Enrollment
595
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Philadelphia, PA
Penn Alexander Sch
Federal NCES profile for Penn Alexander 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 421899000619
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 93
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Penn Alexander Sch earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Pennsylvania schools.
- #5 of 131
- elementary schools in Philadelphia · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.5:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Penn Alexander Sch has class sizes larger than 88% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Penn Alexander Sch ranks #5 of 131 elementary schools in Philadelphia, PA.
School address
District: Philadelphia City Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 421899000619 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Penn Alexander Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Penn Alexander Sch
Penn Alexander Sch is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, enrolling 595 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.5:1 is larger than about 88% of Pennsylvania schools and 21% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 100.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 595 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 470 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #58.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and Asian (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 595 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 2.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 23.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Philadelphia's elementary schools, it stands alongside Northeast Community Propel Academy (1,783 students): Penn Alexander Sch is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.5:1 vs 22.6:1).
Philadelphia City Sd also operates Northeast Hs (3,463 students) and Lincoln Hs (2,472 students) alongside Penn Alexander 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 Penn Alexander Sch compares
Penn Alexander 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 | 16.5:1 | ▲ 21% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 72% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 595 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
595
Bigger than 72% 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
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 88% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
2.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$17,892
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 595 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 46.4%
Asian 25.4%
African American 11.9%
Two or More 10.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 46.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.3, Penn Alexander Sch is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Philadelphia City Sd, which includes Penn Alexander Sch.
$17,892
Per student
0%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.0%
State 39.7%
Federal 23.3%
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 Penn Alexander Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northeast Community Propel Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mayfair Sch | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Penn Alexander Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,463
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,472
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,329
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,783
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,763
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary schools in Philadelphia
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Northeast Community Propel Academy
Standard public school
1,783 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Mayfair Sch
Standard public school
1,763 students 21:1 students per teacher
Solis-Cohen Solomon Sch
Standard public school
1,350 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Mast Community Cs Iii
Standard public school
1,290 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Moore J Hampton Sch
Standard public school
1,192 students 17:1 students per teacher
Farrell Louis H Sch
Standard public school
1,187 students 18:1 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 (~595 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Penn Alexander Sch's federal record.
- Compare Penn Alexander Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Philadelphia 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 Penn Alexander Sch
How many students attend Penn Alexander Sch?
Penn Alexander Sch has 595 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Philadelphia, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Penn Alexander Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Penn Alexander Sch is 16.5:1, which is 21% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Penn Alexander Sch?
100.0% of students at Penn Alexander Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Penn Alexander Sch?
The largest demographic group at Penn Alexander Sch is White at 46.4% of enrollment, in Philadelphia, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Penn Alexander Sch?
Penn Alexander 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 Penn Alexander Sch rank among elementary schools in Philadelphia?
By Resource Investment Index, Penn Alexander Sch ranks #5 of 131 elementary schools in Philadelphia, 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 Philadelphia on the city page.
Is Penn Alexander Sch a good school?
Penn Alexander Sch earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% 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 Philadelphia City Sd?
Besides Penn Alexander Sch, Philadelphia City Sd also operates Northeast Hs (3,463 students), Lincoln Hs (2,472 students), and Central Hs (2,329 students). See the Philadelphia 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.