Mechanicsburg Area SD

Public school district · Cumberland County · Pennsylvania · NCES district ID 4215030

Mechanicsburg Area SD spent $16,032 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 76% of the other Pennsylvania districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $17,594). Its 8 schools enrolled 4,621 students in 2024-25; 23.6% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $17,302 per student, up 7.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 94% (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 Mechanicsburg Area SD in enrollment (4,522 to 4,636 students) and Mechanicsburg Area SD itself.

Current spending per student, Pennsylvania districts closest in size to Mechanicsburg Area SD, FY23Methacton SD $22,703; Garnet Valley SD $22,697; Stroudsburg Area SD $21,738; William Penn SD $20,485; Armstrong SD $18,797; Pine-Richland SD $17,590; North Hills SD $17,446; Mechanicsburg Area SD $16,032; Mifflin County SD $15,978; Baldwin-Whitehall SD $14,087; State median, 1,000+ students $17,594.10k15k20k25kMethacton SD$22,703Garnet Valley SD$22,697Stroudsburg Area SD$21,738William Penn SD$20,485Armstrong SD$18,797Pine-Richland SD$17,590North Hills SD$17,446Mechanicsburg Area SD$16,032Mifflin County SD$15,978Baldwin-Whitehall SD$14,087State median, 1,000+ students $17,594
Current spending per student, Pennsylvania districts closest in size to Mechanicsburg Area SD, FY23Methacton SD $22,703; Garnet Valley SD $22,697; Stroudsburg Area SD $21,738; William Penn SD $20,485; Armstrong SD $18,797; Pine-Richland SD $17,590; North Hills SD $17,446; Mechanicsburg Area SD $16,032; Mifflin County SD $15,978; Baldwin-Whitehall SD $14,087; State median, 1,000+ students $17,594.10k15k20k25kMethacton SD$22,703Garnet Valley SD$22,697Stroudsburg Area SD$21,738William Penn SD$20,485Armstrong SD$18,797Pine-Richland SD$17,590North Hills SD$17,446Mechanicsburg Area SD$16,032Mifflin County SD$15,978Baldwin-Whitehall SD$14,087State median, 1,000+ students $17,594
Current spending per student, Pennsylvania districts closest in size to Mechanicsburg Area SD, FY23Methacton SD $22,703; Garnet Valley SD $22,697; Stroudsburg Area SD $21,738; William Penn SD $20,485; Armstrong SD $18,797; Pine-Richland SD $17,590; North Hills SD $17,446; Mechanicsburg Area SD $16,032; Mifflin County SD $15,978; Baldwin-Whitehall SD $14,087; State median, 1,000+ students $17,594.10k15k20k25kMethacton SD$22,703Garnet Valley SD$22,697Stroudsburg Area SD$21,738William Penn SD$20,485Armstrong SD$18,797Pine-Richland SD$17,590North Hills SD$17,446Mechanicsburg Area SD$16,032Mifflin County SD$15,978Baldwin-Whitehall SD$14,087State median, 1,000+ students $17,594
Current spending per student, Pennsylvania districts closest in size to Mechanicsburg Area SD, FY23Methacton SD $22,703; Garnet Valley SD $22,697; Stroudsburg Area SD $21,738; William Penn SD $20,485; Armstrong SD $18,797; Pine-Richland SD $17,590; North Hills SD $17,446; Mechanicsburg Area SD $16,032; Mifflin County SD $15,978; Baldwin-Whitehall SD $14,087; State median, 1,000+ students $17,594.10k15k20k25kMethacton SD$22,703Garnet Valley SD$22,697Stroudsburg Area SD$21,738William Penn SD$20,485Armstrong SD$18,797Pine-Richland SD$17,590North Hills SD$17,446Mechanicsburg Area SD$16,032Mifflin County SD$15,978Baldwin-Whitehall SD$14,087State median, 1,000+ students $17,594

Where the money came from

$95,643,000 in revenue: 23.6% state, 72.4% local and 4.0% federal. Total spending including $24,687,000 of capital outlay was $109,378,000, or $24,013 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Mechanicsburg Area SD revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $22,575,000; Local $69,254,000; Federal $3,814,000; total $95,643,000.
  • State$22,575,000 24%
  • Local$69,254,000 72%
  • Federal$3,814,000 4%

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 rose from 2022-23 to 2024-25

4,476 students in 2022-23, 4,579 students in 2023-24, 4,621 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Mechanicsburg Area SD enrollment by school year2022-23: 4,476, 2023-24: 4,579, 2024-25: 4,62102k4k6k2022-234,4762023-244,5792024-254,621
Mechanicsburg Area SD enrollment by school year2022-23: 4,476, 2023-24: 4,579, 2024-25: 4,62102k4k6k2022-234,4762023-244,5792024-254,621
Mechanicsburg Area SD enrollment by school year2022-23: 4,476, 2023-24: 4,579, 2024-25: 4,62102k4k6k2022-234,4762023-244,5792024-254,621
Mechanicsburg Area SD enrollment by school year2022-23: 4,476, 2023-24: 4,579, 2024-25: 4,62102k4k6k2022-234,4762023-244,5792024-254,621

