Enrollment
550
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Pittsburgh, PA
Plum Ms
Federal NCES profile for Plum Ms, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 421935005105
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 44
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Plum Ms earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Pennsylvania schools.
- #16 of 21
- middle schools in Pittsburgh · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.2:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 23.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Plum Ms has class sizes larger than 92% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Plum Ms ranks #16 of 21 middle schools in Pittsburgh, PA.
School address
District: Plum Borough Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 421935005105 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.0%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Plum Ms compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Plum Ms
Plum Ms is a mid-sized middle school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, enrolling 550 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.2:1 is larger than about 92% of Pennsylvania schools and 26% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 23.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 550 students, its enrollment sits close to the Pennsylvania median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 571 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #378.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 275 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Pittsburgh's middle schools, it stands alongside North Hills Ms (1,127 students): Plum Ms is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.2:1 vs 15:1).
Plum Borough Sd also operates Plum Shs (1,220 students) and Pivik El Sch (740 students) alongside Plum 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 Plum Ms compares
Plum 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 | 17.2:1 | ▲ 26% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.0% | ▼ 60% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 550 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
550
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 26% above state mean
Top 92% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.5%
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
$15,004
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 275 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 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 84.2%
African American 7.1%
Two or More 5.6%
Hispanic or Latino 1.6%
Asian 1.5%
Largest group: White at 84.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.2, Plum Ms is less mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Plum Borough Sd, which includes Plum Ms.
$15,004
Per student
-17%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.8%
State 39.4%
Federal 5.7%
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 Plum Ms Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plum Shs | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pivik El Sch | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Holiday Park Intermediate Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| O'block El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Plum Ms's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,220
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 740
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 513
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 512
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar middle schools in Pittsburgh
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
North Hills Ms
Standard public school
1,127 students 15:1 students per teacher
Dorseyville Ms
Standard public school
981 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Pleasant Hills Ms
Standard public school
813 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Mellon Ms
Standard public school
661 students 12:1 students per teacher
Carson Ms
Standard public school
652 students 10.9:1 students per teacher
Fort Couch Ms
Standard public school
647 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
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 (~550 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Plum Ms's federal record.
- Compare Plum Ms against another school. Compare schools
- Plum Borough 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 Plum Ms
How many students attend Plum Ms?
Plum Ms has 550 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Pittsburgh, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Plum Ms?
The student-teacher ratio at Plum Ms is 17.2:1, which is 26% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Plum Ms?
23.0% of students at Plum Ms are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Plum Ms?
The largest demographic group at Plum Ms is White at 84.2% of enrollment, in Pittsburgh, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Plum Ms?
Plum Ms has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical 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 Plum Ms rank among middle schools in Pittsburgh?
By Resource Investment Index, Plum Ms ranks #16 of 21 middle schools in Pittsburgh, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Pittsburgh on the city page.
Is Plum Ms a good school?
Plum Ms earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Plum Borough Sd?
Besides Plum Ms, Plum Borough Sd also operates Plum Shs (1,220 students), Pivik El Sch (740 students), and Holiday Park Intermediate Sch (513 students). See the Plum Borough 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.