Enrollment
442
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · West Chester, PA
Mary C Howse El Sch
Federal NCES profile for Mary C Howse El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 422529001457
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mary C Howse El Sch earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Pennsylvania schools.
- #5 of 12
- elementary schools in West Chester · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.4:1
- students per teacher
- 7.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Mary C Howse El Sch has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mary C Howse El Sch ranks #5 of 12 elementary schools in West Chester, PA.
School address
District: West Chester Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 422529001457 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.5%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-87% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mary C Howse El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mary C Howse El Sch
Mary C Howse El Sch is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in West Chester, Pennsylvania, enrolling 442 students.
At 13.4:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.5% free-meal eligibility runs 87% below the Pennsylvania average.
With 442 students, its enrollment sits close to the Pennsylvania median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 220 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #145.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and Asian (38%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 442 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among West Chester's elementary schools, it stands alongside Sarah W Starkweather El Sch (576 students): Mary C Howse El Sch is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.4:1 vs 14:1).
West Chester Area Sd also operates West Chester Henderson Hs (1,444 students) and West Chester East Hs (1,216 students) alongside Mary C Howse 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 Mary C Howse El Sch compares
Mary C Howse 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 | 13.4:1 | ▼ 1% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.5% | ▼ 87% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 442 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
442
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 87% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 51% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
12.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$17,702
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 442 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.
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 47.3%
Asian 37.6%
Two or More 5.9%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
African American 3.8%
Largest group: White at 47.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.7, Mary C Howse 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 West Chester Area Sd, which includes Mary C Howse El Sch.
$17,702
Per student
-1%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 80.2%
State 16.5%
Federal 3.4%
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 Mary C Howse El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Chester Henderson Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Chester East Hs | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Chester Bayard Rustin Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| E N Peirce Ms | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| J R Fugett Ms | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mary C Howse El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,444
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 1,216
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 1,159
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,040
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 930
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
Similar elementary schools in West Chester
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Sarah W Starkweather El Sch
Standard public school
576 students 14:1 students per teacher
Hillsdale El Sch
Standard public school
537 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Westtown-Thornbury El Sch
Standard public school
529 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Pocopson El Sch
Standard public school
514 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Greystone El Sch
Standard public school
511 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
East Goshen El Sch
Standard public school
510 students 14.2:1 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 (~442 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mary C Howse El Sch's federal record.
- Compare Mary C Howse El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- West Chester 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 Mary C Howse El Sch
How many students attend Mary C Howse El Sch?
Mary C Howse El Sch has 442 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in West Chester, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mary C Howse El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Mary C Howse El Sch is 13.4:1, which is 1% 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 Mary C Howse El Sch?
7.5% of students at Mary C Howse El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mary C Howse El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Mary C Howse El Sch is White at 47.3% of enrollment, in West Chester, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mary C Howse El Sch?
Mary C Howse El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Mary C Howse El Sch rank among elementary schools in West Chester?
By Resource Investment Index, Mary C Howse El Sch ranks #5 of 12 elementary schools in West Chester, 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 West Chester on the city page.
Is Mary C Howse El Sch a good school?
Mary C Howse El Sch earns 49/100 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 West Chester Area Sd?
Besides Mary C Howse El Sch, West Chester Area Sd also operates West Chester Henderson Hs (1,444 students), West Chester East Hs (1,216 students), and West Chester Bayard Rustin Hs (1,159 students). See the West Chester 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.