Enrollment
1,412
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Mechanicsburg, PA
Mechanicsburg Area Shs
Federal NCES profile for Mechanicsburg Area Shs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 421503005098
👥 S:T ratio 32
📚 AP courses 80
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mechanicsburg Area Shs earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Pennsylvania.
- #13 of 17
- public schools in Mechanicsburg · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 31.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Mechanicsburg Area Shs has class sizes larger than 91% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mechanicsburg Area Shs ranks #13 of 17 public schools in Mechanicsburg, PA.
School address
District: Mechanicsburg Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 421503005098 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
83.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.0%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mechanicsburg Area Shs compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mechanicsburg Area Shs
Mechanicsburg Area Shs is a large high school in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, enrolling 1,412 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17:1 is larger than about 91% of Pennsylvania schools and 25% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 31.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Pennsylvania, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,412 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Among 163 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #131, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and African American (9%) (diversity index 47/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 16 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 353 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Mechanicsburg's high schools, it stands alongside Cumberland Valley Hs (3,163 students): Mechanicsburg Area Shs is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17:1 vs 18:1).
Mechanicsburg Area Sd also operates Mechanicsburg Ms (1,112 students) and Elmwood Academy (712 students) alongside Mechanicsburg Area Shs.
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 Mechanicsburg Area Shs compares
Mechanicsburg Area Shs on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17:1 | ▲ 25% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.0% | ▼ 47% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,412 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,412
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 91% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
25.4%
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
$15,548
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 353 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
51
in-school suspensions + 145 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 71.3%
African American 8.9%
Hispanic or Latino 8.9%
Two or More 5.5%
Asian 5.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 71.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.0, Mechanicsburg Area Shs is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 16
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mechanicsburg Area Sd, which includes Mechanicsburg Area Shs.
$15,548
Per student
-13%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 71.0%
State 23.5%
Federal 5.5%
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 Mechanicsburg Area Shs Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanicsburg Ms | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Elmwood Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Upper Allen El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kindergarten Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Shepherdstown El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mechanicsburg Area Shs's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,112
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 712
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 321
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 321
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 283
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar high schools in Mechanicsburg
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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 (~1,412 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mechanicsburg Area Shs's federal record.
- Compare Mechanicsburg Area Shs against another school. Compare schools
- Mechanicsburg 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 Mechanicsburg Area Shs
How many students attend Mechanicsburg Area Shs?
Mechanicsburg Area Shs has 1,412 students enrolled. It is a high school in Mechanicsburg, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mechanicsburg Area Shs?
The student-teacher ratio at Mechanicsburg Area Shs is 17:1, which is 25% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mechanicsburg Area Shs?
31.0% of students at Mechanicsburg Area Shs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mechanicsburg Area Shs?
The largest demographic group at Mechanicsburg Area Shs is White at 71.3% of enrollment, in Mechanicsburg, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mechanicsburg Area Shs?
Mechanicsburg Area Shs has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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 Mechanicsburg Area Shs rank among public schools in Mechanicsburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Mechanicsburg Area Shs ranks #13 of 17 public schools in Mechanicsburg, 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 Mechanicsburg on the city page.
Is Mechanicsburg Area Shs a good school?
Mechanicsburg Area Shs earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Pennsylvania. 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 Mechanicsburg Area Sd?
Besides Mechanicsburg Area Shs, Mechanicsburg Area Sd also operates Mechanicsburg Ms (1,112 students), Elmwood Academy (712 students), and Upper Allen El Sch (321 students). See the Mechanicsburg 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.