Enrollment
811
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Philadelphia, PA
Independence Cs West
Federal NCES profile for Independence Cs West, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 420089307600Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Independence Cs West earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median.
- #103 of 131
- elementary schools in Philadelphia · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 99.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Independence Cs West has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Independence Cs West ranks #103 of 131 elementary schools in Philadelphia, PA.
School address
District: Independence Cs West · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420089307600 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.8%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Independence Cs West compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Independence Cs West
Independence Cs West is a high-poverty, large charter elementary school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, enrolling 811 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14:1 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 99.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 811 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 2,889 Pennsylvania schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 349 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #303, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 406 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Philadelphia's elementary schools, it stands alongside Northeast Community Propel Academy (1,783 students): Independence Cs West is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14:1 vs 22.6:1).
Independence Cs West is a single-school charter district, so Independence Cs West operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Independence Cs West compares
Independence Cs West on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14:1 | ▲ 3% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.8% | ▲ 72% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 811 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
811
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.8%
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
14:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 62% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
40.0%
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
$15,465
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 406 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.1 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 91.2%
Hispanic or Latino 4.6%
Two or More 2.7%
White 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 91.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.5, Independence Cs West is less mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Independence Cs West, which includes Independence Cs West.
$15,465
Per student
-14%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 80.6%
State 0.8%
Federal 18.5%
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.
Similar elementary schools in Philadelphia
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Northeast Community Propel Academy
Standard public school
1,783 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Mayfair Sch
Standard public school
1,763 students 21:1 students per teacher
Solis-Cohen Solomon Sch
Standard public school
1,350 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Mast Community Cs Iii
Standard public school
1,290 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Moore J Hampton Sch
Standard public school
1,192 students 17:1 students per teacher
Farrell Louis H Sch
Standard public school
1,187 students 18:1 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 (~811 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Independence Cs West's federal record.
- Compare Independence Cs West against another school. Compare schools
- Independence Cs West'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 Independence Cs West
How many students attend Independence Cs West?
Independence Cs West has 811 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Philadelphia, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Independence Cs West?
The student-teacher ratio at Independence Cs West is 14:1, which is 3% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Independence Cs West?
99.8% of students at Independence Cs West are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Independence Cs West?
The largest demographic group at Independence Cs West is African American at 91.2% of enrollment, in Philadelphia, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Independence Cs West?
Independence Cs West has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower 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 Independence Cs West rank among elementary schools in Philadelphia?
By Resource Investment Index, Independence Cs West ranks #103 of 131 elementary schools in Philadelphia, 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 Philadelphia on the city page.
Is Independence Cs West a good school?
Independence Cs West earns 23/100 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 Independence Cs West?
None; Independence Cs West is a single-school charter district, and Independence Cs West is its only campus.
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.