Enrollment
538
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Elizabeth, PA
Elizabeth Forward Ms
Federal NCES profile for Elizabeth Forward Ms, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 420909004804
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 14
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Elizabeth Forward Ms earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Elizabeth · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.8:1
- students per teacher
- 41.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Elizabeth Forward Ms has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Elizabeth Forward Ms ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Elizabeth, PA.
School address
District: Elizabeth Forward Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420909004804 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.6%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Elizabeth Forward Ms compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Elizabeth Forward Ms
Elizabeth Forward Ms is a mid-sized middle school in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, enrolling 538 students.
At 12.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Pennsylvania median, within a few percentage points of the 13.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 41.6% lands close to the Pennsylvania typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 538 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 654 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #542, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 359 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Elizabeth Forward Sd also operates Elizabeth Forward Shs (763 students) and William Penn El Sch (333 students) alongside Elizabeth Forward Ms.
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 Elizabeth Forward Ms compares
Elizabeth Forward Ms on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.8:1 | ▼ 6% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.6% | ▼ 28% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 538 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.8:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
538
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% 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
12.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 41% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
34.2%
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
$17,215
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 359 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 55 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.8 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 89.0%
Two or More 5.9%
African American 3.5%
Hispanic or Latino 1.1%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 89.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.3, Elizabeth Forward Ms is less mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Elizabeth Forward Sd, which includes Elizabeth Forward Ms.
$17,215
Per student
-4%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.8%
State 40.8%
Federal 6.3%
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.
How Elizabeth Forward Ms Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth Forward Shs | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| William Penn El Sch | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central El Sch | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mt Vernon El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Greenock El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Elizabeth Forward Ms's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 763
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 333
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 292
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 194
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 173
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar middle 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 (~538 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Elizabeth Forward Ms's federal record.
- Compare Elizabeth Forward Ms against another school. Compare schools
- Elizabeth Forward 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 Elizabeth Forward Ms
How many students attend Elizabeth Forward Ms?
Elizabeth Forward Ms has 538 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Elizabeth, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Elizabeth Forward Ms?
The student-teacher ratio at Elizabeth Forward Ms is 12.8:1, which is 6% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Elizabeth Forward Ms?
41.6% of students at Elizabeth Forward Ms are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Elizabeth Forward Ms?
The largest demographic group at Elizabeth Forward Ms is White at 89.0% of enrollment, in Elizabeth, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Elizabeth Forward Ms?
Elizabeth Forward Ms has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Elizabeth Forward Ms rank among public schools in Elizabeth?
By Resource Investment Index, Elizabeth Forward Ms ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Elizabeth, 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 Elizabeth on the city page.
Is Elizabeth Forward Ms a good school?
Elizabeth Forward Ms earns 40/100 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 Elizabeth Forward Sd?
Besides Elizabeth Forward Ms, Elizabeth Forward Sd also operates Elizabeth Forward Shs (763 students), William Penn El Sch (333 students), and Central El Sch (292 students). See the Elizabeth Forward 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.