New Castle Area SD

New Castle, Pennsylvania — 4 schools

3,003
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$21,873
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

New Castle Area SD operates 4 public schools serving 3,003 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Pennsylvania. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 2,872 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Lawrence County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $21,873 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 14.9% local, 58.9% state, and 26.2% 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 $108,732 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 63/100, ranked #179 of 659 in Pennsylvania against a state average of 49 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (6 AP courses district-wide), a 625.5:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 51.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 49.3% White, 20.4% African American, 7.9% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.

New Castle Shs accounts for 25.8% of all New Castle Area SD student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means New Castle Area 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

New Castle Area 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

New Castle Area SD student-counselor ratio is 626:1 — 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

New Castle Area SD chronic absenteeism rate is 51.8% — 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?

26.2%
Federal
58.9%
State
14.9%
Local

Funding Equity

63
Equity Score
179 / 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 Lawrence County county, where this district is located.

$705
Studio/mo
$780
1 BR/mo
$1,023
2 BR/mo
$1,423
3 BR/mo
$1,610
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$108,732
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 4 schools in New Castle Area SD.

White 49.3%
Hispanic or Latino 7.9%
African American 20.4%
Multiracial 21.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 4
Schools with AP
6 AP courses total
625.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
51.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in New Castle Area SD

School Enrollment
New Castle Shs
740
Harry W Lockley Early Learning Center
736
Washington Intrmd Sch
707
New Castle Jhs
689

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
Compare vs New Castle Area SD →
Commonwealth Charter Academy CS
20,355 students · 1 schools · $16,959/pupil
Compare vs New Castle Area SD →
Pittsburgh SD
20,034 students · 56 schools · $37,128/pupil
Compare vs New Castle Area SD →
Central Bucks SD
17,540 students · 23 schools · $20,246/pupil
Compare vs New Castle Area SD →
Reading SD
17,363 students · 19 schools · $17,489/pupil
Compare vs New Castle Area SD →

Compare New Castle 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 New Castle Area SD?

New Castle Area SD has 4 schools, including 1 high, 2 elementary, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 3,003 students.

How much does New Castle Area SD spend per student?

New Castle Area SD spends $21,873 per student. The district has an equity score of 63/100, ranking #179 in Pennsylvania.

What is the average teacher salary in New Castle Area SD?

The average teacher salary in New Castle Area SD is $108,732 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near New Castle Area SD?

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

What is the demographic composition of New Castle Area SD?

New Castle Area SD students are 49.3% White, 20.4% African American, 7.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for New Castle Area SD?

New Castle Area SD has an equity score of 63/100, ranking #179 out of 659 districts in Pennsylvania. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

Coverage

50 states + DC

Full national footprint

Update cadence

Quarterly

Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

Source agency

Federal

Authoritative data, no third-party aggregation

Page reliability score 94.0%
Industry baseline

Composite score weighing source authority, update freshness, and methodological transparency. 1.0 = full federal-source coverage with documented methodology and recent update.