The top reported proficiency rate is 73% in Science. The lowest is 57% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Moon Area Upper Ms
Moon Area Upper MS is a middle grades school serving seventh and eighth graders in the Moon Area School District, located in Moon Township, a suburban community about a short drive northwest of Pittsburgh. The township sits at the intersection of major highways near Pittsburgh International Airport and has grown from agricultural land into a mixed-income suburb with office parks, retail corridors, and residential neighborhoods ranging from single-family homes to garden apartments.
The school enrolls a small to mid-sized population for its grade band, with roughly equal numbers across seventh and eighth grade. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial students. A modest portion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mix of family income levels in the attendance area, though the majority of families do not qualify for this support. Data on special education enrollment and English learners was not available.
In state testing, the school shows uneven performance across subjects. English language arts proficiency sits at a solid level, with a majority of students meeting or exceeding state standards. Science proficiency is also reasonably strong. Mathematics proficiency lags noticeably behind both of those subjects, with fewer than three-fifths of students meeting or exceeding standards. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, particularly regarding what support the school offers for students struggling with math and whether any targeted intervention is underway. Across the three tested areas, the school sits above the midpoint in overall proficiency compared to middle-grade schools in Allegheny County, suggesting it performs somewhat better than a typical county school.
The school is a regular public school operated by Moon Area School District, not a charter or magnet school. The district serves Moon and Crescent townships and has announced a capital construction project at the secondary campus during this period, which may affect facilities and athletics budgets in coming years. The district also adopted a real estate tax increase for 2026-27 to address declining assessed property values and rising costs in special education, salaries, and utilities. Parents considering a move to the area should understand that these budget pressures reflect structural shifts likely to continue.
The community offers moderate housing availability with a home market that blends established neighborhoods and new construction. Shopping, dining, and services are scattered across highway corridors and shopping centers rather than clustered in a traditional downtown, making the township car-dependent. Civic amenities include parks with recreational facilities and a public library in the Cherrington Office Complex. The larger region is anchored by major employers including Pittsburgh International Airport, FedEx Ground, GlaxoSmithKline, and Robert Morris University, which provides some economic stability and employment diversity for families in the area.
See more original research from School Decision →