Enrollment
698
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ambler, PA
Shady Grove El Sch
Federal NCES profile for Shady Grove El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 420240006835
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shady Grove El Sch earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Ambler · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.5:1
- students per teacher
- 24.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Shady Grove El Sch has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shady Grove El Sch ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Ambler, PA.
School address
District: Wissahickon Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420240006835 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.1%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shady Grove El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shady Grove El Sch
Shady Grove El Sch is a mid-sized elementary school in Ambler, Pennsylvania, enrolling 698 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 698 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 530 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #111.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Asian (10%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 349 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Wissahickon Sd spends $21,711 per pupil, 21% above the Pennsylvania average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Ambler's elementary schools, it stands alongside Lower Gwynedd El Sch (630 students): Shady Grove El Sch is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.5:1 vs 15.4:1).
Wissahickon Sd also operates Wissahickon Shs (1,480 students) and Wissahickon Ms (1,208 students) alongside Shady Grove 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 Shady Grove El Sch compares
Shady Grove 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 | 14.5:1 | ▲ 7% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.1% | ▼ 59% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 698 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
698
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% 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
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 69% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
7.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$21,711
per pupil, district-wide
- above Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 349 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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 63.0%
Asian 10.2%
Hispanic or Latino 10.0%
Two or More 8.7%
African American 7.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 63.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.9, Shady Grove 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 Wissahickon Sd, which includes Shady Grove El Sch.
$21,711
Per student
+21%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 78.9%
State 18.0%
Federal 3.1%
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 Shady Grove El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wissahickon Shs | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wissahickon Ms | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Stony Creek El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lower Gwynedd El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Blue Bell El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shady Grove El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,480
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 1,208
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 643
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 630
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 522
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar elementary schools in Ambler
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 (~698 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shady Grove El Sch's federal record.
- Compare Shady Grove El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Wissahickon 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 Shady Grove El Sch
How many students attend Shady Grove El Sch?
Shady Grove El Sch has 698 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ambler, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shady Grove El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Shady Grove El Sch is 14.5:1, which is 7% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Shady Grove El Sch?
24.1% of students at Shady Grove El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shady Grove El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Shady Grove El Sch is White at 63.0% of enrollment, in Ambler, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shady Grove El Sch?
Shady Grove El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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 Shady Grove El Sch rank among public schools in Ambler?
By Resource Investment Index, Shady Grove El Sch ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Ambler, 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 Ambler on the city page.
Is Shady Grove El Sch a good school?
Shady Grove El Sch earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. 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 Wissahickon Sd?
Besides Shady Grove El Sch, Wissahickon Sd also operates Wissahickon Shs (1,480 students), Wissahickon Ms (1,208 students), and Stony Creek El Sch (643 students). See the Wissahickon 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.