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Catawissa, Pennsylvania - 3 schools
An equity score of 35/100 ranks Southern Columbia Area Sd #472 of 648 districts in Pennsylvania (state average 49). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $16,372 per pupil, Southern Columbia Area Sd ranks #430 of 671 Pennsylvania districts by per-pupil spending (Pennsylvania districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,235
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$16,372
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Southern Columbia Area Sd operates 3 public schools serving 1,235 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Pennsylvania. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 high 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 Columbia County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,372 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 59.0% local, 36.3% state, and 4.7% 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 35/100, ranked #472 of 648 in Pennsylvania against a state average of 49, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (6 AP courses district-wide), a 340.3:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 26.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 94.4% White, 2.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Southern Columbia Hs, with a diversity index of 13.1/100.
Its largest campus is Hartman El Ctr, enrolling 480 students (40% of the district's total enrollment).
Hartman El Ctr accounts for 38.9% of all Southern Columbia Area Sd student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Southern Columbia Area Sd-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. 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.
Southern Columbia Area Sd student-counselor ratio is 340:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
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 Variation between sub-units within Southern Columbia Area Sd is typically wider than the Southern Columbia Area Sd-aggregate figure suggests.
Southern Columbia Area Sd chronic absenteeism rate is 26.8% — 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 Southern Columbia Area Sd is typically wider than the Southern Columbia Area Sd-aggregate figure suggests.
How many schools are in Southern Columbia Area Sd?
Southern Columbia Area Sd has 3 schools, including 2 elementary, 1 high. Total enrollment is 1,235 students.
How much does Southern Columbia Area Sd spend per student?
Southern Columbia Area Sd spends $16,372 per student. The district has an equity score of 35/100, ranking #472 in Pennsylvania.
What is the demographic composition of Southern Columbia Area Sd?
Southern Columbia Area Sd students are 94.4% White, 2.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% African American, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Southern Columbia Area Sd?
Southern Columbia Area Sd has an equity score of 35/100, ranking #472 out of 648 districts in Pennsylvania.