Enrollment
290
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Aston, PA
Hilltop El Sch
Federal NCES profile for Hilltop El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 420591005322
👥 S:T ratio 64
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hilltop El Sch earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Pennsylvania schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Aston · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.1:1
- small classes for Pennsylvania
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Hilltop El Sch has class sizes smaller than 96% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hilltop El Sch ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Aston, PA.
School address
District: Chichester Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420591005322 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.1:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hilltop El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hilltop El Sch
Hilltop El Sch is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Aston, Pennsylvania, enrolling 290 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.1:1, Hilltop El Sch is leaner than roughly 96% of Pennsylvania schools and 33% 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.
Enrollment of 290 puts it in the smaller third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Among 374 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #25, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and African American (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 290 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Chichester Sd spends $21,970 per pupil, 22% above the Pennsylvania average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Aston's elementary schools, it stands alongside Pennell El Sch (415 students): Hilltop El Sch is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.1:1 vs 14.8:1).
Chichester Sd also operates Chichester Shs (981 students) and Chichester Ms (873 students) alongside Hilltop 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 Hilltop El Sch compares
Hilltop 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 | 9.1:1 | ▼ 33% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 72% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 290 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.1:1
Leaner classes than 92% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
290
Bigger than 31% 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
9.1:1
students per teacher
- 33% below state mean
Top 4% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
21.0%
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
$21,970
per pupil, district-wide
- above Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 290 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 51.7%
African American 23.8%
Two or More 10.0%
Hispanic or Latino 9.3%
Asian 5.2%
Largest group: White at 51.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.5, Hilltop 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 Chichester Sd, which includes Hilltop El Sch.
$21,970
Per student
+22%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.2%
State 30.4%
Federal 11.4%
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 Hilltop El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chichester Shs | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chichester Ms | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Boothwyn El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Linwood El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Marcus Hook El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hilltop El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 981
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 873
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 269
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 249
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 237
- Students per teacher
- 8.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar elementary schools in Aston
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 (~290 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hilltop El Sch's federal record.
- Compare Hilltop El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Chichester 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 Hilltop El Sch
How many students attend Hilltop El Sch?
Hilltop El Sch has 290 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Aston, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hilltop El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Hilltop El Sch is 9.1:1, which is 33% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 42% 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 Hilltop El Sch?
100.0% of students at Hilltop El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hilltop El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Hilltop El Sch is White at 51.7% of enrollment, in Aston, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hilltop El Sch?
Hilltop El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (higher 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 Hilltop El Sch rank among elementary schools in Aston?
By Resource Investment Index, Hilltop El Sch ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Aston, 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 Aston on the city page.
Is Hilltop El Sch a good school?
Hilltop El Sch earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% 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 Chichester Sd?
Besides Hilltop El Sch, Chichester Sd also operates Chichester Shs (981 students), Chichester Ms (873 students), and Boothwyn El Sch (269 students). See the Chichester 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.