Enrollment
536
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Harrisburg, PA
Melrose Sch
Federal NCES profile for Melrose Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 421158007483
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Melrose Sch earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Pennsylvania schools.
- #19 of 22
- elementary schools in Harrisburg · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.3:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Melrose Sch has class sizes larger than 79% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Melrose Sch ranks #19 of 22 elementary schools in Harrisburg, PA.
School address
District: Harrisburg City Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 421158007483 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Melrose Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Melrose Sch
Melrose Sch is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, enrolling 536 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 100.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 536 students, its enrollment sits close to the Pennsylvania median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 2,889 Pennsylvania schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 514 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #422, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (46%) and African American (37%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 536 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 54.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Harrisburg's elementary schools, it stands alongside Thomas W Holtzman Jr El Sch (792 students): Melrose Sch is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.3:1 vs 18.4:1).
Harrisburg City Sd also operates Harrisburg Hs (1,343 students) and Camp Curtin Academy (724 students) alongside Melrose 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 Melrose Sch compares
Melrose 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 | 15.3:1 | ▲ 13% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 72% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 536 | top 38% | - | - |
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.
536
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 72% 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
54.9%
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
$16,794
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 536 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 36 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.7 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 46.1%
African American 36.9%
Two or More 7.1%
Asian 5.4%
White 4.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.1, Melrose Sch is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harrisburg City Sd, which includes Melrose Sch.
$16,794
Per student
-7%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.6%
State 50.1%
Federal 17.3%
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 Melrose Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Camp Curtin Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Benjamin Franklin Sch | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Foose Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Scott Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Melrose Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,343
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 724
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 678
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 522
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 484
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
Similar elementary schools in Harrisburg
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Thomas W Holtzman Jr El Sch
Standard public school
792 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Sara Lindemuth El Sch
Standard public school
758 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
North Side El Sch
Standard public school
722 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Paxtonia El Sch
Standard public school
682 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
South Side El Sch
Standard public school
603 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
West Hanover El Sch
Standard public school
589 students 18.4:1 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 (~536 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Melrose Sch's federal record.
- Compare Melrose Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Harrisburg City 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 Melrose Sch
How many students attend Melrose Sch?
Melrose Sch has 536 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Harrisburg, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Melrose Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Melrose Sch 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 Melrose Sch?
100.0% of students at Melrose Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Melrose Sch?
The largest demographic group at Melrose Sch is Hispanic or Latino at 46.1% of enrollment, in Harrisburg, 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 Melrose Sch?
Melrose Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower 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 Melrose Sch rank among elementary schools in Harrisburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Melrose Sch ranks #19 of 22 elementary schools in Harrisburg, 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 Harrisburg on the city page.
Is Melrose Sch a good school?
Melrose Sch earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Pennsylvania schools. 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 Harrisburg City Sd?
Besides Melrose Sch, Harrisburg City Sd also operates Harrisburg Hs (1,343 students), Camp Curtin Academy (724 students), and Benjamin Franklin Sch (678 students). See the Harrisburg City 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.