Enrollment
427
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Hershey, PA
Hershey Primary El Sch
Federal NCES profile for Hershey Primary El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 420759001749
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hershey Primary El Sch earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median.
- #3 of 4
- elementary schools in Hershey · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.3:1
- students per teacher
- 21.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Hershey Primary El Sch has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hershey Primary El Sch ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Hershey, PA.
School address
District: Derry Township Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420759001749 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.7%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hershey Primary El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hershey Primary El Sch
Hershey Primary El Sch is a mid-sized elementary school in Hershey, Pennsylvania, enrolling 427 students.
At 13.3:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 21.7% free-meal eligibility runs 63% below the Pennsylvania average.
With 427 students, its enrollment sits close to the Pennsylvania median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Among 473 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #366, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Asian (13%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 427 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Hershey's elementary schools, it stands alongside Hershey Intrmd El Sch (479 students): Hershey Primary El Sch is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.3:1 vs 12.9:1).
Derry Township Sd also operates Hershey Hs (1,050 students) and Hershey Ms (742 students) alongside Hershey Primary 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 Hershey Primary El Sch compares
Hershey Primary 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 | 13.3:1 | ▼ 2% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.7% | ▼ 63% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 427 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
427
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 49% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.4%
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
$18,583
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 427 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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 66.3%
Asian 12.9%
Hispanic or Latino 8.2%
Two or More 6.8%
African American 5.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 66.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.0, Hershey Primary El Sch is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Derry Township Sd, which includes Hershey Primary El Sch.
$18,583
Per student
+3%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 73.9%
State 18.8%
Federal 7.3%
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 Hershey Primary El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hershey Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hershey Ms | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hershey Intrmd El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hershey Early Childhood Ctr | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hershey Primary El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,050
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 742
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 479
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 420
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar elementary schools in Hershey
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~427 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hershey Primary El Sch's federal record.
- Compare Hershey Primary El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Derry Township 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 Hershey Primary El Sch
How many students attend Hershey Primary El Sch?
Hershey Primary El Sch has 427 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Hershey, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hershey Primary El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Hershey Primary El Sch is 13.3:1, which is 2% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 15% 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 Hershey Primary El Sch?
21.7% of students at Hershey Primary El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hershey Primary El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Hershey Primary El Sch is White at 66.3% of enrollment, in Hershey, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hershey Primary El Sch?
Hershey Primary El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Hershey Primary El Sch rank among elementary schools in Hershey?
By Resource Investment Index, Hershey Primary El Sch ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Hershey, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Hershey on the city page.
Is Hershey Primary El Sch a good school?
Hershey Primary El Sch earns 45/100 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 Derry Township Sd?
Besides Hershey Primary El Sch, Derry Township Sd also operates Hershey Hs (1,050 students), Hershey Ms (742 students), and Hershey Intrmd El Sch (479 students). See the Derry Township 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.