Enrollment
313
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Altoona, PA
Penn-Lincoln El Sch
Federal NCES profile for Penn-Lincoln El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 420234007486
👥 S:T ratio 64
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 12
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Penn-Lincoln El Sch earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Pennsylvania schools.
- #7 of 8
- elementary schools in Altoona · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 8.9:1
- small classes for Pennsylvania
- 85.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Penn-Lincoln El Sch has class sizes smaller than 96% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Penn-Lincoln El Sch ranks #7 of 8 elementary schools in Altoona, PA.
School address
District: Altoona Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420234007486 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.9:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
85.6%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Penn-Lincoln El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Penn-Lincoln El Sch
Penn-Lincoln El Sch is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Altoona, Pennsylvania, enrolling 313 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.9:1, Penn-Lincoln El Sch is leaner than roughly 96% of Pennsylvania schools and 35% under the state's 13.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 85.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 313 puts it in the smaller third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 445 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #311.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and African American (13%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 313 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.1% 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.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Altoona's elementary schools, it stands alongside Juniata Gap El Sch (490 students): Penn-Lincoln El Sch is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (8.9:1 vs 14.4:1).
Altoona Area Sd also operates Altoona Area Hs (2,255 students) and Altoona Area Jr Hs (1,578 students) alongside Penn-Lincoln 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-Lincoln El Sch compares
Penn-Lincoln 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 | 8.9:1 | ▼ 35% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 85.6% | ▲ 47% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 313 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.9:1
Leaner classes than 93% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
313
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
85.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% 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
8.9:1
students per teacher
- 35% below state mean
Top 4% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
35.1%
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
$14,639
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 313 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 71.2%
African American 13.4%
Two or More 9.3%
Hispanic or Latino 4.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: White at 71.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.4, Penn-Lincoln El Sch is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Altoona Area Sd, which includes Penn-Lincoln El Sch.
$14,639
Per student
-19%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.8%
State 56.9%
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 Penn-Lincoln El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Altoona Area Hs | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Altoona Area Jr Hs | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Juniata Gap El Sch | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Juniata El Sch | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pleasant Valley El Sch | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Penn-Lincoln El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,255
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,578
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 490
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 470
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 439
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Altoona
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Juniata Gap El Sch
Standard public school
490 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Juniata El Sch
Standard public school
470 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Pleasant Valley El Sch
Standard public school
439 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Logan El Sch
Standard public school
428 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Mowrie a Ebner El Sch
Standard public school
349 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
Irving El Sch
Standard public school
267 students 15.7:1 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 (~313 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~8.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Penn-Lincoln El Sch's federal record.
- Compare Penn-Lincoln El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Altoona 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 Penn-Lincoln El Sch
How many students attend Penn-Lincoln El Sch?
Penn-Lincoln El Sch has 313 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Altoona, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Penn-Lincoln El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Penn-Lincoln El Sch is 8.9:1, which is 35% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 43% 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-Lincoln El Sch?
85.6% of students at Penn-Lincoln El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Penn-Lincoln El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Penn-Lincoln El Sch is White at 71.2% of enrollment, in Altoona, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Penn-Lincoln El Sch?
Penn-Lincoln El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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-Lincoln El Sch rank among elementary schools in Altoona?
By Resource Investment Index, Penn-Lincoln El Sch ranks #7 of 8 elementary schools in Altoona, 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 Altoona on the city page.
Is Penn-Lincoln El Sch a good school?
Penn-Lincoln El Sch earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of 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 Altoona Area Sd?
Besides Penn-Lincoln El Sch, Altoona Area Sd also operates Altoona Area Hs (2,255 students), Altoona Area Jr Hs (1,578 students), and Juniata Gap El Sch (490 students). See the Altoona 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.