Enrollment
228
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Aliquippa, PA
Independence El Sch
Federal NCES profile for Independence El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 421203000671
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Independence El Sch earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Pennsylvania schools.
- #4 of 5
- elementary schools in Aliquippa · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12:1
- small classes for Pennsylvania
- 43.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Independence El Sch has class sizes smaller than 72% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Independence El Sch ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Aliquippa, PA.
School address
District: Hopewell Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 421203000671 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.5%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Independence El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Independence El Sch
Independence El Sch is a small elementary school in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, enrolling 228 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12:1 puts it in the smaller third of Pennsylvania schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 43.5% lands close to the Pennsylvania typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 228 puts it in the smaller third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Among 233 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #212, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 340 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Aliquippa's elementary schools, it stands alongside Hopewell Jhs (657 students): Independence El Sch is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12:1 vs 14.6:1).
Hopewell Area Sd also operates Hopewell Jhs (657 students) and Hopewell Shs (614 students) alongside Independence 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 Independence El Sch compares
Independence 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 | 12:1 | ▼ 12% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.5% | ▼ 25% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 228 | top 88% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
228
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 28% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
39.0%
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
$17,908
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.7 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.8 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 90.8%
Two or More 3.5%
African American 3.1%
Hispanic or Latino 2.6%
Largest group: White at 90.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.3, Independence El Sch is less mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hopewell Area Sd, which includes Independence El Sch.
$17,908
Per student
0%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.4%
State 43.8%
Federal 5.8%
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 Independence El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hopewell Jhs | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hopewell Shs | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hopewell El Sch | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Margaret Ross El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Independence El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 657
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 614
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 323
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 185
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar elementary schools in Aliquippa
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Hopewell Jhs
Standard public school
657 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Aliquippa El Sch
Standard public school
480 students 9.6:1 students per teacher
Hopewell El Sch
Standard public school
323 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Margaret Ross El Sch
Standard public school
185 students 12.3:1 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 (~228 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Independence El Sch's federal record.
- Compare Independence El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Hopewell Area 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 Independence El Sch
How many students attend Independence El Sch?
Independence El Sch has 228 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Aliquippa, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Independence El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Independence El Sch is 12:1, which is 12% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 24% 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 Independence El Sch?
43.5% of students at Independence El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Independence El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Independence El Sch is White at 90.8% of enrollment, in Aliquippa, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Independence El Sch?
Independence El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Independence El Sch rank among elementary schools in Aliquippa?
By Resource Investment Index, Independence El Sch ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Aliquippa, 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 Aliquippa on the city page.
Is Independence El Sch a good school?
Independence El Sch earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of 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 Hopewell Area Sd?
Besides Independence El Sch, Hopewell Area Sd also operates Hopewell Jhs (657 students), Hopewell Shs (614 students), and Hopewell El Sch (323 students). See the Hopewell Area 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.