Enrollment
1,831
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 420009300687 Charter school
First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs — Philadelphia, PA
Federal NCES profile for First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 27/100.
👥 Class size 25
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 27
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: First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs · 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)
97.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.8:1
vs 13.5:1 Pennsylvania avg
+39% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.9%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs 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
First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs reports 1,831 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 97.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 18.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 39% 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 18% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 99.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 72% above the Pennsylvania average and 93% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 366 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1.
On the finance side, the surrounding First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs spends $16,714 per pupil district-wide, below the Pennsylvania average of $22,745 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 83.0% from local sources (property taxes), 1.2% from the state, and 15.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (F), 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 First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs 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 | 18.8:1 | ▲ 39% | 13.5:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.9% | ▲ 72% | 58.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,831 | top 98% | — | — |
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
99.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 72% 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
18.8:1
students per teacher
— 39% above state mean
Top 97% in Pennsylvania — lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$16,714
per pupil, district-wide
— below Pennsylvania avg of $22,745
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 366 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 94 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 1,831 Top 98% in Pennsylvania — larger than 2% of 2,930 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 97.0
Students per teacher 18.8:1 +39% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 99.9% +72% vs state
NCES ID 420009300687
Student demographics
African American 45.1%
Hispanic or Latino 31.3%
Two or More 16.9%
White 5.7%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 45.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 5
Counselors (FTE) 5.0
Students per counselor 366:1
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 94
Expulsions 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs, which includes First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs.
$16,714
Per student
-27%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $22,745
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 83.0%
State 1.2%
Federal 15.9%
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 other schools in Philadelphia
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Philadelphia Performing Arts Cs
Standard public school
2,572 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Mast Community Cs Ii
Standard public school
1,875 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Esperanza Academy Cs
Standard public school
1,637 students 14:1 students per teacher
Frank Anne Sch
Standard public school
1,622 students 18:1 students per teacher
New Foundations Cs
Standard public school
1,529 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Mariana Bracetti Academy Cs
Standard public school
1,512 students 15.6:1 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 First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs
How many students attend First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs?
First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs has 1,831 students enrolled. It is a other school in Philadelphia, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs?
The student-teacher ratio at First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs is 18.8:1, which is 39% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.5:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs?
99.9% of students at First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs?
The largest demographic group at First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs is African American at 45.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in Philadelphia, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs?
First Philadelphia Preparatory Cs has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.