Enrollment
253
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 420357003442
James Buchanan El Sch — Bethlehem, PA
Federal NCES profile for James Buchanan El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 52/100.
👥 Class size 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 44
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: Bethlehem Area Sd · 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)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 13.5:1 Pennsylvania avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.1%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James Buchanan El Sch 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
James Buchanan El Sch reports 253 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 19.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 2% 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 13% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 55.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 5% below the Pennsylvania average and 6% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 253 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 22.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Bethlehem Area Sd spends $23,760 per pupil district-wide, above the Pennsylvania average of $22,745 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 64.1% from local sources (property taxes), 24.8% from the state, and 11.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (C-), 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 James Buchanan El Sch 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 | 13.8:1 | ▲ 2% | 13.5:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.1% | ▼ 5% | 58.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 253 | top 15% | — | — |
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
55.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 5% 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
13.8:1
students per teacher
— 2% above state mean
Top 56% in Pennsylvania — lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
22.5%
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
$23,760
per pupil, district-wide
— above Pennsylvania avg of $22,745
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 253 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 253 Top 15% in Pennsylvania — larger than 85% of 2,930 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 19.0
Students per teacher 13.8:1 +2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 55.1% -5% vs state
NCES ID 420357003442
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 45.5%
White 37.2%
African American 10.7%
Asian 4.3%
Two or More 2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 45.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 253:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 22.5%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bethlehem Area Sd, which includes James Buchanan El Sch.
$23,760
Per student
+4%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $22,745
+22%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 64.1%
State 24.8%
Federal 11.2%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,541
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,792
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Enrollment
- 966
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Enrollment
- 715
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
Similar elementary schools in Bethlehem
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch
Standard public school
702 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Spring Garden El Sch
Standard public school
532 students 13:1 students per teacher
Lehigh Valley Dual Language Cs
Standard public school
457 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Governor Wolf El Sch
Standard public school
432 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Clearview El Sch
Standard public school
384 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Lincoln El Sch
Standard public school
355 students 12.3:1 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 James Buchanan El Sch
How many students attend James Buchanan El Sch?
James Buchanan El Sch has 253 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Bethlehem, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James Buchanan El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at James Buchanan El Sch is 13.8:1, which is 2% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.5:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James Buchanan El Sch?
55.1% of students at James Buchanan El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James Buchanan El Sch?
The largest demographic group at James Buchanan El Sch is Hispanic or Latino at 45.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in Bethlehem, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James Buchanan El Sch?
James Buchanan El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (C-) 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.