Enrollment
721
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Mercersburg, PA
James Buchanan Hs
Federal NCES profile for James Buchanan Hs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 422274006280
👥 S:T ratio 39
📚 AP courses 95
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James Buchanan Hs earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Pennsylvania schools.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Mercersburg · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.3:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 93.5%
- free-lunch eligible
James Buchanan Hs has class sizes larger than 79% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James Buchanan Hs ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Mercersburg, PA.
School address
District: Tuscarora Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 422274006280 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
93.5%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James Buchanan Hs compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at James Buchanan Hs
James Buchanan Hs is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, enrolling 721 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 93.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 721 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 2,889 Pennsylvania schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 429 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #313, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 16/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 19 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 361 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Tuscarora Sd also operates James Buchanan Ms (535 students) and St Thomas El Sch (297 students) alongside James Buchanan Hs.
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 Hs compares
James Buchanan Hs on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.3:1 | ▲ 13% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 93.5% | ▲ 61% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 721 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
721
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
93.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% 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
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 79% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
31.8%
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
$16,679
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 361 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
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 91.3%
Two or More 4.2%
Hispanic or Latino 2.9%
African American 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 91.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.4, James Buchanan Hs is less mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 19
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tuscarora Sd, which includes James Buchanan Hs.
$16,679
Per student
-7%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.1%
State 37.5%
Federal 10.5%
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.
How James Buchanan Hs Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Buchanan Ms | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| St Thomas El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mercersburg El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Montgomery El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mountain View El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James Buchanan Hs's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 535
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 297
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 232
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 212
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 185
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar high 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 (~721 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James Buchanan Hs's federal record.
- Compare James Buchanan Hs against another school. Compare schools
- Tuscarora 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 Hs
How many students attend James Buchanan Hs?
James Buchanan Hs has 721 students enrolled. It is a high school in Mercersburg, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James Buchanan Hs?
The student-teacher ratio at James Buchanan Hs is 15.3:1, which is 13% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James Buchanan Hs?
93.5% of students at James Buchanan Hs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James Buchanan Hs?
The largest demographic group at James Buchanan Hs is White at 91.3% of enrollment, in Mercersburg, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James Buchanan Hs?
James Buchanan Hs has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does James Buchanan Hs rank among public schools in Mercersburg?
By Resource Investment Index, James Buchanan Hs ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Mercersburg, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Mercersburg on the city page.
Is James Buchanan Hs a good school?
James Buchanan Hs earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 Tuscarora Sd?
Besides James Buchanan Hs, Tuscarora Sd also operates James Buchanan Ms (535 students), St Thomas El Sch (297 students), and Mercersburg El Sch (232 students). See the Tuscarora 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.