Enrollment
794
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bala Cynwyd, PA
Bala-Cynwyd Ms
Federal NCES profile for Bala-Cynwyd Ms, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 70/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 421416003293
👥 S:T ratio 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 60
📋 Attendance 89
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bala-Cynwyd Ms earns 70/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Pennsylvania schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Bala Cynwyd · Resource Index
- 70
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.1:1
- small classes for Pennsylvania
- 11.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Bala-Cynwyd Ms has class sizes smaller than 91% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bala-Cynwyd Ms ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Bala Cynwyd, PA.
School address
District: Lower Merion Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 421416003293 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
79.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.1:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.0%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-81% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bala-Cynwyd Ms compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bala-Cynwyd Ms
Bala-Cynwyd Ms is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, enrolling 794 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.1:1, Bala-Cynwyd Ms is leaner than roughly 91% of Pennsylvania schools and 26% under the state's 13.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.0% free-meal eligibility runs 81% below the Pennsylvania average.
Enrollment of 794 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 99% of the 2,889 Pennsylvania schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 269 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (62%) and Asian (14%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 199 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Lower Merion Sd spends $30,110 per pupil, 68% above the Pennsylvania average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Bala Cynwyd's elementary schools, it stands alongside Cynwyd Sch (446 students): Bala-Cynwyd Ms is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.1:1 vs 13.1:1).
Lower Merion Sd also operates Lower Merion Hs (1,674 students) and Harriton Shs (1,239 students) alongside Bala-Cynwyd Ms.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Bala-Cynwyd Ms compares
Bala-Cynwyd Ms on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.1:1 | ▼ 26% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.0% | ▼ 81% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 794 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.1:1
Leaner classes than 88% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
794
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 81% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.1:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 9% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
4.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$30,110
per pupil, district-wide
- above Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 199 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
25
in-school suspensions + 31 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 61.5%
Asian 14.2%
Two or More 10.5%
African American 8.7%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%
Largest group: White at 61.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.0, Bala-Cynwyd Ms is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lower Merion Sd, which includes Bala-Cynwyd Ms.
$30,110
Per student
+68%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+81%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 83.7%
State 14.1%
Federal 2.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Bala-Cynwyd Ms Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Merion Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harriton Shs | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Black Rock Ms | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Welsh Valley Ms | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Penn Wynne Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bala-Cynwyd Ms's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,674
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 1,239
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
- Enrollment
- 1,077
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 788
- Students per teacher
- 9.8:1
- Resource Index
- 68/100
- Enrollment
- 621
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
Similar elementary schools in Bala Cynwyd
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Pennsylvania, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~794 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bala-Cynwyd Ms's federal record.
- Compare Bala-Cynwyd Ms against another school. Compare schools
- Lower Merion Sd's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Bala-Cynwyd Ms
How many students attend Bala-Cynwyd Ms?
Bala-Cynwyd Ms has 794 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bala Cynwyd, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bala-Cynwyd Ms?
The student-teacher ratio at Bala-Cynwyd Ms is 10.1:1, which is 26% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 36% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bala-Cynwyd Ms?
11.0% of students at Bala-Cynwyd Ms are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bala-Cynwyd Ms?
The largest demographic group at Bala-Cynwyd Ms is White at 61.5% of enrollment, in Bala Cynwyd, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bala-Cynwyd Ms?
Bala-Cynwyd Ms has a Resource Investment Index of 70/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bala-Cynwyd Ms rank among elementary schools in Bala Cynwyd?
By Resource Investment Index, Bala-Cynwyd Ms ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Bala Cynwyd, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Bala Cynwyd on the city page.
Is Bala-Cynwyd Ms a good school?
Bala-Cynwyd Ms earns 70/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Pennsylvania schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Lower Merion Sd?
Besides Bala-Cynwyd Ms, Lower Merion Sd also operates Lower Merion Hs (1,674 students), Harriton Shs (1,239 students), and Black Rock Ms (1,077 students). See the Lower Merion Sd district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.