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-234,476306.814.6
2023-244,579333.513.7
2024-254,621324.014.3

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$25,418,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $5,580 per student

Mechanicsburg Area SD booked $25,418,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 309 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 $82,166 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 53 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).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$20,228,00079.6%
Special education$4,330,00017.0%
Other programs$860,0003.4%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,920 in 2018-19, $5,011 in 2019-20, $5,440 in 2020-21, $5,546 in 2021-22, $5,580 in 2022-23.

Mechanicsburg Area SD teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,920, 2019-20: $5,011, 2020-21: $5,440, 2021-22: $5,546, 2022-23: $5,58002k4k6k2018-19$4,9202019-20$5,0112020-21$5,4402021-22$5,5462022-23$5,580
Mechanicsburg Area SD teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,920, 2019-20: $5,011, 2020-21: $5,440, 2021-22: $5,546, 2022-23: $5,58002k4k6k2018-19$4,9202019-20$5,0112020-21$5,4402021-22$5,5462022-23$5,580
Mechanicsburg Area SD teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,920, 2019-20: $5,011, 2020-21: $5,440, 2021-22: $5,546, 2022-23: $5,58002k4k6k2018-19$4,9202019-20$5,0112020-21$5,4402021-22$5,5462022-23$5,580
Mechanicsburg Area SD teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,920, 2019-20: $5,011, 2020-21: $5,440, 2021-22: $5,546, 2022-23: $5,58002k4k6k2018-19$4,9202019-20$5,0112020-21$5,4402021-22$5,5462022-23$5,580

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 Mechanicsburg Area SD scored proficient or above: 64% in reading and 38% 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.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtPennsylvaniaStudents tested
Reading and language arts64%54%2,055
Math38%34%2,059

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

94% of the 327 students in Mechanicsburg Area 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.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtPennsylvania
Four-year graduation rate94%87.5%
Students in the class327136,045

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.

6 elementary schools, 2,097 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Elmwood Academy71215.537.6%Targeted program
Upper Allen Elementary School32113.132.7%Not Title I
Kindergarten Academy32113.840.8%Targeted program
Shepherdstown Elementary School28313.832.9%Targeted program
Broad Street Elementary School23913.643.1%Not Title I
Northside Elementary School22112.840.3%Targeted 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.

1 middle school, 1,112 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Mechanicsburg Middle School1,11214.436.7%Targeted 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.

1 high school, 1,412 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Mechanicsburg Area SHS1,41214.534.5%Not Title I

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 Mechanicsburg Area SD

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 Mechanicsburg Area SD

  1. Pennsylvania districts by spending per studentMechanicsburg Area SD ranks 319 of 418 Pennsylvania districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($16,032).#319 of 418
  2. Every school district in PennsylvaniaMechanicsburg Area SD is the number 83 by size of 775 Pennsylvania districts, with 4,555 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#83 of 775
  3. North Hills SDThe next larger Pennsylvania district: 4,569 students in fall 2022, $17,446 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$17,446
  4. Armstrong SDThe next smaller Pennsylvania district: 4,553 students in fall 2022, $18,797 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$18,797
  5. Compare Mechanicsburg Area SD with North Hills SDEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Mechanicsburg Area SHS, its largest high school1,412 students in 2024-25, 14.5 per teacher.1,412
  7. Teacher salary spending across PennsylvaniaMechanicsburg Area SD spent $82,166 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $81,309); spending, not a salary.$82,166
  8. 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 Mechanicsburg Area SD

  1. How many schools and students are in Mechanicsburg Area SD?
    8 schools were open in 2024-25 (6 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high), enrolling 4,621 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Mechanicsburg Area SD spend per student?
    $16,032 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 $17,302 per student, up 7.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Mechanicsburg Area SD's money come from?
    $95,643,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 23.6% state, 72.4% local and 4.0% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Mechanicsburg Area SD live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 539 of the 5,270 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 10.2%, 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.
  5. How much does Mechanicsburg Area SD spend on teacher salaries?
    $25,418,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $5,580 per student. Divided by the 309 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $82,166 per teacher, more than 53 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).
  6. How do students in Mechanicsburg Area SD do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Mechanicsburg Area SD scored proficient or above: 64% in reading and 38% 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.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Mechanicsburg Area SD?
    94% of the 327 students in Mechanicsburg Area 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.
  8. What is Mechanicsburg Area SD's NCES district ID?
    4215030. 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

Compiled from official source data by .