Enrollment
755
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 420498000225
Carbondale El Sch — Carbondale, PA
Federal NCES profile for Carbondale El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 35/100.
👥 Class size 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 2
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Carbondale Area Sd · Pennsylvania
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 13.5:1 Pennsylvania avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.7%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carbondale El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Carbondale El Sch reports 755 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 53.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 8% above the Pennsylvania state mean of 13.5:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 8% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 45.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 21% below the Pennsylvania average and 12% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 378 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 39.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Carbondale Area Sd spends $20,978 per pupil district-wide, below the Pennsylvania average of $22,745 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 31.6% from local sources (property taxes), 53.3% from the state, and 15.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Carbondale El Sch compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Pennsylvania state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.6:1 | ▲ 8% | 13.5:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.7% | ▼ 21% | 58.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 755 | top 82% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
45.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 21% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.6:1
students per teacher
— 8% above state mean
Top 70% in Pennsylvania — lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
39.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$20,978
per pupil, district-wide
— below Pennsylvania avg of $22,745
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 378 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 49 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 755 Top 82% in Pennsylvania — larger than 18% of 2,930 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 53.0
Students per teacher 14.6:1 +8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 45.7% -21% vs state
NCES ID 420498000225
Student demographics
White 66.4%
Hispanic or Latino 19.7%
Two or More 6.9%
African American 5.7%
Asian 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 66.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 378:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 39.1%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 49
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carbondale Area Sd, which includes Carbondale El Sch.
$20,978
Per student
-8%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $22,745
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 31.6%
State 53.3%
Federal 15.1%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 736
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
Similar other schools in Carbondale
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Carbondale El Sch
How many students attend Carbondale El Sch?
Carbondale El Sch has 755 students enrolled. It is a other school in Carbondale, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carbondale El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Carbondale El Sch is 14.6:1, which is 8% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.5:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Carbondale El Sch?
45.7% of students at Carbondale El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carbondale El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Carbondale El Sch is White at 66.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Carbondale, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carbondale El Sch?
Carbondale El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.