Public schools in West Chester, PA
West Chester has 19 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 4 high, 3 middle, 11 elementary, 1 other, enrolling 15,838 students. They are run by 4 districts and agencies; West Chester Area SD runs 16 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 4 districts and agencies that run West Chester's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in West Chester | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Chester Area SD | 16 | 12,145 | $18,039 |
| Pennsylvania Leadership CS | 1 | 3,283 | $15,309 |
| 21st Century Cyber Charter School | 1 | 1,239 | $14,926 |
| Unionville-Chadds Ford SD | 1 | 3,816 | $21,818 |
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.
4 high schools in West Chester, 4,815 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Chester Henderson High School | 1,444 | 13.1 | 20.2% | West Chester Area SD |
| West Chester East High School | 1,216 | 13.0 | 22.7% | West Chester Area SD |
| West Chester Bayard Rustin High School | 1,159 | 12.7 | 19.3% | West Chester Area SD |
| 21st Century Cyber CS | 996 | 18.0 | 5.1% | 21st Century Cyber 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.
3 middle schools in West Chester, 2,778 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E N Peirce Middle School | 1,040 | 11.8 | 18.4% | West Chester Area SD |
| J R Fugett Middle School | 930 | 12.3 | 20.5% | West Chester Area SD |
| Stetson Middle School | 808 | 12.3 | 16.2% | West Chester Area 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.
11 elementary schools in West Chester, 5,371 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah W Starkweather Elementary School | 576 | 12.9 | 18.8% | West Chester Area SD |
| Hillsdale Elementary School | 537 | 12.9 | 20.3% | West Chester Area SD |
| Westtown-Thornbury Elementary School | 529 | 14.3 | 15.5% | West Chester Area SD |
| Pocopson Elementary School | 514 | 15.4 | 2.1% | Unionville-Chadds Ford SD |
| Greystone Elementary School | 511 | 12.5 | 22.5% | West Chester Area SD |
| East Goshen Elementary School | 510 | 12.7 | 17.8% | West Chester Area SD |
| East Bradford Elementary School | 455 | 12.0 | 16.3% | West Chester Area SD |
| Glen Acres Elementary School | 451 | 12.6 | 23.5% | West Chester Area SD |
| Mary C Howse Elementary School | 442 | 13.4 | 7.7% | West Chester Area SD |
| Penn Wood Elementary School | 438 | 13.8 | 16.7% | West Chester Area SD |
One more elementary school
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fern Hill Elementary School | 408 | 10.3 | 20.6% | West Chester Area 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.
One other school in West Chester, 2,874 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania Leadership CS | 2,874 | 11.3 | 30.2% | Pennsylvania Leadership CS |
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 West Chester's public schools compare with Pennsylvania's
The median West Chester school has 12.7 students per full-time teacher, about the same as the Pennsylvania median of 13.1. 5.3% of its schools ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22, against 43% across the state. Its median school enrolls 537 students (state 460).
| West Chester | Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 12.7 | 13.1 |
| Median school size (students) | 537 | 460 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | 5.3% | 43% |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 5.3% | 41% |
| Charter schools | 11% | 6.0% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 19 West Chester 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 West Chester
- West Chester Area SDRuns 16 of West Chester's 19 public schools and spent $18,039 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$18,039
- West Chester Henderson High School, the largest high school in West Chester1,444 students in 2024-25, 13.1 per teacher.1,444
- Compare West Chester Area SD with Pennsylvania Leadership CSWest Chester'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 West Chester 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
- Lancaster37 schools
- Erie35 schools
- Allentown34 schools
- Reading32 schools
Questions about schools in West Chester
How many public schools are in West Chester, PA?
19 public schools with an address in West Chester were open in 2024-25: 4 high, 3 middle, 11 elementary, 1 other, enrolling 15,838 students. 2 are charter schools.What is the largest high school in West Chester?
West Chester Henderson High School, with 1,444 students in 2024-25 (West Chester Area SD).Which districts run West Chester's schools?
West Chester Area SD (16 schools), Pennsylvania Leadership CS (1 school), 21st Century Cyber Charter School (1 school), Unionville-Chadds Ford SD (1 school). 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