Enrollment
253
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bethlehem, PA
James Buchanan El Sch
Federal NCES profile for James Buchanan El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 420357003442
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 44
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James Buchanan El Sch earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Pennsylvania schools.
- #4 of 12
- elementary schools in Bethlehem · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.3:1
- students per teacher
- 55.1%
- free-lunch eligible
James Buchanan El Sch has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James Buchanan El Sch ranks #4 of 12 elementary schools in Bethlehem, PA.
School address
District: Bethlehem Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420357003442 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 13.6:1 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
What stands out at James Buchanan El Sch
James Buchanan El Sch is a higher-need, small elementary school in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, enrolling 253 students.
At 13.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Pennsylvania median, within a few percentage points of the 13.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.1% lands close to the Pennsylvania typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 253 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.
Against 233 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #95.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (46%) and White (37%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 253 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Bethlehem's elementary schools, it stands alongside Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch (702 students): James Buchanan El Sch is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.3:1 vs 14.9:1).
Bethlehem Area Sd also operates Liberty Hs (2,541 students) and Freedom Hs (1,792 students) alongside James Buchanan 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 James Buchanan El Sch compares
James Buchanan 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 | 13.3:1 | ▼ 2% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.1% | ▼ 5% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 253 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
253
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 49% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
22.5%
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
$17,060
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
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
- 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
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.
Student-body diversity index 64.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.1, James Buchanan 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 Bethlehem Area Sd, which includes James Buchanan El Sch.
$17,060
Per student
-5%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How James Buchanan El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty Hs | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Freedom Hs | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Hills Ms | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Nitschmann Ms | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northeast Ms | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James Buchanan El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,541
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,792
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 966
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 715
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 14.9:1 students per teacher
Spring Garden El Sch
Standard public school
532 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Lehigh Valley Dual Language Cs
Standard public school
457 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Governor Wolf El Sch
Standard public school
432 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Clearview El Sch
Standard public school
384 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Lincoln El Sch
Standard public school
355 students 13.7:1 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 (~253 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James Buchanan El Sch's federal record.
- Compare James Buchanan El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Bethlehem 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 James Buchanan El Sch
How many students attend James Buchanan El Sch?
James Buchanan El Sch has 253 students enrolled. It is an 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 13.3:1, which is 2% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 15% 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 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% of enrollment, in Bethlehem, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James Buchanan El Sch?
James Buchanan El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 James Buchanan El Sch rank among elementary schools in Bethlehem?
By Resource Investment Index, James Buchanan El Sch ranks #4 of 12 elementary schools in Bethlehem, 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 Bethlehem on the city page.
Is James Buchanan El Sch a good school?
James Buchanan El Sch earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. 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 Bethlehem Area Sd?
Besides James Buchanan El Sch, Bethlehem Area Sd also operates Liberty Hs (2,541 students), Freedom Hs (1,792 students), and East Hills Ms (966 students). See the Bethlehem 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.