William Penn 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.

Lansdowne, Pennsylvania - 11 schools

An equity score of 60/100 ranks William Penn Sd #205 of 648 districts in Pennsylvania (state average 49). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $19,270 per pupil, William Penn Sd ranks #167 of 671 Pennsylvania districts by per-pupil spending (Pennsylvania districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

4,623
Total Enrollment
11
Schools
$19,270
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

William Penn Sd operates 11 public schools serving 4,623 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Pennsylvania. The school portfolio breaks down into 8 elementary, 2 high, 1 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Delaware County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $19,270 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 671 Pennsylvania districts by per-pupil spending. See how Pennsylvania compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 45.5% local, 43.1% state, and 11.4% 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 60/100, ranked #205 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 11 schools offering Advanced Placement (10 AP courses district-wide), a 302.1:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 43.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 83.5% African American, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 4.1% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Ardmore Avenue Sch, with a diversity index of 50.1/100.

Its largest campus is Penn Wood Hs, enrolling 1,148 students (26% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Colwyn El Sch, at 135 students, a 9x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Penn Wood Hs accounts for 24.8% of all William Penn Sd student enrollment

That concentration means William Penn 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

William Penn Sd school enrollment varies 8.5× across entities

William Penn Sd school enrollment ranges from 135 students (lowest) to 1,148 students (highest), a spread of 1,013 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. 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

William Penn Sd has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 99.6% 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

William Penn Sd student-counselor ratio is 302:1 — 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 William Penn Sd is typically wider than the William Penn Sd-aggregate figure suggests.

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

William Penn Sd chronic absenteeism rate is 43.9% — 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?

11.4%
Federal
43.1%
State
45.5%
Local

Funding Equity

60
Equity Score
205 / 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 11 schools in William Penn Sd.

White 4.1%
Hispanic or Latino 4.8%
African American 83.5%
Asian 1.6%
Multiracial 5.2%
Other 0.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 28.9/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Ardmore Avenue Sch 50.1
  2. 2 Aldan El Sch 45.2
  3. 3 East Lansdowne El Sch 39.3
  4. 4 Penn Wood 9th Grade Academy 29.3
  5. 5 Walnut Street El Sch 26.1

Programs & Resources

1 / 11
Schools with AP
10 AP courses total
302.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
43.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in William Penn Sd

School Enrollment
Penn Wood Hs
1,148
Penn Wood Ms
667
Ardmore Avenue Sch
535
Penn Wood 9th Grade Academy
379
W B Evans Magnet Sch
304
Park Lane El Sch
304
East Lansdowne El Sch
269
Bell Avenue School
265
Walnut Street El Sch
255
Aldan El Sch
238
Colwyn El Sch
135

How William Penn Sd Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Pennsylvania districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Mifflin County Sd Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Methacton Sd Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
North Hills Sd Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Quakertown Community Sd Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Mechanicsburg Area Sd Similar size Lower spending More locally funded

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

Compare William Penn 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 William Penn Sd?

William Penn Sd has 11 schools, including 2 high, 1 middle, 8 elementary. Total enrollment is 4,623 students.

How much does William Penn Sd spend per student?

William Penn Sd spends $19,270 per student. The district has an equity score of 60/100, ranking #205 in Pennsylvania.

What is the demographic composition of William Penn Sd?

William Penn Sd students are 83.5% African American, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 4.1% White, 1.6% Asian, averaged across 11 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for William Penn Sd?

William Penn Sd has an equity score of 60/100, ranking #205 out of 648 districts in Pennsylvania.