Southern Lehigh SD
Public school district · Lehigh County · Pennsylvania · NCES district ID 4222350
Southern Lehigh SD spent $18,194 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 59% of the other Pennsylvania districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $17,594). Its 5 schools enrolled 3,057 students in 2024-25; 21.0% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $18,754 per student, up 3.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 97% (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 Southern Lehigh SD in enrollment (3,046 to 3,106 students) and Southern Lehigh SD itself.
Where the money came from
$78,403,000 in revenue: 21.0% state, 77.3% local and 1.7% federal. Total spending including $5,246,000 of capital outlay was $70,734,000, or $22,981 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$16,459,000 21%
- Local$60,624,000 77%
- Federal$1,320,000 2%
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 held steady from 2022-23 to 2024-25
3,077 students in 2022-23, 3,042 students in 2023-24, 3,057 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 3,077 | 196.2 | 15.7 |
| 2023-24 | 3,042 | 196.2 | 15.5 |
| 2024-25 | 3,057 | 206.0 | 14.8 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$20,023,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $6,505 per student
Southern Lehigh SD booked $20,023,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 196 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 $102,080 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 91 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).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $15,985,000 | 79.8% |
| Special education | $3,160,000 | 15.8% |
| Other programs | $878,000 | 4.4% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $6,099 in 2018-19, $6,189 in 2019-20, $6,376 in 2020-21, $6,585 in 2021-22, $6,505 in 2022-23.
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 Southern Lehigh SD scored proficient or above: 78-82% in reading and 58-62% 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.
| Subject | This district | Pennsylvania | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 78-82% | 54% | 1,366 |
| Math | 58-62% | 34% | 1,371 |
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
97% of the 266 students in Southern Lehigh 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.
| This district | Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 97% | 87.5% |
| Students in the class | 266 | 136,045 |
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.
2 elementary schools, 871 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty Bell Elementary School | 445 | 16.5 | 12.1% | Eligible, no program |
| Hopewell Elementary School | 426 | 15.2 | 12.4% | 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.
2 middle schools, 1,173 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Lehigh Intermediate School | 702 | 15.6 | 16.4% | Targeted program |
| Southern Lehigh Middle School | 471 | 11.8 | 16.3% | 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 high school, 1,013 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Lehigh SHS | 1,013 | 15.3 | 19.2% | 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 Southern Lehigh SD
- Website: slsd.org
- Phone: (610) 282-3121
- Office: 5775 Main St, Center Valley, PA 18034
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 Southern Lehigh SD
- Pennsylvania districts by spending per studentSouthern Lehigh SD ranks 172 of 418 Pennsylvania districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($18,194).#172 of 418
- Every school district in PennsylvaniaSouthern Lehigh SD is the number 161 by size of 775 Pennsylvania districts, with 3,078 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#161 of 775
- Chester-Upland SDThe next larger Pennsylvania district: 3,100 students in fall 2022, $21,339 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$21,339
- Montour SDThe next smaller Pennsylvania district: 3,075 students in fall 2022, $19,921 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$19,921
- Compare Southern Lehigh SD with Chester-Upland SDEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Southern Lehigh SHS, its largest high school1,013 students in 2024-25, 15.3 per teacher.1,013
- Teacher salary spending across PennsylvaniaSouthern Lehigh SD spent $102,080 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $81,309); spending, not a salary.$102,080
- 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 Southern Lehigh SD
How many schools and students are in Southern Lehigh SD?
5 schools were open in 2024-25 (2 elementary, 2 middle, 1 high), enrolling 3,057 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Southern Lehigh SD spend per student?
$18,194 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 $18,754 per student, up 3.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Southern Lehigh SD's money come from?
$78,403,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 21.0% state, 77.3% local and 1.7% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Southern Lehigh SD live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 173 of the 3,929 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 4.4%, 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.How much does Southern Lehigh SD spend on teacher salaries?
$20,023,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $6,505 per student. Divided by the 196 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $102,080 per teacher, more than 91 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).How do students in Southern Lehigh SD do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Southern Lehigh SD scored proficient or above: 78-82% in reading and 58-62% 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.What is the graduation rate in Southern Lehigh SD?
97% of the 266 students in Southern Lehigh 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.What is Southern Lehigh SD's NCES district ID?
4222350. 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