Portage Area SD

Public school district · Cambria County · Pennsylvania · NCES district ID 4219560

Portage Area SD spent $16,281 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 83% of the other Pennsylvania districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $19,062). Its 2 schools enrolled 740 students in 2024-25; 68.0% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $18,286 per student, up 12.3% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 90% or more (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 Portage Area SD in enrollment (797 to 825 students) and Portage Area SD itself.

Current spending per student, Pennsylvania districts closest in size to Portage Area SD, FY23Northern Cambria SD $21,521; KIPP West Philadelphia CS $21,246; Clairton City SD $20,533; Propel CS-Braddock Hills $20,419; Maritime Academy CS $20,244; Propel CS-Montour $19,346; Valley Grove SD $17,814; Moshannon Valley SD $17,411; Mastery CS-Harrity Campus $16,994; Portage Area SD $16,281; State median, under 1,000 students $19,062.14k16k18k20k22kNorthern Cambria SD$21,521KIPP West Philadelphia CS$21,246Clairton City SD$20,533Propel CS-Braddock Hills$20,419Maritime Academy CS$20,244Propel CS-Montour$19,346Valley Grove SD$17,814Moshannon Valley SD$17,411Mastery CS-Harrity Campus$16,994Portage Area SD$16,281State median, under 1,000 students $19,062
Current spending per student, Pennsylvania districts closest in size to Portage Area SD, FY23Northern Cambria SD $21,521; KIPP West Philadelphia CS $21,246; Clairton City SD $20,533; Propel CS-Braddock Hills $20,419; Maritime Academy CS $20,244; Propel CS-Montour $19,346; Valley Grove SD $17,814; Moshannon Valley SD $17,411; Mastery CS-Harrity Campus $16,994; Portage Area SD $16,281; State median, under 1,000 students $19,062.14k16k18k20k22kNorthern Cambria SD$21,521KIPP West Philadelphia CS$21,246Clairton City SD$20,533Propel CS-Braddock Hills$20,419Maritime Academy CS$20,244Propel CS-Montour$19,346Valley Grove SD$17,814Moshannon Valley SD$17,411Mastery CS-Harrity Campus$16,994Portage Area SD$16,281State median, under 1,000 students $19,062
Current spending per student, Pennsylvania districts closest in size to Portage Area SD, FY23Northern Cambria SD $21,521; KIPP West Philadelphia CS $21,246; Clairton City SD $20,533; Propel CS-Braddock Hills $20,419; Maritime Academy CS $20,244; Propel CS-Montour $19,346; Valley Grove SD $17,814; Moshannon Valley SD $17,411; Mastery CS-Harrity Campus $16,994; Portage Area SD $16,281; State median, under 1,000 students $19,062.14k18k22kNorthern Cambria SD$21,521KIPP West Philadelphia CS$21,246Clairton City SD$20,533Propel CS-Braddock Hills$20,419Maritime Academy CS$20,244Propel CS-Montour$19,346Valley Grove SD$17,814Moshannon Valley SD$17,411Mastery CS-Harrity Campus$16,994Portage Area SD$16,281State median, under 1,000 students $19,062
Current spending per student, Pennsylvania districts closest in size to Portage Area SD, FY23Northern Cambria SD $21,521; KIPP West Philadelphia CS $21,246; Clairton City SD $20,533; Propel CS-Braddock Hills $20,419; Maritime Academy CS $20,244; Propel CS-Montour $19,346; Valley Grove SD $17,814; Moshannon Valley SD $17,411; Mastery CS-Harrity Campus $16,994; Portage Area SD $16,281; State median, under 1,000 students $19,062.14k18k22kNorthern Cambria SD$21,521KIPP West Philadelphia CS$21,246Clairton City SD$20,533Propel CS-Braddock Hills$20,419Maritime Academy CS$20,244Propel CS-Montour$19,346Valley Grove SD$17,814Moshannon Valley SD$17,411Mastery CS-Harrity Campus$16,994Portage Area SD$16,281State median, under 1,000 students $19,062

Where the money came from

$16,294,000 in revenue: 68.0% state, 20.4% local and 11.6% federal. Total spending including $97,000 of capital outlay was $14,527,000, or $18,001 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Portage Area SD revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $11,082,000; Local $3,327,000; Federal $1,885,000; total $16,294,000.
  • State$11,082,000 68%
  • Local$3,327,000 20%
  • Federal$1,885,000 12%

