Public schools in Lancaster, PA
Lancaster has 37 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 5 high, 9 middle, 23 elementary, enrolling 21,358 students. They are run by 6 districts and agencies; Lancaster SD runs 19 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 6 districts and agencies that run Lancaster's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in Lancaster | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster SD | 19 | 10,075 | $22,507 |
| Manheim Township SD | 8 | 5,944 | $15,599 |
| Conestoga Valley SD | 4 | 3,973 | $17,004 |
| Hempfield SD | 3 | 7,066 | $16,510 |
| Penn Manor SD | 2 | 5,550 | $14,369 |
| La Academia Partnership Charter School | 1 | 200 | $25,950 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
5 high schools in Lancaster, 6,358 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McCaskey Campus | 2,600 | 14.9 | 85.3% | Lancaster SD |
| Manheim Twp High School | 1,953 | 16.0 | 29.9% | Manheim Township SD |
| Conestoga Valley SHS | 1,304 | 15.5 | 43.3% | Conestoga Valley SD |
| Phoenix Academy | 305 | 12.2 | 87.2% | Lancaster SD |
| La Academia Partnership CS | 196 | 10.9 | 100.0% | La Academia Partnership Charter School |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
9 middle schools in Lancaster, 5,678 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landis Run Intermediate School | 929 | 15.1 | 31.4% | Manheim Township SD |
| Manheim Twp Middle School | 914 | 12.6 | 30.3% | Manheim Township SD |
| Gerald G Huesken Middle School | 851 | 11.7 | 51.7% | Conestoga Valley SD |
| Centerville Middle School | 559 | 12.0 | 99.5% | Hempfield SD |
| Jackson Middle School | 524 | 10.3 | 82.6% | Lancaster SD |
| Reynolds Middle School | 511 | 11.6 | 86.1% | Lancaster SD |
| Manor Middle School | 472 | 14.2 | 47.2% | Penn Manor SD |
| Lincoln Middle School | 465 | 9.1 | 92.3% | Lancaster SD |
| Wheatland Middle School | 453 | 9.6 | 82.8% | Lancaster SD |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
23 elementary schools in Lancaster, 9,322 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin School | 623 | 11.8 | 99.9% | Lancaster SD |
| Hambright Elementary School | 574 | 13.9 | 62.5% | Penn Manor SD |
| Centerville Elementary School | 544 | 14.3 | 28.1% | Hempfield SD |
| Fritz Elementary School | 526 | 12.2 | 52.9% | Conestoga Valley SD |
| Smoketown Elementary School | 470 | 12.4 | 46.8% | Conestoga Valley SD |
| Nitrauer School | 468 | 16.3 | 31.6% | Manheim Township SD |
| Washington Elementary School | 467 | 9.5 | 100.0% | Lancaster SD |
| Rohrerstown Elementary School | 457 | 12.9 | 97.4% | Hempfield SD |
| Carter and MacRae Elementary School | 444 | 9.3 | 91.0% | Lancaster SD |
| Lafayette Elementary School | 437 | 10.9 | 100.0% | Lancaster SD |
The other 13 elementary schools
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Elementary School | 413 | 12.1 | 97.6% | Lancaster SD |
| Bucher School | 403 | 12.8 | 37.2% | Manheim Township SD |
| Wickersham Elementary School | 402 | 11.8 | 98.8% | Lancaster SD |
| Smith-Wade-El Elementary School | 397 | 12.0 | 100.0% | Lancaster SD |
| Hamilton Elementary School | 339 | 10.9 | 98.8% | Lancaster SD |
| Price Elementary School | 331 | 8.9 | 100.0% | Lancaster SD |
| Wharton Elementary School | 327 | 12.1 | 100.0% | Lancaster SD |
| Schaeffer School | 318 | 13.8 | 39.3% | Manheim Township SD |
| Burrowes Elementary School | 308 | 11.0 | 81.8% | Lancaster SD |
| Neff School | 283 | 14.2 | 31.1% | Manheim Township SD |
| Ross Elementary School | 281 | 13.4 | 94.0% | Lancaster SD |
| Fulton Elementary School | 274 | 10.1 | 99.3% | Lancaster SD |
| Brecht School | 236 | 13.7 | 48.7% | Manheim Township SD |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How Lancaster's public schools compare with Pennsylvania's
The median Lancaster school has 12.1 students per full-time teacher, fewer than the Pennsylvania median of 13.1. 62% of its schools ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22, against 43% across the state. Its median school enrolls 457 students (state 460).
| Lancaster | Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 12.1 | 13.1 |
| Median school size (students) | 457 | 460 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | 62% | 43% |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 54% | 41% |
| Charter schools | 2.7% | 6.0% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 37 Lancaster schools and the 2,899 Pennsylvania schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in Lancaster
- Lancaster SDRuns 19 of Lancaster's 37 public schools and spent $22,507 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$22,507
- McCaskey Campus, the largest high school in Lancaster2,600 students in 2024-25, 14.9 per teacher.2,600
- Compare Lancaster SD with Manheim Township SDLancaster's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in PennsylvaniaPennsylvania's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for a Lancaster addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia302 schools
- Pittsburgh145 schools
- Harrisburg40 schools
- York39 schools
- Erie35 schools
- Allentown34 schools
- Reading32 schools
- Bethlehem25 schools
Questions about schools in Lancaster
How many public schools are in Lancaster, PA?
37 public schools with an address in Lancaster were open in 2024-25: 5 high, 9 middle, 23 elementary, enrolling 21,358 students. 1 are charter schools.What is the largest high school in Lancaster?
McCaskey Campus, with 2,600 students in 2024-25 (Lancaster SD).Which districts run Lancaster's schools?
Lancaster SD (19 schools), Manheim Township SD (8 schools), Conestoga Valley SD (4 schools), Hempfield SD (3 schools), and 2 more. A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25