Enrollment
414
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · South Williamsport, PA
Central El Sch
Federal NCES profile for Central El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 422214003054
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central El Sch earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in South Williamsport · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 47.3%
- 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 #1 of 3 public schools in South Williamsport, PA.
School address
District: South Williamsport Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 422214003054 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.3%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-19% 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 mid-sized elementary school in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, enrolling 414 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 47.3% lands close to the Pennsylvania typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 414 students, its enrollment sits close to the Pennsylvania median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Among 580 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #557, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 15/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 414 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among South Williamsport's elementary schools, it stands alongside Rommelt El Sch (176 students): Central El Sch is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.3:1 vs 16:1).
South Williamsport Area Sd also operates South Williamsport Area Jshs (478 students) and Rommelt El Sch (176 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 | 14.3:1 | ▲ 5% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.3% | ▼ 19% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 414 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
414
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 66% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
42.3%
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
$15,055
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 414 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.7 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
White 92.3%
African American 3.1%
Hispanic or Latino 1.9%
Two or More 1.9%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 92.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 14.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 14.6, Central El Sch is less mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Williamsport Area Sd, which includes Central El Sch.
$15,055
Per student
-16%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.5%
State 46.8%
Federal 11.7%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Williamsport Area Jshs | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rommelt El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher 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
- 478
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 176
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in South Williamsport
1 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 (~414 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central El Sch's federal record.
- Compare Central El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- South Williamsport 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 414 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in South Williamsport, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Central El Sch is 14.3:1, which is 5% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central El Sch?
47.3% 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 White at 92.3% of enrollment, in South Williamsport, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central El Sch?
Central El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 South Williamsport?
By Resource Investment Index, Central El Sch ranks #1 of 3 public schools in South Williamsport, 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 South Williamsport on the city page.
Is Central El Sch a good school?
Central El Sch earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. 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 South Williamsport Area Sd?
Besides Central El Sch, South Williamsport Area Sd also operates South Williamsport Area Jshs (478 students) and Rommelt El Sch (176 students). See the South Williamsport Area Sd district page for the complete list.
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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.