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 254 districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25

807 students in 2022-23, 771 students in 2023-24, 740 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Portage Area SD enrollment by school year2022-23: 807, 2023-24: 771, 2024-25: 74002505007501k2022-238072023-247712024-25740
Portage Area SD enrollment by school year2022-23: 807, 2023-24: 771, 2024-25: 74002505007501k2022-238072023-247712024-25740
Portage Area SD enrollment by school year2022-23: 807, 2023-24: 771, 2024-25: 74002505007501k2022-238072023-247712024-25740
Portage Area SD enrollment by school year2022-23: 807, 2023-24: 771, 2024-25: 74002505007501k2022-238072023-247712024-25740

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-2380761.813.1
2023-2477163.012.2
2024-2574064.011.6

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

$3,965,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,913 per student

Portage Area SD booked $3,965,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 62 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 $64,211 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 8 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$3,046,00076.8%
Special education$646,00016.3%
Other programs$273,0006.9%

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

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,487 in 2018-19, $4,597 in 2019-20, $4,864 in 2020-21, $4,778 in 2021-22, $4,913 in 2022-23.

Portage Area SD teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,487, 2019-20: $4,597, 2020-21: $4,864, 2021-22: $4,778, 2022-23: $4,91302k4k6k2018-19$4,4872019-20$4,5972020-21$4,8642021-22$4,7782022-23$4,913
Portage Area SD teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,487, 2019-20: $4,597, 2020-21: $4,864, 2021-22: $4,778, 2022-23: $4,91302k4k6k2018-19$4,4872019-20$4,5972020-21$4,8642021-22$4,7782022-23$4,913
Portage Area SD teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,487, 2019-20: $4,597, 2020-21: $4,864, 2021-22: $4,778, 2022-23: $4,91302k4k6k2018-19$4,4872019-20$4,5972020-21$4,8642021-22$4,7782022-23$4,913
Portage Area SD teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,487, 2019-20: $4,597, 2020-21: $4,864, 2021-22: $4,778, 2022-23: $4,91302k4k6k2018-19$4,4872019-20$4,5972020-21$4,8642021-22$4,7782022-23$4,913

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 Portage Area SD scored proficient or above: 65-71% in reading and 46-52% 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 arts65-71%54%357
Math46-52%34%358

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

90% or more of the 60 students in Portage 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 rate90% or more87.5%
Students in the class60136,045

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.

1 elementary school, 401 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Portage Area Elementary School40110.850.2%Schoolwide 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, 339 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Portage Area JSHS33912.530.9%Eligible, no 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.

Contact Portage 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 Portage Area SD

  1. Pennsylvania districts by spending per studentPortage Area SD ranks 212 of 254 Pennsylvania districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($16,281).#212 of 254
  2. Every school district in PennsylvaniaPortage Area SD is the number 489 by size of 775 Pennsylvania districts, with 807 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#489 of 775
  3. Chester County IU 24The next larger Pennsylvania district: 809 students in fall 2022.
  4. KIPP West Philadelphia CSThe next smaller Pennsylvania district: 805 students in fall 2022, $21,246 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$21,246
  5. Compare Portage Area SD with Chester County IU 24Enrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Portage Area JSHS, its largest high school339 students in 2024-25, 12.5 per teacher.339
  7. Teacher salary spending across PennsylvaniaPortage Area SD spent $64,211 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $81,309); spending, not a salary.$64,211
  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 Portage Area SD

  1. How many schools and students are in Portage Area SD?
    2 schools were open in 2024-25 (1 elementary, 1 high), enrolling 740 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Portage Area SD spend per student?
    $16,281 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 fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $19,062 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $18,286 per student, up 12.3% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Portage Area SD's money come from?
    $16,294,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 68.0% state, 20.4% local and 11.6% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Portage Area SD live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 151 of the 900 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 16.8%, 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 Portage Area SD spend on teacher salaries?
    $3,965,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,913 per student. Divided by the 62 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $64,211 per teacher, more than 8 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 Portage Area SD do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Portage Area SD scored proficient or above: 65-71% in reading and 46-52% 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 Portage Area SD?
    90% or more of the 60 students in Portage 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 Portage Area SD's NCES district ID?
    4219560. 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 .