Enrollment
1,228
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Pittsburgh, PA
Penn Hills El Sch
Federal NCES profile for Penn Hills El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 421859007532
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Penn Hills El Sch earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Pennsylvania schools.
- #60 of 62
- elementary schools in Pittsburgh · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.2:1
- students per teacher
- 99.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Penn Hills El Sch has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Penn Hills El Sch ranks #60 of 62 elementary schools in Pittsburgh, PA.
School address
District: Penn Hills Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 421859007532 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
93.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.9%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Penn Hills El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Penn Hills El Sch
Penn Hills El Sch is a high-poverty, large elementary school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, enrolling 1,228 students.
At 13.2:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 99.9% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Pennsylvania, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,228 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 139 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #79.
Its student body is led by African American (57%) and White (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 409 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Pittsburgh's elementary schools, it stands alongside Mcknight El Sch (875 students): Penn Hills El Sch is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.2:1 vs 15.4:1).
Penn Hills Sd also operates Penn Hills Shs (1,049 students) and Linton Ms (626 students) alongside Penn Hills 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 Penn Hills El Sch compares
Penn Hills 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 | 13.2:1 | ▼ 3% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.9% | ▲ 72% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,228 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,228
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.9%
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
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 47% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
42.8%
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
$18,935
per pupil, district-wide
- above Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 409 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 117 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.5 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
African American 57.2%
White 22.8%
Two or More 11.2%
Hispanic or Latino 7.4%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 57.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.3, Penn Hills El Sch is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Penn Hills Sd, which includes Penn Hills El Sch.
$18,935
Per student
+5%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.0%
State 34.3%
Federal 12.6%
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 Hills El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn Hills Shs | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Linton Ms | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Penn Hills El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,049
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 626
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar elementary schools in Pittsburgh
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Mcknight El Sch
Standard public school
875 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Chartiers Valley Intrmd School
Standard public school
801 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Pittsburgh Colfax K-8
Standard public school
789 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Ohara El Sch
Standard public school
726 students 14:1 students per teacher
J.E. Harrison Education Ctr
Standard public school
716 students 9.8:1 students per teacher
Whitehall El Sch
Standard public school
669 students 14.2:1 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 (~1,228 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Penn Hills El Sch's federal record.
- Compare Penn Hills El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Penn Hills 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 Hills El Sch
How many students attend Penn Hills El Sch?
Penn Hills El Sch has 1,228 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Pittsburgh, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Penn Hills El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Penn Hills El Sch is 13.2:1, which is 3% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 16% 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 Penn Hills El Sch?
99.9% of students at Penn Hills El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Penn Hills El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Penn Hills El Sch is African American at 57.2% of enrollment, in Pittsburgh, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Penn Hills El Sch?
Penn Hills El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Penn Hills El Sch rank among elementary schools in Pittsburgh?
By Resource Investment Index, Penn Hills El Sch ranks #60 of 62 elementary schools in Pittsburgh, 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 Pittsburgh on the city page.
Is Penn Hills El Sch a good school?
Penn Hills El Sch earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. 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 Penn Hills Sd?
Besides Penn Hills El Sch, Penn Hills Sd also operates Penn Hills Shs (1,049 students) and Linton Ms (626 students). See the Penn Hills 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.