Karns City Area Sd

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Karns City, Pennsylvania - 3 schools

An equity score of 40/100 ranks Karns City Area Sd #411 of 648 districts in Pennsylvania (state average 49). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $16,963 per pupil, Karns City Area Sd ranks #367 of 671 Pennsylvania districts by per-pupil spending (Pennsylvania districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,311
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$16,963
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Karns City Area Sd operates 3 public schools serving 1,311 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Pennsylvania. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 combined schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Butler County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,963 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 32.8% local, 62.2% state, and 5.0% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 40/100, ranked #411 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 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (7 AP courses district-wide), a 387.3:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 31.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 97.7% White, 0.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% African American across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Chicora El Sch, enrolling 645 students (43% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Sugarcreek El Sch, at 196 students, a 3x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Chicora El Sch accounts for 43.5% of all Karns City Area Sd student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Karns City Area Sd-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. 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

Karns City Area Sd school enrollment varies 3.3× across entities

Karns City Area Sd school enrollment ranges from 196 students (lowest) to 645 students (highest), a spread of 449 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. 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

Karns City Area Sd student-counselor ratio is 387:1 — 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

Karns City Area Sd chronic absenteeism rate is 31.2% — 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?

5.0%
Federal
62.2%
State
32.8%
Local

Funding Equity

40
Equity Score
411 / 648
State Rank
49
State Average

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

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Karns City Area Sd.

White 97.7%
Multiracial 1.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 3
Schools with AP
7 AP courses total
387.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
31.2%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Karns City Area Sd

School Enrollment
Chicora El Sch
645
Karns City Hs
642
Sugarcreek El Sch
196

How Karns City Area Sd Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Pennsylvania districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Tulpehocken Area Sd Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
New Brighton Area Sd Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
School Lane Cs Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
New Hope-Solebury Sd Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Brandywine Heights Area Sd Similar size Higher spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Karns City Area Sd's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

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 · $17,892/pupil
Compare vs Karns City Area Sd →
Commonwealth Charter Academy Cs
20,355 students · 1 schools · $13,853/pupil
Compare vs Karns City Area Sd →
Pittsburgh Sd
20,034 students · 56 schools · $24,314/pupil
Compare vs Karns City Area Sd →
Central Bucks Sd
17,540 students · 23 schools · $18,148/pupil
Compare vs Karns City Area Sd →
Reading Sd
17,363 students · 19 schools · $13,219/pupil
Compare vs Karns City Area Sd →

Compare Karns City Area Sd

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

Compare vs Philadelphia City Sd →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Karns City Area Sd?

Karns City Area Sd has 3 schools, including 2 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 1,311 students.

How much does Karns City Area Sd spend per student?

Karns City Area Sd spends $16,963 per student. The district has an equity score of 40/100, ranking #411 in Pennsylvania.

What is the demographic composition of Karns City Area Sd?

Karns City Area Sd students are 97.7% White, 0.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Karns City Area Sd?

Karns City Area Sd has an equity score of 40/100, ranking #411 out of 648 districts in Pennsylvania.