Enrollment
415
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Aston, PA
Pennell El Sch
Federal NCES profile for Pennell El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 421858005223
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 92
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pennell El Sch earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Pennsylvania schools.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in Aston · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.8:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 30.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Pennell El Sch has class sizes larger than 73% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pennell El Sch ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Aston, PA.
School address
District: Penn-Delco Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 421858005223 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.4%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pennell El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pennell El Sch
Pennell El Sch is a mid-sized elementary school in Aston, Pennsylvania, enrolling 415 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 415 students, its enrollment sits close to the Pennsylvania median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 593 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #149.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 415 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Aston's elementary schools, it stands alongside Aston El Sch (405 students): Pennell El Sch is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.8:1 vs 13.5:1).
Penn-Delco Sd also operates Sun Valley Hs (1,042 students) and Northley Ms (748 students) alongside Pennell 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 Pennell El Sch compares
Pennell 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 | 14.8:1 | ▲ 9% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.4% | ▼ 48% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 415 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
415
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 73% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
3.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$16,582
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 415 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 88.2%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%
Two or More 3.4%
African American 2.7%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 88.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.8, Pennell El Sch is less mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Penn-Delco Sd, which includes Pennell El Sch.
$16,582
Per student
-8%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 69.5%
State 25.7%
Federal 4.8%
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 Pennell El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Valley Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northley Ms | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Aston El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Coebourn El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Parkside El Sch | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pennell El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,042
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 748
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 405
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 319
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 252
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
Similar elementary schools in Aston
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~415 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pennell El Sch's federal record.
- Compare Pennell El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Penn-Delco 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 Pennell El Sch
How many students attend Pennell El Sch?
Pennell El Sch has 415 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Aston, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pennell El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Pennell El Sch is 14.8:1, which is 9% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pennell El Sch?
30.4% of students at Pennell El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pennell El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Pennell El Sch is White at 88.2% of enrollment, in Aston, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pennell El Sch?
Pennell El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (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 Pennell El Sch rank among elementary schools in Aston?
By Resource Investment Index, Pennell El Sch ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Aston, 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 Aston on the city page.
Is Pennell El Sch a good school?
Pennell El Sch earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% 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 Penn-Delco Sd?
Besides Pennell El Sch, Penn-Delco Sd also operates Sun Valley Hs (1,042 students), Northley Ms (748 students), and Aston El Sch (405 students). See the Penn-Delco 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.