Enrollment
456
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Freedom, PA
Economy El Sch
Federal NCES profile for Economy El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 420244000629
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Economy El Sch earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Pennsylvania schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Freedom · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.7:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 99.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Economy El Sch has class sizes larger than 83% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Economy El Sch ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Freedom, PA.
School address
District: Ambridge Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420244000629 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.6%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Economy El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Economy El Sch
Economy El Sch is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Freedom, Pennsylvania, enrolling 456 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 99.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 456 students, its enrollment sits close to the Pennsylvania median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Among 538 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #45, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Ambridge Area Sd spends $14,271 per pupil, 21% below the Pennsylvania average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Ambridge Area Sd also operates Ambridge Area Hs (705 students) and Ambridge Area Ms (500 students) alongside Economy 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 Economy El Sch compares
Economy 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 | 15.7:1 | ▲ 15% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.6% | ▲ 71% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 456 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.7:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
456
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 71% 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
15.7:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 83% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
19.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,271
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 87.7%
Hispanic or Latino 5.7%
African American 3.9%
Two or More 2.6%
Largest group: White at 87.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.5, Economy 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 Ambridge Area Sd, which includes Economy El Sch.
$14,271
Per student
-21%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.7%
State 39.9%
Federal 11.4%
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 Economy El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ambridge Area Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ambridge Area Ms | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Highland El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| State Street El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Economy El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 705
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 500
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 284
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 241
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
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 (~456 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Economy El Sch's federal record.
- Compare Economy El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Ambridge 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 Economy El Sch
How many students attend Economy El Sch?
Economy El Sch has 456 students enrolled. It is a public school in Freedom, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Economy El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Economy El Sch is 15.7:1, which is 15% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 0% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Economy El Sch?
99.6% of students at Economy El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Economy El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Economy El Sch is White at 87.7% of enrollment, in Freedom, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Economy El Sch?
Economy El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Economy El Sch rank among public schools in Freedom?
By Resource Investment Index, Economy El Sch ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Freedom, 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 Freedom on the city page.
Is Economy El Sch a good school?
Economy El Sch earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of 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 Ambridge Area Sd?
Besides Economy El Sch, Ambridge Area Sd also operates Ambridge Area Hs (705 students), Ambridge Area Ms (500 students), and Highland El Sch (284 students). See the Ambridge 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.