Enrollment
221
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Mechanicsburg, PA
Northside El Sch
Federal NCES profile for Northside El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 421503005021
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northside El Sch earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median.
- #8 of 12
- elementary schools in Mechanicsburg · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13:1
- students per teacher
- 42.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Northside El Sch has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northside El Sch ranks #8 of 12 elementary schools in Mechanicsburg, PA.
School address
District: Mechanicsburg Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 421503005021 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.7%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northside El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northside El Sch
Northside El Sch is a small elementary school in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, enrolling 221 students.
At 13:1, 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 42.7% lands close to the Pennsylvania typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 221 puts it in the smaller third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 206 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #145.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and African American (7%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 221 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Mechanicsburg's elementary schools, it stands alongside Winding Creek El Sch (1,055 students): Northside El Sch is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13:1 vs 18.5:1).
Mechanicsburg Area Sd also operates Mechanicsburg Area Shs (1,412 students) and Mechanicsburg Ms (1,112 students) alongside Northside 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 Northside El Sch compares
Northside 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 | 13:1 | ▼ 4% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.7% | ▼ 27% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 221 | top 89% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
221
Bigger than 22% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% 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
13:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 44% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
20.4%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 221 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.8 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 77.8%
African American 6.8%
Two or More 6.8%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
Asian 3.2%
Largest group: White at 77.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.2, Northside El Sch is about as mixed as the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mechanicsburg Area Sd, which includes Northside El Sch.
$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 Northside El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanicsburg Area Shs | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mechanicsburg Ms | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Elmwood Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Upper Allen El Sch | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kindergarten Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northside El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,412
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- 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
Similar elementary schools in Mechanicsburg
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Winding Creek El Sch
Standard public school
1,055 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Elmwood Academy
Standard public school
712 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Sporting Hill El Sch
Standard public school
580 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Hampden El Sch
Standard public school
538 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Silver Spring El Sch
Standard public school
528 students 16:1 students per teacher
Green Ridge El Sch
Standard public school
474 students 13.9:1 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 (~221 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northside El Sch's federal record.
- Compare Northside El Sch 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 Northside El Sch
How many students attend Northside El Sch?
Northside El Sch has 221 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Mechanicsburg, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northside El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Northside El Sch is 13:1, which is 4% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 17% 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 Northside El Sch?
42.7% of students at Northside El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northside El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Northside El Sch is White at 77.8% of enrollment, in Mechanicsburg, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northside El Sch?
Northside El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical 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 Northside El Sch rank among elementary schools in Mechanicsburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Northside El Sch ranks #8 of 12 elementary 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 elementary schools in Mechanicsburg on the city page.
Is Northside El Sch a good school?
Northside El Sch earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. 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 Northside El Sch, Mechanicsburg Area Sd also operates Mechanicsburg Area Shs (1,412 students), Mechanicsburg Ms (1,112 students), and Elmwood Academy (712 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.