Enrollment
274
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 421698007528
Ray S. Musselman Learning Center — Norristown, PA
Federal NCES profile for Ray S. Musselman Learning Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 35/100.
👥 Class size 57
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 9
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Norristown Area Sd · Pennsylvania
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.7:1
vs 13.5:1 Pennsylvania avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ray S. Musselman Learning Center compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Ray S. Musselman Learning Center reports 274 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 23.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 10.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 21% below the Pennsylvania state mean of 13.5:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 33% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 100.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 72% above the Pennsylvania average and 93% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 274 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 36.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Norristown Area Sd spends $21,768 per pupil district-wide, below the Pennsylvania average of $22,745 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 62.4% from local sources (property taxes), 22.3% from the state, and 15.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Ray S. Musselman Learning Center compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Pennsylvania state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.7:1 | ▼ 21% | 13.5:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 72% | 58.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 274 | top 19% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
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
10.7:1
students per teacher
— 21% below state mean
Top 12% in Pennsylvania — lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
36.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$21,768
per pupil, district-wide
— below Pennsylvania avg of $22,745
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 274 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 274 Top 19% in Pennsylvania — larger than 81% of 2,930 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 23.0
Students per teacher 10.7:1 -21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 100.0% +72% vs state
NCES ID 421698007528
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 51.1%
African American 30.3%
White 8.8%
Two or More 8.0%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 274:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 36.5%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 13
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Norristown Area Sd, which includes Ray S. Musselman Learning Center.
$21,768
Per student
-4%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $22,745
+12%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 62.4%
State 22.3%
Federal 15.2%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,256
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Enrollment
- 836
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Enrollment
- 781
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Enrollment
- 585
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
Similar elementary schools in Norristown
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
East Norriton Ms
Standard public school
836 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Eisenhower Ms
Standard public school
781 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Stewart Ms
Standard public school
695 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Marshall Street El Sch
Standard public school
585 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Whitehall El Sch
Standard public school
503 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Paul V Fly El Sch
Standard public school
452 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Ray S. Musselman Learning Center
How many students attend Ray S. Musselman Learning Center?
Ray S. Musselman Learning Center has 274 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Norristown, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ray S. Musselman Learning Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Ray S. Musselman Learning Center is 10.7:1, which is 21% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.5:1 and 33% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ray S. Musselman Learning Center?
100.0% of students at Ray S. Musselman Learning Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ray S. Musselman Learning Center?
The largest demographic group at Ray S. Musselman Learning Center is Hispanic or Latino at 51.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in Norristown, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ray S. Musselman Learning Center?
Ray S. Musselman Learning Center has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.