Enrollment
811
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 420089307600 Charter school
Independence Cs West — Philadelphia, PA
Federal NCES profile for Independence Cs West, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 23/100.
👥 Class size 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Independence Cs West · Pennsylvania
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 13.5:1 Pennsylvania avg
+7% 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
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Independence Cs West reports 811 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 58.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 7% above the Pennsylvania state mean of 13.5:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 9% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 99.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 72% above the Pennsylvania average and 93% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 406 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 40.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Independence Cs West spends $18,190 per pupil district-wide, below the Pennsylvania average of $22,745 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 80.6% from local sources (property taxes), 0.8% from the state, and 18.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Independence Cs West compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Pennsylvania state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.4:1 | ▲ 7% | 13.5:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.8% | ▲ 72% | 58.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 811 | top 85% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
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
14.4:1
students per teacher
— 7% above state mean
Top 66% in Pennsylvania — lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
40.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$18,190
per pupil, district-wide
— below Pennsylvania avg of $22,745
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
Enrollment 811 Top 85% in Pennsylvania — larger than 15% of 2,930 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 58.0
Students per teacher 14.4:1 +7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 99.8% +72% vs state
NCES ID 420089307600
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.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 406:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 40.0%
In-school suspensions 6
Out-of-school suspensions 11
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Independence Cs West, which includes Independence Cs West.
$18,190
Per student
-20%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $22,745
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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 21.9:1 students per teacher
Mayfair Sch
Standard public school
1,763 students 20:1 students per teacher
Solis-Cohen Solomon Sch
Standard public school
1,350 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Mast Community Cs Iii
Standard public school
1,290 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Moore J Hampton Sch
Standard public school
1,192 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Farrell Louis H Sch
Standard public school
1,187 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Independence Cs West
How many students attend Independence Cs West?
Independence Cs West has 811 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Philadelphia, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Independence Cs West?
The student-teacher ratio at Independence Cs West is 14.4:1, which is 7% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.5:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
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%. The school serves a diverse student body in Philadelphia, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Independence Cs West?
Independence Cs West has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.