Laurel Highlands 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.

Uniontown, Pennsylvania - 6 schools

An equity score of 57/100 ranks Laurel Highlands Sd #238 of 648 districts in Pennsylvania (state average 49). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $17,408 per pupil, Laurel Highlands Sd ranks #322 of 671 Pennsylvania districts by per-pupil spending (Pennsylvania districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,736
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$17,408
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Laurel Highlands Sd operates 6 public schools serving 2,736 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Pennsylvania. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle 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 Fayette County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,408 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 671 Pennsylvania districts by per-pupil spending. See how Pennsylvania compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 41.6% local, 44.2% state, and 14.1% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 57/100, ranked #238 of 648 in Pennsylvania against a state average of 49, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (12 AP courses district-wide), a 410.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 26.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 82.9% White, 6.0% African American, 1.7% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Clark El Sch, with a diversity index of 42.3/100.

Its largest campus is Laurel Highlands Shs, enrolling 753 students (28% of the district's total enrollment).

Laurel Highlands Shs accounts for 27.5% of all Laurel Highlands Sd student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Laurel Highlands 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

Laurel Highlands Sd school enrollment varies 2.7× across entities

Laurel Highlands Sd school enrollment ranges from 282 students (lowest) to 753 students (highest), a spread of 471 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

Laurel Highlands Sd has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 53.9% 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 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

Laurel Highlands Sd student-counselor ratio is 410:1 — 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

Laurel Highlands Sd chronic absenteeism rate is 26.7% — 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 Laurel Highlands Sd is typically wider than the Laurel Highlands Sd-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

14.1%
Federal
44.2%
State
41.6%
Local

Funding Equity

57
Equity Score
238 / 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 6 schools in Laurel Highlands Sd.

White 82.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.7%
African American 6.0%
Asian 0.6%
Multiracial 7.5%
Other 1.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 30.0/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Laurel Highlands Sd's schools, below the Pennsylvania average of 37.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Clark El Sch 42.3
  2. 2 Hatfield El Sch 32.0
  3. 3 Laurel Highlands Ms 30.9
  4. 4 Hutchinson El Sch 29.8
  5. 5 Laurel Highlands Shs 26.1

Programs & Resources

1 / 6
Schools with AP
12 AP courses total
410.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
26.7%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Laurel Highlands Sd

School Enrollment
Laurel Highlands Shs
753
Laurel Highlands Ms
662
Hatfield El Sch
342
Hutchinson El Sch
308
Marshall El Sch
300
Clark El Sch
282

How Laurel Highlands Sd Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Pennsylvania districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Philadelphia Performing Arts Cs Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
West York Area Sd Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Bangor Area Sd Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Manheim Central Sd Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Gettysburg Area Sd Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Laurel Highlands 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 Laurel Highlands Sd →
Commonwealth Charter Academy Cs
20,355 students · 1 schools · $13,853/pupil
Compare vs Laurel Highlands Sd →
Pittsburgh Sd
20,034 students · 56 schools · $24,314/pupil
Compare vs Laurel Highlands Sd →
Central Bucks Sd
17,540 students · 23 schools · $18,148/pupil
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Reading Sd
17,363 students · 19 schools · $13,219/pupil
Compare vs Laurel Highlands Sd →

Compare Laurel Highlands 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 Laurel Highlands Sd?

Laurel Highlands Sd has 6 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 4 elementary. Total enrollment is 2,736 students.

How much does Laurel Highlands Sd spend per student?

Laurel Highlands Sd spends $17,408 per student. The district has an equity score of 57/100, ranking #238 in Pennsylvania.

What is the demographic composition of Laurel Highlands Sd?

Laurel Highlands Sd students are 82.9% White, 6.0% African American, 1.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% Asian, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Laurel Highlands Sd?

Laurel Highlands Sd has an equity score of 57/100, ranking #238 out of 648 districts in Pennsylvania.