Towanda Area 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.

Towanda, Pennsylvania - 3 schools

An equity score of 52/100 ranks Towanda Area Sd #288 of 648 districts in Pennsylvania (state average 49). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $16,732 per pupil, Towanda Area Sd ranks #390 of 671 Pennsylvania districts by per-pupil spending (Pennsylvania districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,513
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$16,732
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Towanda Area Sd operates 3 public schools serving 1,513 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Pennsylvania. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 1 elementary 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 Bradford County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,732 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 41.8% local, 46.6% state, and 11.6% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 52/100, ranked #288 of 648 in Pennsylvania against a state average of 49, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (5 AP courses district-wide), a 388.8:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 21.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 93.8% White, 2.5% Hispanic or Latino, 1.7% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Morrow El Sch, with a diversity index of 14.6/100.

Its largest campus is Towanda Area Jshs, enrolling 709 students (48% of the district's total enrollment).

Towanda Area Jshs accounts for 46.9% of all Towanda Area Sd student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Towanda Area Sd a distant remainder — means Towanda Area Sd-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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

Towanda Area Sd school enrollment varies 2.0× across entities

Towanda Area Sd school enrollment ranges from 350 students (lowest) to 709 students (highest), a spread of 359 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

Towanda Area Sd has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 96.6% 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

Towanda Area Sd student-counselor ratio is 389:1 — 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

Towanda Area Sd chronic absenteeism rate is 21.8% — 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 Towanda Area Sd is typically wider than the Towanda Area Sd-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

11.6%
Federal
46.6%
State
41.8%
Local

Funding Equity

52
Equity Score
288 / 648
State Rank
49
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Towanda Area Sd.

White 93.8%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%
African American 1.7%
Asian 0.7%
Multiracial 1.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 11.8/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Morrow El Sch 14.6
  2. 2 Towanda Area El Sch 11.7
  3. 3 Towanda Area Jshs 9.1

Programs & Resources

1 / 3
Schools with AP
5 AP courses total
388.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
21.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Towanda Area Sd

School Enrollment
Towanda Area Jshs
709
Towanda Area El Sch
423
Morrow El Sch
350

How Towanda Area Sd Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Pennsylvania districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
North East Sd Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Colonial Iu 20 Similar size No spending data More locally funded
Bald Eagle Area Sd Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Oley Valley Sd Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
New Foundations Cs Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

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

Compare Towanda 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 Towanda Area Sd?

Towanda Area Sd has 3 schools, including 2 combined, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 1,513 students.

How much does Towanda Area Sd spend per student?

Towanda Area Sd spends $16,732 per student. The district has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #288 in Pennsylvania.

What is the demographic composition of Towanda Area Sd?

Towanda Area Sd students are 93.8% White, 2.5% Hispanic or Latino, 1.7% African American, 0.7% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Towanda Area Sd?

Towanda Area Sd has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #288 out of 648 districts in Pennsylvania.