Central Dauphin SD
Public school district · Dauphin County · Pennsylvania · NCES district ID 4205400
Central Dauphin SD spent $15,380 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 85% of the other Pennsylvania districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $17,594). Its 19 schools enrolled 12,389 students in 2024-25; 23.1% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $16,282 per student, up 5.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 87% (Pennsylvania: 87.5%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Pennsylvania districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Central Dauphin SD in enrollment (10,075 to 13,204 students) and Central Dauphin SD itself.
Where the money came from
$256,296,000 in revenue: 23.1% state, 67.0% local and 9.9% federal. Total spending including $5,938,000 of capital outlay was $237,241,000, or $19,011 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$59,139,000 23%
- Local$171,797,000 67%
- Federal$25,360,000 10%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 418 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment held steady from 2022-23 to 2024-25
12,393 students in 2022-23, 12,446 students in 2023-24, 12,389 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 12,393 | 818.5 | 15.1 |
| 2023-24 | 12,446 | 847.0 | 14.7 |
| 2024-25 | 12,389 | 888.0 | 14.0 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$66,430,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $5,323 per student
Central Dauphin SD booked $66,430,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 828 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $80,278 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 47 in 100 Pennsylvania districts with a figure (state median $81,309, 647 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Pennsylvania teacher salary at $72,248 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $49,695,000 | 74.8% |
| Special education | $14,432,000 | 21.7% |
| Other programs | $2,303,000 | 3.5% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $5,133 in 2018-19, $5,133 in 2019-20, $5,379 in 2020-21, $5,328 in 2021-22, $5,323 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Central Dauphin SD scored proficient or above: 53% in reading and 31% in math, against 54% in reading and 34% in math across Pennsylvania. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Pennsylvania, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.
| Subject | This district | Pennsylvania | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 53% | 54% | 5,586 |
| Math | 31% | 34% | 5,620 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
87% of the 864 students in Central Dauphin SD's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.5% across Pennsylvania. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 87% | 87.5% |
| Students in the class | 864 | 136,045 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
13 elementary schools, 5,862 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Side Elementary School | 722 | 16.7 | 97.6% | Not Title I |
| Paxtonia Elementary School | 682 | 15.8 | 99.3% | Not Title I |
| South Side Elementary School | 603 | 13.1 | 99.2% | Schoolwide program |
| West Hanover Elementary School | 589 | 15.0 | 35.3% | Not Title I |
| Linglestown Elementary School | 475 | 15.0 | 96.8% | Not Title I |
| Rutherford Elementary School | 461 | 15.2 | 99.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Tri-Community Elementary School | 427 | 12.0 | 99.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Phillips Elementary School | 393 | 12.1 | 99.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Mountain View Elementary School | 373 | 12.9 | 99.2% | Not Title I |
| Lawnton Elementary School | 310 | 12.5 | 91.9% | Schoolwide program |
| Middle Paxton Elementary School | 289 | 14.3 | 29.1% | Not Title I |
| Paxtang Elementary School | 281 | 14.9 | 99.6% | Schoolwide program |
One more elementary school
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chambers Hill Elementary School | 257 | 10.3 | 96.5% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
4 middle schools, 2,988 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linglestown Middle School | 841 | 14.8 | 96.9% | Not Title I |
| Central Dauphin Middle School | 834 | 14.7 | 34.8% | Not Title I |
| Central Dauphin East Middle School | 702 | 12.5 | 94.4% | Eligible, no program |
| Swatara Middle School | 611 | 11.6 | 98.5% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 high schools, 3,539 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Dauphin SHS | 1,966 | 15.2 | 35.0% | Not Title I |
| Central Dauphin East SHS | 1,573 | 13.6 | 99.9% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Central Dauphin SD
- Website: cdschools.org
- Phone: (717) 545-4703
- Office: 600 Rutherford Rd, Harrisburg, PA 17109
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Central Dauphin SD
- Pennsylvania districts by spending per studentCentral Dauphin SD ranks 354 of 418 Pennsylvania districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($15,380).#354 of 418
- Every school district in PennsylvaniaCentral Dauphin SD is the number 11 by size of 775 Pennsylvania districts, with 12,479 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#11 of 775
- Upper Darby SDThe next larger Pennsylvania district: 12,495 students in fall 2022, $15,392 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$15,392
- Hazleton Area SDThe next smaller Pennsylvania district: 12,243 students in fall 2022, $13,485 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,485
- Compare Central Dauphin SD with Upper Darby SDEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Central Dauphin SHS, its largest high school1,966 students in 2024-25, 15.2 per teacher.1,966
- Teacher salary spending across PennsylvaniaCentral Dauphin SD spent $80,278 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $81,309); spending, not a salary.$80,278
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Central Dauphin SD
How many schools and students are in Central Dauphin SD?
19 schools were open in 2024-25 (13 elementary, 4 middle, 2 high), enrolling 12,389 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Central Dauphin SD spend per student?
$15,380 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Pennsylvania median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $17,594 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $16,282 per student, up 5.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Central Dauphin SD's money come from?
$256,296,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 23.1% state, 67.0% local and 9.9% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Central Dauphin SD live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,499 of the 16,598 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 15.1%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Central Dauphin SD spend on teacher salaries?
$66,430,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $5,323 per student. Divided by the 828 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $80,278 per teacher, more than 47 in 100 Pennsylvania districts (state median $81,309). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Pennsylvania teacher salary at $72,248 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Central Dauphin SD do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Central Dauphin SD scored proficient or above: 53% in reading and 31% in math, against 54% in reading and 34% in math across Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Central Dauphin SD?
87% of the 864 students in Central Dauphin SD's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.5% across Pennsylvania. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Central Dauphin SD's NCES district ID?
4205400. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25