Harrisburg City SD

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania — 12 schools

6,404
Total Enrollment
12
Schools
$23,917
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Other
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Harrisburg City SD operates 12 public schools serving 6,404 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Pennsylvania. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 elementary, 3 other, 2 high, 2 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 6,187 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Dauphin County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $23,917 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 32.6% local, 50.1% state, and 17.3% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $77,735 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 62/100, ranked #197 of 659 in Pennsylvania against a state average of 49 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 12 schools offering Advanced Placement (11 AP courses district-wide), a 427:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 59.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 46.0% Hispanic or Latino, 44.7% African American, 2.7% White across the district's schools.

Harrisburg Hs accounts for 21.7% of all Harrisburg City SD student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Harrisburg City 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Harrisburg City SD school enrollment varies 15× across entities

Harrisburg City SD school enrollment ranges from 87 students (lowest) to 1,343 students (highest), a spread of 1,256 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Harrisburg City SD has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 99.9% 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 — including this one — 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.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Harrisburg City SD student-counselor ratio is 427:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Harrisburg City SD chronic absenteeism rate is 59.3% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

17.3%
Federal
50.1%
State
32.6%
Local

Funding Equity

62
Equity Score
197 / 659
State Rank
49
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Dauphin County county, where this district is located.

$1,058
Studio/mo
$1,212
1 BR/mo
$1,493
2 BR/mo
$1,920
3 BR/mo
$1,977
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$77,735
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 12 schools in Harrisburg City SD.

White 2.7%
Hispanic or Latino 46.0%
African American 44.7%
Asian 1.8%
Multiracial 4.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

2 / 12
Schools with AP
11 AP courses total
427:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
59.3%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Harrisburg City SD

School Enrollment
Harrisburg Hs
1,343
Camp Curtin Academy
724
Benjamin Franklin Sch
678
Melrose Sch
536
Foose Sch
522
Scott Sch
484
Marshall Math Science Academy
408
Downey Sch
405
Rowland Academy
353
Harrisburg Hs - Scitech Cmp
347
Cougar Academy
300
Marshall Academy
87

Nearby Districts in Pennsylvania

Top districts in the same state — compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Philadelphia City SD
118,335 students · 219 schools · $36,791/pupil
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Commonwealth Charter Academy CS
20,355 students · 1 schools · $16,959/pupil
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Pittsburgh SD
20,034 students · 56 schools · $37,128/pupil
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Central Bucks SD
17,540 students · 23 schools · $20,246/pupil
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Reading SD
17,363 students · 19 schools · $17,489/pupil
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Compare Harrisburg City SD

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Harrisburg City SD?

Harrisburg City SD has 12 schools, including 2 high, 2 middle, 3 other, 5 elementary. Total enrollment is 6,404 students.

How much does Harrisburg City SD spend per student?

Harrisburg City SD spends $23,917 per student. The district has an equity score of 62/100, ranking #197 in Pennsylvania.

What is the average teacher salary in Harrisburg City SD?

The average teacher salary in Harrisburg City SD is $77,735 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Harrisburg City SD?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Dauphin County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of Harrisburg City SD?

Harrisburg City SD students are 46.0% Hispanic or Latino, 44.7% African American, 2.7% White, 1.8% Asian, averaged across 12 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Harrisburg City SD?

Harrisburg City SD has an equity score of 62/100, ranking #197 out of 659 districts in Pennsylvania. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

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