Enrollment
594
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 420009400663 Charter school
City Chs — Pittsburgh, PA
Federal NCES profile for City Chs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 42/100.
👥 Class size 54
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 80
📋 Attendance 34
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: City Chs · 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)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.6:1
vs 13.5:1 Pennsylvania avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.7%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How City Chs 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
City Chs reports 594 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 48.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 14% below the Pennsylvania state mean of 13.5:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 27% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 59.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 3% above the Pennsylvania average and 15% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 99 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 26.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding City Chs spends $20,697 per pupil district-wide, below the Pennsylvania average of $22,745 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 91.6% from local sources (property taxes), 0.3% from the state, and 8.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (D), calculated from 5 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 City Chs 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 | 11.6:1 | ▼ 14% | 13.5:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.7% | ▲ 3% | 58.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 594 | top 70% | — | — |
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
59.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 3% 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
11.6:1
students per teacher
— 14% below state mean
Top 21% in Pennsylvania — lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
26.3%
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
$20,697
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
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 99 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 169 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 23 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 594 Top 70% in Pennsylvania — larger than 30% of 2,930 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 48.0
Students per teacher 11.6:1 -14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 59.7% +3% vs state
NCES ID 420009400663
Student demographics
African American 59.9%
White 24.9%
Two or More 11.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.0%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 59.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP program Not offered
Counselors (FTE) 6.0
Students per counselor 99:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 26.3%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 169
Expulsions 23
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for City Chs, which includes City Chs.
$20,697
Per student
-9%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $22,745
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 91.6%
State 0.3%
Federal 8.1%
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.
Similar high schools in Pittsburgh
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Mt Lebanon Shs
Standard public school
1,772 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
North Hills Shs
Standard public school
1,443 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Pittsburgh Allderdice Hs
Standard public school
1,386 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Fox Chapel Area Hs
Standard public school
1,360 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Upper Saint Clair Hs
Standard public school
1,269 students 14:1 students per teacher
Shaler Area Hs
Standard public school
1,160 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
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 City Chs
How many students attend City Chs?
City Chs has 594 students enrolled. It is a high school in Pittsburgh, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at City Chs?
The student-teacher ratio at City Chs is 11.6:1, which is 14% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.5:1 and 27% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at City Chs?
59.7% of students at City Chs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of City Chs?
The largest demographic group at City Chs is African American at 59.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in Pittsburgh, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for City Chs?
City Chs has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (D) based on 5 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.