Enrollment
555
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lebanon, PA
Harding El Sch
Federal NCES profile for Harding El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 421344006616
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Harding El Sch earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Pennsylvania schools.
- #2 of 5
- schools in Lebanon · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 77.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Harding El Sch has class sizes larger than 71% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harding El Sch ranks #2 of 5 schools in Lebanon, PA.
School address
District: Lebanon Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 421344006616 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.8%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harding El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Harding El Sch
Harding El Sch is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, enrolling 555 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 77.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 555 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.
Against 106 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #69.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (77%) and White (14%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 555 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Lebanon Sd spends $13,191 per pupil, 27% below the Pennsylvania average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Lebanon's public schools, it stands alongside Northwest El Sch (557 students): Harding El Sch is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.6:1 vs 13.3:1).
Lebanon Sd also operates Lebanon Shs (1,393 students) and Northwest El Sch (557 students) alongside Harding 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 Harding El Sch compares
Harding 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 | 14.6:1 | ▲ 7% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.8% | ▲ 34% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 555 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
555
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 71% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.7%
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
$13,191
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 555 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.5 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
Hispanic or Latino 77.1%
White 14.4%
African American 4.1%
Two or More 3.6%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 77.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.2, Harding El Sch is about as mixed as the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lebanon Sd, which includes Harding El Sch.
$13,191
Per student
-27%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.2%
State 60.8%
Federal 13.0%
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 Harding El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lebanon Shs | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northwest El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southeast El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southwest El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lebanon Ms | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Harding El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,393
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 557
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 390
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 380
- Students per teacher
- 5.2:1
- Resource Index
- 75/100
Similar other schools in Lebanon
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Northwest El Sch
Standard public school
557 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Southeast El Sch
Standard public school
438 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Southwest El Sch
Standard public school
390 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Houck El Sch
Standard public school
348 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
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 (~555 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harding El Sch's federal record.
- Compare Harding El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Lebanon 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 Harding El Sch
How many students attend Harding El Sch?
Harding El Sch has 555 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lebanon, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harding El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Harding El Sch is 14.6:1, which is 7% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Harding El Sch?
77.8% of students at Harding El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Harding El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Harding El Sch is Hispanic or Latino at 77.1% of enrollment, in Lebanon, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harding El Sch?
Harding El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Harding El Sch rank among schools in Lebanon?
By Resource Investment Index, Harding El Sch ranks #2 of 5 schools in Lebanon, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lebanon on the city page.
Is Harding El Sch a good school?
Harding El Sch earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% 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 Lebanon Sd?
Besides Harding El Sch, Lebanon Sd also operates Lebanon Shs (1,393 students), Northwest El Sch (557 students), and Southeast El Sch (438 students). See the Lebanon 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.