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Carlisle, Pennsylvania - 10 schools
An equity score of 29/100 ranks Carlisle Area Sd #528 of 648 districts in Pennsylvania (state average 49). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $15,072 per pupil, Carlisle Area Sd ranks #559 of 671 Pennsylvania districts by per-pupil spending (Pennsylvania districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
5,060
Total Enrollment
10
Schools
$15,072
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Carlisle Area Sd operates 10 public schools serving 5,060 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Pennsylvania. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 elementary, 2 middle, 1 high schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly 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 Cumberland County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,072 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 62.9% local, 28.3% state, and 8.7% 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 29/100, ranked #528 of 648 in Pennsylvania against a state average of 49, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 10 schools offering Advanced Placement (23 AP courses district-wide), a 316.5:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 11.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 58.0% White, 12.9% African American, 12.2% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Hamilton El Sch, with a diversity index of 72.9/100.
Its largest campus is Carlisle Area Hs, enrolling 1,559 students (31% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is North Dickinson El Sch, at 193 students, a 8x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Carlisle Area Hs accounts for 30.6% of all Carlisle Area Sd student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Carlisle 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.
Carlisle Area Sd school enrollment varies 8.1× across entities
Carlisle Area Sd school enrollment ranges from 193 students (lowest) to 1,559 students (highest), a spread of 1,366 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.
Carlisle Area Sd student-counselor ratio is 317:1 — 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 Carlisle Area Sd is typically wider than the Carlisle Area Sd-aggregate figure suggests.
Carlisle Area Sd chronic absenteeism rate is 11.6% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)
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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Carlisle Area Sd has 10 schools, including 1 high, 2 middle, 7 elementary. Total enrollment is 5,060 students.
How much does Carlisle Area Sd spend per student?
Carlisle Area Sd spends $15,072 per student. The district has an equity score of 29/100, ranking #528 in Pennsylvania.
What is the demographic composition of Carlisle Area Sd?
Carlisle Area Sd students are 58.0% White, 12.9% African American, 12.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.0% Asian, averaged across 10 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Carlisle Area Sd?
Carlisle Area Sd has an equity score of 29/100, ranking #528 out of 648 districts in Pennsylvania.