Enrollment
737
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Upper Darby, PA
Highland Park El Sch
Federal NCES profile for Highland Park El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 422432001965
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highland Park El Sch earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Pennsylvania schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Upper Darby · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.4:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Highland Park El Sch has class sizes larger than 80% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Park El Sch ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Upper Darby, PA.
School address
District: Upper Darby Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 422432001965 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highland Park El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highland Park El Sch
Highland Park El Sch is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, enrolling 737 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 100.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 737 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 397 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #139.
Its student body is led by African American (30%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 737 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
17.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Upper Darby's elementary schools, it stands alongside Bywood El Sch (683 students): Highland Park El Sch is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.4:1 vs 14.2:1).
Upper Darby Sd also operates Upper Darby Shs (4,187 students) and Beverly Hills Ms (1,475 students) alongside Highland Park 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 Highland Park El Sch compares
Highland Park 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 | 15.4:1 | ▲ 13% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 72% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 737 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
737
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
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
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 80% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
17.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,728
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 737 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 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
African American 30.4%
Hispanic or Latino 29.2%
Asian 28.1%
Two or More 6.9%
White 5.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 30.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.6, Highland Park 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 Upper Darby Sd, which includes Highland Park El Sch.
$14,728
Per student
-18%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.9%
State 37.4%
Federal 12.7%
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.
How Highland Park El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Darby Shs | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Beverly Hills Ms | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Drexel Hill Ms | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bywood El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highland Park El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,187
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 1,475
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,244
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 683
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 551
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar elementary schools in Upper Darby
2 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 (~737 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highland Park El Sch's federal record.
- Compare Highland Park El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Upper Darby 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 Highland Park El Sch
How many students attend Highland Park El Sch?
Highland Park El Sch has 737 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Upper Darby, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highland Park El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Highland Park El Sch is 15.4:1, which is 13% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highland Park El Sch?
100.0% of students at Highland Park El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highland Park El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Highland Park El Sch is African American at 30.4% of enrollment, in Upper Darby, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highland Park El Sch?
Highland Park El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Highland Park El Sch rank among elementary schools in Upper Darby?
By Resource Investment Index, Highland Park El Sch ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Upper Darby, 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 Upper Darby on the city page.
Is Highland Park El Sch a good school?
Highland Park El Sch earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Upper Darby Sd?
Besides Highland Park El Sch, Upper Darby Sd also operates Upper Darby Shs (4,187 students), Beverly Hills Ms (1,475 students), and Drexel Hill Ms (1,244 students). See the Upper Darby 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.