The top reported proficiency rate is 81% in English language arts. The lowest is 60% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Hershey Ms
Hershey MS is the middle school serving grades 6 through 8 in Derry Township School District. The school enrolls a student body that is about three-fifths White, with meaningful representation from Asian, Hispanic, and Black students, and about a third of the school qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment sits at a typical middle-school size for the grade span.
In English language arts, the school's proficiency rate is strong, well above the midpoint among districts in Dauphin County. Math proficiency is weaker—about three-fifths of students meet the state's proficiency bar—which is a softer spot and a parent may want to look into further with the school to understand how that gap is being addressed. Science proficiency, based on the most recent available data, is also strong. Across tested subjects and grades, Hershey MS ranks in the top quartile relative to other Dauphin County districts on overall proficiency. State assessment results are the main available measure of academic performance; no trend data over multiple years was available to see whether these results are stable, improving, or shifting.
The school is located in Hershey, an unincorporated community in Derry Township built as a planned company town around the Hershey chocolate factory and now shaped by a major amusement park, a large academic medical center, and a residential boarding school. The area is experiencing active growth with new mixed-use development underway along the Route corridor near the medical center, and housing prices in the Hershey area have been rising. The broader civic anchors—the newly renovated township community center, Hershey Gardens, parks managed by the township, and local cultural venues—sit close to the school grounds.
Derry Township SD itself has navigated major capital projects while maintaining property-tax stability. The district approved construction of a new elementary school building to replace an aging structure, a multi-year effort that has already moved into the design phase. Separately, after Hersheypark Stadium ended its long partnership with the district, the district approved and has begun building a new on-campus stadium for Hershey High School athletics, expected to open for the 2026 football season. These infrastructure moves reshape the district's long-term facilities and financial picture. On the tax side, the district held property taxes flat across multiple recent budgets and maintains a top-tier credit rating from Standard & Poor's, among a small handful of Pennsylvania districts to do so.
The school's core environment details—including information on chronic absenteeism, staffing, discipline, course offerings, and special populations such as students with IEPs or English learners—were not available in the data reviewed. A parent or resident interested in those aspects should contact the school directly.
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