Enrollment
457
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mc Donald, PA
Fort Cherry Jshs
Federal NCES profile for Fort Cherry Jshs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 420996004242
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fort Cherry Jshs earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Mc Donald · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.4:1
- students per teacher
- 34.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Fort Cherry Jshs has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fort Cherry Jshs ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Mc Donald, PA.
School address
District: Fort Cherry Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420996004242 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.2%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fort Cherry Jshs compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fort Cherry Jshs
Fort Cherry Jshs is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Mc Donald, Pennsylvania, enrolling 457 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Pennsylvania schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 34.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 457 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.
Against 669 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #232.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 229 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Its district, Fort Cherry Sd, also runs Fort Cherry El Ctr (455 students).
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 Fort Cherry Jshs compares
Fort Cherry Jshs on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.4:1 | ▼ 9% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.2% | ▼ 41% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 457 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
457
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 35% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
26.3%
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
$19,198
per pupil, district-wide
- above Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 229 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
33
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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 89.9%
Two or More 6.1%
Hispanic or Latino 2.4%
African American 1.3%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 89.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.7, Fort Cherry Jshs is less mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fort Cherry Sd, which includes Fort Cherry Jshs.
$19,198
Per student
+7%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.1%
State 49.6%
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 Fort Cherry Jshs Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Cherry El Ctr | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fort Cherry Jshs's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 455
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
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 (~457 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fort Cherry Jshs's federal record.
- Compare Fort Cherry Jshs against another school. Compare schools
- Fort Cherry 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 Fort Cherry Jshs
How many students attend Fort Cherry Jshs?
Fort Cherry Jshs has 457 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mc Donald, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fort Cherry Jshs?
The student-teacher ratio at Fort Cherry Jshs is 12.4:1, which is 9% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 21% 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 Fort Cherry Jshs?
34.2% of students at Fort Cherry Jshs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fort Cherry Jshs?
The largest demographic group at Fort Cherry Jshs is White at 89.9% of enrollment, in Mc Donald, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fort Cherry Jshs?
Fort Cherry Jshs has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Fort Cherry Jshs rank among public schools in Mc Donald?
By Resource Investment Index, Fort Cherry Jshs ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Mc Donald, 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 Mc Donald on the city page.
Is Fort Cherry Jshs a good school?
Fort Cherry Jshs earns 52/100 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 Fort Cherry Sd?
Besides Fort Cherry Jshs, Fort Cherry Sd also operates Fort Cherry El Ctr (455 students). See the Fort Cherry 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.