Northwestern 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.

Albion, Pennsylvania - 4 schools

An equity score of 74/100 ranks Northwestern Sd #86 of 648 districts in Pennsylvania (state average 49). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $16,612 per pupil, Northwestern Sd ranks #402 of 671 Pennsylvania districts by per-pupil spending (Pennsylvania districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,212
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$16,612
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Northwestern Sd operates 4 public schools serving 1,212 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Pennsylvania. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 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 Erie County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,612 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 25.6% local, 60.6% state, and 13.7% 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 74/100, ranked #86 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 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (11 AP courses district-wide), a 244.3:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 46.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 93.3% White, 3.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Northwestern Ms, with a diversity index of 16.1/100.

Its largest campus is Northwestern Shs, enrolling 398 students (34% of the district's total enrollment).

Northwestern Shs accounts for 32.8% of all Northwestern Sd student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Northwestern 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

Northwestern Sd school enrollment varies 2.5× across entities

Northwestern Sd school enrollment ranges from 162 students (lowest) to 398 students (highest), a spread of 236 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

Northwestern Sd has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 97.3% 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). Eligibility here is a supermajority of the population — well past the 75% concentration-grant threshold that unlocks extra funding 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

Northwestern Sd student-counselor ratio is 244:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Northwestern Sd chronic absenteeism rate is 46.7% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

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 Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

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

Where does the funding come from?

13.7%
Federal
60.6%
State
25.6%
Local

Funding Equity

74
Equity Score
86 / 648
State Rank
49
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 4 schools in Northwestern Sd.

White 93.3%
Hispanic or Latino 3.0%
Multiracial 3.4%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 12.7/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Northwestern Ms 16.1
  2. 2 Springfield El Sch 14.0
  3. 3 Northwestern El Sch 12.6
  4. 4 Northwestern Shs 8.3

Programs & Resources

1 / 4
Schools with AP
11 AP courses total
244.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
46.7%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Northwestern Sd

School Enrollment
Northwestern Shs
398
Northwestern El Sch
350
Northwestern Ms
266
Springfield El Sch
162

How Northwestern Sd Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Pennsylvania districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Montrose Area Sd Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Mastery Cs-Hardy Williams Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Shenandoah Valley Sd Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Windber Area Sd Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Freedom Area Sd Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

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

Compare Northwestern 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 Northwestern Sd?

Northwestern Sd has 4 schools, including 1 high, 2 elementary, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,212 students.

How much does Northwestern Sd spend per student?

Northwestern Sd spends $16,612 per student. The district has an equity score of 74/100, ranking #86 in Pennsylvania.

What is the demographic composition of Northwestern Sd?

Northwestern Sd students are 93.3% White, 3.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Northwestern Sd?

Northwestern Sd has an equity score of 74/100, ranking #86 out of 648 districts in Pennsylvania.