Enrollment
466
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Beaver Falls, PA
Central El Sch
Federal NCES profile for Central El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 420363000799
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central El Sch earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Pennsylvania schools.
- #6 of 7
- public schools in Beaver Falls · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Central El Sch has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central El Sch ranks #6 of 7 public schools in Beaver Falls, PA.
School address
District: Big Beaver Falls Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420363000799 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
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 Central El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central El Sch
Central El Sch is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, enrolling 466 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.
With 466 students, its enrollment sits close to the Pennsylvania median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 529 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #201.
Its student body is led by African American (34%) and White (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 466 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 16.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Big Beaver Falls Area Sd also operates Beaver Falls Area Shs (486 students) and Beaver Falls Ms (360 students) alongside Central El 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 Central El Sch compares
Central El 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 | 466 | top 49% | - | - |
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.
466
Bigger than 57% 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
20.0%
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
$15,137
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 466 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 36 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.7 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
African American 34.3%
White 32.2%
Two or More 27.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 34.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.1, Central El Sch is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Big Beaver Falls Area Sd, which includes Central El Sch.
$15,137
Per student
-16%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.3%
State 58.5%
Federal 16.2%
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 Central El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Falls Area Shs | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Beaver Falls Ms | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Big Beaver El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 486
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 360
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 301
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
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 (~466 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central El Sch's federal record.
- Compare Central El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Big Beaver Falls Area 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 Central El Sch
How many students attend Central El Sch?
Central El Sch has 466 students enrolled. It is a public school in Beaver Falls, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Central El 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 Central El Sch?
100.0% of students at Central El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Central El Sch is African American at 34.3% of enrollment, in Beaver Falls, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central El Sch?
Central El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Central El Sch rank among public schools in Beaver Falls?
By Resource Investment Index, Central El Sch ranks #6 of 7 public schools in Beaver Falls, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Beaver Falls on the city page.
Is Central El Sch a good school?
Central El Sch earns 43/100 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 Big Beaver Falls Area Sd?
Besides Central El Sch, Big Beaver Falls Area Sd also operates Beaver Falls Area Shs (486 students), Beaver Falls Ms (360 students), and Big Beaver El Sch (301 students). See the Big Beaver Falls Area 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.