Wilkes-Barre Area School District

730 S Main St
Wilkes Barre, PA 18702
(District boundaries shown in map)
2/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Wilkes-Barre Area School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Pennsylvania for:

Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 2 public middle schools serving 1,807 students in Wilkes-Barre Area School District. This district's average middle testing ranking is 1/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public middle schools in Pennsylvania.
Public Middle Schools in Wilkes-Barre Area School District have an average math proficiency score of 6% (versus the Pennsylvania public middle school average of 26%), and reading proficiency score of 28% (versus the 52% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 76% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the Pennsylvania public middle school average of 46% (majority Black and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (PA)
# Schools
10 Schools
923 Schools
# Students
8,086 Students
591,579 Students
# Teachers
426 Teachers
44,337 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
19:1
19:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Wilkes-Barre Area School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 675 school districts in Pennsylvania (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 81% has decreased from 84% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (PA)
#586 out of 684 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
12%
36%
28%
55%
36%
57%
81%
87%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.65
0.65
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
1%
4%
% Hispanic
52%
17%
% Black
15%
20%
% White
25%
54%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
7%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $16,431 in this school district is less than the state median of $23,696. The school district revenue/student has declined by 13% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $21,156 is less than the state median of $23,119. The school district spending/student has declined by 13% over four school years.
This School District
This State (PA)
Total Revenue
$133 MM
$39,541 MM
Spending
$171 MM
$38,578 MM
Revenue / Student
$16,431
$23,696
Spending / Student
$21,156
$23,119

Best Wilkes-Barre Area School District Public Middle Schools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Solomon/plains Middle School
(Math: 7% | Reading: 33%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
43 Abbott St
Wilkes Barre, PA 18705
(570) 826-7224
Grades: 6-8
| 741 students
Rank: #22.
G A R Middle School
(Math: 6% | Reading: 24%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
250 South Grant Street
Wilkes Barre, PA 18702
(570) 826-7165
Grades: 6-8
| 1,066 students

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 10 schools
  • Grades: KG-12
  • Enrollment: 8,086 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 19:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 75%
  • : 81% (Btm 50% in PA)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 12% (Btm 50%)
  • : 28% (Btm 50%)
  • : 36% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), PA Dept. of Education

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