Enrollment
356
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 420768007448
Dover Area El Sch — Dover, PA
Federal NCES profile for Dover Area El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 53/100.
👥 Class size 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 48
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 →
The verdict
Dover Area El Sch earns a C- Resource Investment Index (53/100), with class sizes larger than 75% of Pennsylvania schools.
- C-
- Resource Index · 53/100
- 15:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 46.3%
- free-lunch eligible
- 356
- students enrolled
School address
District: Dover 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)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 13.5:1 Pennsylvania avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.3%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dover Area 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
Dover Area El Sch reports 356 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 24.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 11% 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 6% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 46.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 20% below the Pennsylvania average and 11% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 20.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Dover Area Sd spends $22,154 per pupil district-wide, below the Pennsylvania average of $22,745 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 53.6% from local sources (property taxes), 38.1% from the state, and 8.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (C-), calculated from 3 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 Dover Area 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 | 15:1 | ▲ 11% | 13.5:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.3% | ▼ 20% | 58.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 356 | top 32% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
15 smaller classes than 49% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
356 larger than 41% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 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
46.3%
free-lunch eligible
— 20% 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
15:1
students per teacher
— 11% above state mean
Top 75% in Pennsylvania — lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
20.8%
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
$22,154
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 356 Top 32% in Pennsylvania — larger than 68% of 2,930 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 24.0
Students per teacher 15:1 +11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 46.3% -20% vs state
NCES ID 420768007448
Student demographics
White 75.3%
Hispanic or Latino 14.3%
Two or More 5.9%
African American 3.7%
Asian 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 75.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 20.8%
In-school suspensions 11
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dover Area Sd, which includes Dover Area El Sch.
$22,154
Per student
-3%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $22,745
+14%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 53.6%
State 38.1%
Federal 8.3%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 979
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Enrollment
- 735
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Enrollment
- 384
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Enrollment
- 372
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Enrollment
- 323
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
Similar elementary schools in Dover
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) 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 Dover Area El Sch
How many students attend Dover Area El Sch?
Dover Area El Sch has 356 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Dover, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dover Area El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Dover Area El Sch is 15:1, which is 11% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.5:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dover Area El Sch?
46.3% of students at Dover Area El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dover Area El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Dover Area El Sch is White at 75.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in Dover, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dover Area El Sch?
Dover Area El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (C-) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.