Lehighton 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.

Lehighton, Pennsylvania - 3 schools

An equity score of 48/100 ranks Lehighton Area Sd #340 of 648 districts in Pennsylvania (state average 49). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $15,143 per pupil, Lehighton Area Sd ranks #554 of 671 Pennsylvania districts by per-pupil spending (Pennsylvania districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,171
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$15,143
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Lehighton Area Sd operates 3 public schools serving 2,171 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Pennsylvania. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 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 Carbon County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,143 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 52.2% local, 37.6% state, and 10.2% 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 48/100, ranked #340 of 648 in Pennsylvania against a state average of 49, in line with the typical spread seen across 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 431.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 23.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 82.1% White, 10.6% Hispanic or Latino, 1.6% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Lehighton Area Elementary Center, with a diversity index of 33.6/100.

Its largest campus is Lehighton Area Elementary Center, enrolling 1,005 students (48% of the district's total enrollment).

Lehighton Area Elementary Center accounts for 46.3% of all Lehighton Area Sd student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Lehighton Area Sd a distant remainder — means Lehighton Area Sd-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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

Lehighton Area Sd school enrollment varies 2.1× across entities

Lehighton Area Sd school enrollment ranges from 478 students (lowest) to 1,005 students (highest), a spread of 527 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

Lehighton Area Sd student-counselor ratio is 432:1 — 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

Lehighton Area Sd chronic absenteeism rate is 23.8% — 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 Lehighton Area Sd is typically wider than the Lehighton Area 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?

10.2%
Federal
37.6%
State
52.2%
Local

Funding Equity

48
Equity Score
340 / 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 Lehighton Area Sd.

White 82.1%
Hispanic or Latino 10.6%
African American 1.6%
Multiracial 4.5%
Other 0.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 31.1/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Lehighton Area Elementary Center 33.6
  2. 2 Lehighton Area Ms 31.5
  3. 3 Lehighton Area Hs 28.3

Programs & Resources

1 / 3
Schools with AP
7 AP courses total
431.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
23.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Lehighton Area Sd

School Enrollment
Lehighton Area Elementary Center
1,005
Lehighton Area Hs
630
Lehighton Area Ms
478

How Lehighton Area Sd Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Pennsylvania districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
West Perry Sd Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
South Middleton Sd Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Danville Area Sd Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Wilson Area Sd Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Jersey Shore Area Sd Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

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

Compare Lehighton 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 Lehighton Area Sd?

Lehighton Area Sd has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 2,171 students.

How much does Lehighton Area Sd spend per student?

Lehighton Area Sd spends $15,143 per student. The district has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #340 in Pennsylvania.

What is the demographic composition of Lehighton Area Sd?

Lehighton Area Sd students are 82.1% White, 10.6% Hispanic or Latino, 1.6% African American, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Lehighton Area Sd?

Lehighton Area Sd has an equity score of 48/100, ranking #340 out of 648 districts in Pennsylvania.