Enrollment
1,318
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Philadelphia, PA
Castor Gardens Ms
Federal NCES profile for Castor Gardens Ms, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 421899003836
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Castor Gardens Ms earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Pennsylvania.
- #8 of 9
- middle schools in Philadelphia · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.3:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Castor Gardens Ms has class sizes larger than 95% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Castor Gardens Ms ranks #8 of 9 middle schools in Philadelphia, PA.
School address
District: Philadelphia City Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 421899003836 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
72.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.3:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Castor Gardens Ms compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Castor Gardens Ms
Castor Gardens Ms is a high-poverty, large middle school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, enrolling 1,318 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.3:1 is larger than about 95% of Pennsylvania schools and 35% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 100.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Pennsylvania, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,318 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 125 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #64.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (42%) and African American (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 439 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 381 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,318 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Philadelphia's middle schools, it stands alongside Baldi C C a Ms (1,510 students): Castor Gardens Ms is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.3:1 vs 17.8:1).
Philadelphia City Sd also operates Northeast Hs (3,463 students) and Lincoln Hs (2,472 students) alongside Castor Gardens 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 Castor Gardens Ms compares
Castor Gardens 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 | 18.3:1 | ▲ 35% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 72% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,318 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.3:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,318
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
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
18.3:1
students per teacher
- 35% above state mean
Top 95% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.8%
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
$17,892
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 439 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
141
in-school suspensions + 240 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.9 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
Hispanic or Latino 42.3%
African American 23.4%
Asian 19.9%
White 11.5%
Two or More 2.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 42.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.3, Castor Gardens Ms is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Philadelphia City Sd, which includes Castor Gardens Ms.
$17,892
Per student
0%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.0%
State 39.7%
Federal 23.3%
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 Castor Gardens Ms Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northeast Community Propel Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mayfair Sch | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Castor Gardens Ms's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,463
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,472
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,329
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,783
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,763
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar middle schools in Philadelphia
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Baldi C C a Ms
Standard public school
1,510 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Harding Warren G Ms
Standard public school
570 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Feltonville Sch of Arts & Sciences
Standard public school
543 students 16:1 students per teacher
Wagner Gen Louis Ms
Standard public school
296 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Clemente Roberto Ms
Standard public school
259 students 28.8:1 students per teacher
Amy at Martin
Standard public school
185 students 8:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~1,318 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Castor Gardens Ms's federal record.
- Compare Castor Gardens Ms against another school. Compare schools
- Philadelphia 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 Castor Gardens Ms
How many students attend Castor Gardens Ms?
Castor Gardens Ms has 1,318 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Philadelphia, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Castor Gardens Ms?
The student-teacher ratio at Castor Gardens Ms is 18.3:1, which is 35% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Castor Gardens Ms?
100.0% of students at Castor Gardens Ms are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Castor Gardens Ms?
The largest demographic group at Castor Gardens Ms is Hispanic or Latino at 42.3% of enrollment, in Philadelphia, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Castor Gardens Ms?
Castor Gardens Ms has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical 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 Castor Gardens Ms rank among middle schools in Philadelphia?
By Resource Investment Index, Castor Gardens Ms ranks #8 of 9 middle schools in Philadelphia, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Philadelphia on the city page.
Is Castor Gardens Ms a good school?
Castor Gardens Ms earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Pennsylvania. 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 Philadelphia City Sd?
Besides Castor Gardens Ms, Philadelphia City Sd also operates Northeast Hs (3,463 students), Lincoln Hs (2,472 students), and Central Hs (2,329 students). See the Philadelphia 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.