Enrollment
678
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Harrisburg, PA
Benjamin Franklin Sch
Federal NCES profile for Benjamin Franklin Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 421158007501
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Benjamin Franklin Sch earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Pennsylvania schools.
- #3 of 5
- schools in Harrisburg · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Benjamin Franklin Sch has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Benjamin Franklin Sch ranks #3 of 5 schools in Harrisburg, PA.
School address
District: Harrisburg City Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 421158007501 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Benjamin Franklin Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Benjamin Franklin Sch
Benjamin Franklin Sch is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, enrolling 678 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 100.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 678 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 2,889 Pennsylvania schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 436 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #358, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (45%) and Hispanic or Latino (43%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 339 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 58.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Harrisburg's public schools, it stands alongside Commonwealth Charter Academy Cs (29,320 students): Benjamin Franklin Sch is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.1:1 vs 25.1:1).
Harrisburg City Sd also operates Harrisburg Hs (1,343 students) and Camp Curtin Academy (724 students) alongside Benjamin Franklin Sch.
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 Benjamin Franklin Sch compares
Benjamin Franklin Sch on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.1:1 | ▲ 4% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 72% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 678 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
678
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 72% above the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 64% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
58.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,794
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 339 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 53 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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
African American 45.3%
Hispanic or Latino 42.9%
Two or More 5.9%
White 4.1%
Asian 1.8%
Largest group: African American at 45.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.5, Benjamin Franklin Sch is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harrisburg City Sd, which includes Benjamin Franklin Sch.
$16,794
Per student
-7%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.6%
State 50.1%
Federal 17.3%
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 Benjamin Franklin Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Camp Curtin Academy | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Melrose Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Foose Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Scott Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Benjamin Franklin Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,343
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 724
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 536
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 522
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 484
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
Similar other schools in Harrisburg
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Commonwealth Charter Academy Cs
Standard public school
29,320 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Reach Cyber Cs
Standard public school
5,721 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Foose Sch
Standard public school
522 students 11.1:1 students per teacher
Cougar Academy
Standard public school
300 students 9.4:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~678 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Benjamin Franklin Sch's federal record.
- Compare Benjamin Franklin Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Harrisburg City 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 Benjamin Franklin Sch
How many students attend Benjamin Franklin Sch?
Benjamin Franklin Sch has 678 students enrolled. It is a public school in Harrisburg, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Benjamin Franklin Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Benjamin Franklin Sch is 14.1:1, which is 4% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Benjamin Franklin Sch?
100.0% of students at Benjamin Franklin Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Benjamin Franklin Sch?
The largest demographic group at Benjamin Franklin Sch is African American at 45.3% of enrollment, in Harrisburg, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Benjamin Franklin Sch?
Benjamin Franklin Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower 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 Benjamin Franklin Sch rank among schools in Harrisburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Benjamin Franklin Sch ranks #3 of 5 schools in Harrisburg, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Harrisburg on the city page.
Is Benjamin Franklin Sch a good school?
Benjamin Franklin Sch earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. 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 Harrisburg City Sd?
Besides Benjamin Franklin Sch, Harrisburg City Sd also operates Harrisburg Hs (1,343 students), Camp Curtin Academy (724 students), and Melrose Sch (536 students). See the Harrisburg City 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.