchanan Ms.
$16,679
Per student
-7%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.1%
State 37.5%
Federal 10.5%
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 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
- Enrollment
- 721
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 297
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 232
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 212
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 185
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
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.
Similar enrollment (~535 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James Buchanan Ms's federal record.
- Compare James Buchanan Ms against another school. Compare schools
- Tuscarora Sd's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
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 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.
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, counselor availability, attendance rates. 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.
Is James Buchanan Ms a good school?
James Buchanan Ms earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. 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 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.
Related tools
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.