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Bethlehem, Pennsylvania - 22 schools
An equity score of 52/100 ranks Bethlehem Area Sd #283 of 648 districts in Pennsylvania (state average 49). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $17,060 per pupil, Bethlehem Area Sd ranks #355 of 671 Pennsylvania districts by per-pupil spending (Pennsylvania districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
12,973
Total Enrollment
22
Schools
$17,060
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Bethlehem Area Sd operates 22 public schools serving 12,973 students, placing it in the mid-size range in Pennsylvania. The school portfolio breaks down into 12 elementary, 4 middle, 4 combined, 2 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Northampton County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,060 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 671 Pennsylvania districts by per-pupil spending. See how Pennsylvania compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 64.1% local, 24.8% state, and 11.2% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 52/100, ranked #283 of 648 in Pennsylvania against a state average of 49, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 22 schools offering Advanced Placement (41 AP courses district-wide), a 285.7:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 27.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 47.6% Hispanic or Latino, 36.8% White, 11.1% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Freedom Hs, with a diversity index of 64.3/100.
Its largest campus is Liberty Hs, enrolling 2,541 students (20% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Hanover El Sch, at 205 students, a 12x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Liberty Hs accounts for 19.6% of all Bethlehem Area Sd student enrollment
That concentration means Bethlehem Area Sd-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Bethlehem Area Sd school enrollment varies 12× across entities
Bethlehem Area Sd school enrollment ranges from 205 students (lowest) to 2,541 students (highest), a spread of 2,336 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Bethlehem Area Sd has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 56.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Bethlehem Area Sd student-counselor ratio is 286:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Bethlehem Area Sd is typically wider than the Bethlehem Area Sd-aggregate figure suggests.
Bethlehem Area Sd chronic absenteeism rate is 27.1% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Bethlehem Area Sd is typically wider than the Bethlehem Area Sd-aggregate figure suggests.
Bethlehem Area Sd has 22 schools, including 2 high, 4 middle, 12 elementary, 4 combined. Total enrollment is 12,973 students.
How much does Bethlehem Area Sd spend per student?
Bethlehem Area Sd spends $17,060 per student. The district has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #283 in Pennsylvania.
What is the demographic composition of Bethlehem Area Sd?
Bethlehem Area Sd students are 47.6% Hispanic or Latino, 36.8% White, 11.1% African American, 3.1% Asian, averaged across 22 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Bethlehem Area Sd?
Bethlehem Area Sd has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #283 out of 648 districts in Pennsylvania.