Enrollment
388
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 420501001691
Hamilton El Sch — Carlisle, PA
Federal NCES profile for Hamilton El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 50/100.
👥 Class size 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 53
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: Carlisle 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)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 13.5:1 Pennsylvania avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.2%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hamilton 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
Hamilton El Sch reports 388 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 29.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 12% below the Pennsylvania state mean of 13.5:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 25% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 68.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 17% above the Pennsylvania average and 32% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 388 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 18.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Carlisle Area Sd spends $18,545 per pupil district-wide, below the Pennsylvania average of $22,745 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 62.9% from local sources (property taxes), 28.3% from the state, and 8.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (C-), calculated from 4 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 Hamilton 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 | 11.9:1 | ▼ 12% | 13.5:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.2% | ▲ 17% | 58.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 388 | top 37% | — | — |
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
68.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 17% 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
11.9:1
students per teacher
— 12% below state mean
Top 25% in Pennsylvania — lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
18.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$18,545
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 388 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
Enrollment 388 Top 37% in Pennsylvania — larger than 63% of 2,930 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 29.0
Students per teacher 11.9:1 -12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 68.2% +17% vs state
NCES ID 420501001691
Student demographics
White 39.4%
African American 28.1%
Hispanic or Latino 13.1%
Two or More 11.6%
Asian 7.7%
Largest group: White at 39.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 388:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 18.6%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 23
Expulsions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carlisle Area Sd, which includes Hamilton El Sch.
$18,545
Per student
-18%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $22,745
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 62.9%
State 28.3%
Federal 8.7%
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
- 1,559
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Enrollment
- 604
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Enrollment
- 583
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Enrollment
- 541
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Enrollment
- 407
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
Similar elementary schools in Carlisle
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Crestview El Sch
Standard public school
541 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Middlesex El Sch
Standard public school
419 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Bellaire El Sch
Standard public school
407 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Mooreland El Sch
Standard public school
372 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Letort El Sch
Standard public school
225 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
North Dickinson El Sch
Standard public school
193 students 15.7:1 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 Hamilton El Sch
How many students attend Hamilton El Sch?
Hamilton El Sch has 388 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Carlisle, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hamilton El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Hamilton El Sch is 11.9:1, which is 12% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.5:1 and 25% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hamilton El Sch?
68.2% of students at Hamilton El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hamilton El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Hamilton El Sch is White at 39.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Carlisle, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hamilton El Sch?
Hamilton El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (C-) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.