Enrollment
399
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Palmerton, PA
S S Palmer El Sch
Federal NCES profile for S S Palmer El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 421836007222
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
S S Palmer El Sch earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Pennsylvania schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Palmerton · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.4:1
- small classes for Pennsylvania
- 51.1%
- free-lunch eligible
S S Palmer El Sch has class sizes smaller than 80% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, S S Palmer El Sch ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Palmerton, PA.
School address
District: Palmerton Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 421836007222 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.4:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.1%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How S S Palmer El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at S S Palmer El Sch
S S Palmer El Sch is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Palmerton, Pennsylvania, enrolling 399 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Pennsylvania schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 51.1% lands close to the Pennsylvania typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 399 students, its enrollment sits close to the Pennsylvania median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Among 485 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #377, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 24/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 399 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Palmerton's elementary schools, it stands alongside Parkside Education Center (150 students): S S Palmer El Sch is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.4:1 vs 11.5:1).
Palmerton Area Sd also operates Palmerton Area Hs (478 students) and Towamensing El Sch (328 students) alongside S S Palmer 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 S S Palmer El Sch compares
S S Palmer 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 | 11.4:1 | ▼ 16% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.1% | ▼ 12% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 399 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.4:1
Leaner classes than 80% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
399
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.4:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 20% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.6%
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
$16,623
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 399 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 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
White 86.7%
Hispanic or Latino 9.5%
Two or More 2.0%
African American 1.3%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 86.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.9, S S Palmer 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 Palmerton Area Sd, which includes S S Palmer El Sch.
$16,623
Per student
-7%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.4%
State 36.3%
Federal 7.2%
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.
How S S Palmer El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmerton Area Hs | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Towamensing El Sch | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Palmerton Area Jhs | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parkside Education Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to S S Palmer El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 478
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 328
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 261
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 150
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar elementary schools in Palmerton
1 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 (~399 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on S S Palmer El Sch's federal record.
- Compare S S Palmer El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Palmerton 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 S S Palmer El Sch
How many students attend S S Palmer El Sch?
S S Palmer El Sch has 399 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Palmerton, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at S S Palmer El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at S S Palmer El Sch is 11.4:1, which is 16% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 27% 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 S S Palmer El Sch?
51.1% of students at S S Palmer El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of S S Palmer El Sch?
The largest demographic group at S S Palmer El Sch is White at 86.7% of enrollment, in Palmerton, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for S S Palmer El Sch?
S S Palmer El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 S S Palmer El Sch rank among public schools in Palmerton?
By Resource Investment Index, S S Palmer El Sch ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Palmerton, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Palmerton on the city page.
Is S S Palmer El Sch a good school?
S S Palmer El Sch earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% 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 Palmerton Area Sd?
Besides S S Palmer El Sch, Palmerton Area Sd also operates Palmerton Area Hs (478 students), Towamensing El Sch (328 students), and Palmerton Area Jhs (261 students). See the Palmerton 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.