Enrollment
551
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Drexel Hill, PA
Hillcrest El Sch
Federal NCES profile for Hillcrest El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 422432001966
👥 S:T ratio 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hillcrest El Sch earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Pennsylvania schools.
- #2 of 5
- elementary schools in Drexel Hill · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10:1
- small classes for Pennsylvania
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Hillcrest El Sch has class sizes smaller than 92% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest El Sch ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Drexel Hill, PA.
School address
District: Upper Darby Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 422432001966 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hillcrest El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hillcrest El Sch
Hillcrest El Sch is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, enrolling 551 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10:1, Hillcrest El Sch is leaner than roughly 92% of Pennsylvania schools and 26% under the state's 13.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 100.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 551 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.
Against 505 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #89.
Its student body is led by African American (46%) and White (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 551 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Drexel Hill's elementary schools, it stands alongside Garrettford El Sch (529 students): Hillcrest El Sch is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10:1 vs 14.7:1).
Upper Darby Sd also operates Upper Darby Shs (4,187 students) and Beverly Hills Ms (1,475 students) alongside Hillcrest 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 Hillcrest El Sch compares
Hillcrest 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 | 10:1 | ▼ 26% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 72% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 551 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10:1
Leaner classes than 89% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
551
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
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
10:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 8% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
15.4%
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 551 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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
African American 46.3%
White 22.9%
Two or More 12.2%
Hispanic or Latino 9.8%
Asian 8.9%
Largest group: African American at 46.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.1, Hillcrest 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 Hillcrest 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 Hillcrest 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
| Drexel Hill Ms | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highland Park El Sch | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bywood El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hillcrest 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
- 737
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 683
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar elementary schools in Drexel Hill
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Garrettford El Sch
Standard public school
529 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Upper Darby Kdg Ctr
Standard public school
468 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Charles Kelly El Sch
Standard public school
270 students 10.8:1 students per teacher
Aronimink El Sch
Standard public school
264 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
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 (~551 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hillcrest El Sch's federal record.
- Compare Hillcrest 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 Hillcrest El Sch
How many students attend Hillcrest El Sch?
Hillcrest El Sch has 551 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Drexel Hill, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest El Sch is 10:1, which is 26% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 36% 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 Hillcrest El Sch?
100.0% of students at Hillcrest El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hillcrest El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Hillcrest El Sch is African American at 46.3% of enrollment, in Drexel Hill, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hillcrest El Sch?
Hillcrest El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Hillcrest El Sch rank among elementary schools in Drexel Hill?
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest El Sch ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Drexel Hill, 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 Drexel Hill on the city page.
Is Hillcrest El Sch a good school?
Hillcrest El Sch earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% 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 Hillcrest 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.