- Enrollment
- 478
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Palmerton, PA
Parkside Education Center
Federal NCES profile for Parkside Education Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 421836006856
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Parkside Education Center earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 79% of Pennsylvania schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Palmerton · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11.5:1
- small classes for Pennsylvania
- 54.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Parkside Education Center has class sizes smaller than 79% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Parkside Education Center ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Palmerton, PA.
School address
District: Palmerton Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 421836006856 Verify on NCES CCD record →
CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24
-8 students YoY
Parkside Education Center shrank from 155 students in 2022-23 to 147 in 2023-24 (-5.2%).
Teacher FTE lost 13.7 → 12.7 across the same CCD years.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).
Shrinking CCD campus
-8 students YoY 421836006856 · Palmerton, PA Elementary · SMALL · TRAD
150 enr · 11.5:1 · 54.2% lunch · RII 31
Nearest enrollment peer: Palmerton Area Hs (478 students)
Parkside Education Center shrank from 155 students in 2022-23 to 147 in 2023-24 (-5.2%). Teacher FTE lost 13.7 → 12.7 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Pennsylvania schools → · Find another →
Parkside Education Center in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Palmerton Area
Palmerton Area Hs
478 students
- S S Palmer El
S S Palmer El Sch
399 students
- Towamensing El
Towamensing El Sch
328 students
- Palmerton Area
Palmerton Area Jhs
261 students
- This school 150
Parkside Education Center
150 students
What this shows Parkside Education Center reports 150 students on the CCD universe file.
How Parkside Education Center compares
Parkside Education Center is a shrinking campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.5:1 | ▼ 15% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.2% | ▼ 7% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 150 | top 94% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.5:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
150
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators methodology
Economic need
54.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
11.5:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 21% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
44.7%
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
$17,184
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $18,725
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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.
Student demographics
White 82.7%
Hispanic or Latino 10.0%
Two or More 6.0%
African American 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 82.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.2, Parkside Education Center is less mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
District finance for Palmerton Area Sd reports $17,184 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.
How Parkside Education Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmerton Area Hs | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| S S Palmer El Sch | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Towamensing El Sch | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Palmerton Area Jhs | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Parkside Education Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 399
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 328
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 261
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar elementary schools in Palmerton
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.
Similar enrollment (~150 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.5:1)
Frequently asked questions about Parkside Education Center
How many students attend Parkside Education Center?
Parkside Education Center has 150 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Palmerton, PA. CCD year-over-year: 155 (2022-23) → 147 (2023-24), down 8.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Parkside Education Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Parkside Education Center is 11.5:1, which is 15% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 27% 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 Parkside Education Center?
54.2% of students at Parkside Education Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Parkside Education Center?
The largest demographic group at Parkside Education Center is White at 82.7% of enrollment, in Palmerton, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Parkside Education Center?
Parkside Education Center has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Parkside Education Center rank among public schools in Palmerton?
By Resource Investment Index, Parkside Education Center ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Palmerton, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking.
What other schools are in Palmerton Area Sd?
Besides Parkside Education Center, Palmerton Area Sd also operates Palmerton Area Hs (478 students), S S Palmer El Sch (399 students), and Towamensing El Sch (328 students). See the Palmerton Area Sd district page for the complete list.