Enrollment
803
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Mcdonald, PA
South Fayette Intermediate Sch
Federal NCES profile for South Fayette Intermediate 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 422058007479
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Fayette Intermediate Sch earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Mcdonald · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 12.6%
- free-lunch eligible
South Fayette Intermediate Sch has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Fayette Intermediate Sch ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Mcdonald, PA.
School address
District: South Fayette Township Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 422058007479 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.6%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-78% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Fayette Intermediate Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Fayette Intermediate Sch
South Fayette Intermediate Sch is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Mcdonald, Pennsylvania, enrolling 803 students.
At 13.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Pennsylvania median, within a few percentage points of the 13.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 12.6% free-meal eligibility runs 78% below the Pennsylvania average.
Enrollment of 803 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 296 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #82.
Its student body is led by White (62%) and Asian (25%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 402 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
South Fayette Township Sd also operates South Fayette Twp Hs (1,143 students) and South Fayette Ms (859 students) alongside South Fayette Intermediate 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 South Fayette Intermediate Sch compares
South Fayette Intermediate 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 | 13.8:1 | ▲ 1% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.6% | ▼ 78% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 803 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
803
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 78% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 58% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
6.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$15,287
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 402 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 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 62.3%
Asian 24.8%
Two or More 6.4%
Hispanic or Latino 3.4%
African American 3.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 62.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.4, South Fayette Intermediate Sch is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Fayette Township Sd, which includes South Fayette Intermediate Sch.
$15,287
Per student
-15%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 72.5%
State 21.5%
Federal 5.9%
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 South Fayette Intermediate Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Fayette Twp Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Fayette Ms | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Fayette Twp El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Fayette Intermediate Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,143
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 859
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 717
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
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 (~803 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Fayette Intermediate Sch's federal record.
- Compare South Fayette Intermediate Sch against another school. Compare schools
- South Fayette Township 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 South Fayette Intermediate Sch
How many students attend South Fayette Intermediate Sch?
South Fayette Intermediate Sch has 803 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Mcdonald, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Fayette Intermediate Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at South Fayette Intermediate Sch is 13.8:1, which is 1% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Fayette Intermediate Sch?
12.6% of students at South Fayette Intermediate Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Fayette Intermediate Sch?
The largest demographic group at South Fayette Intermediate Sch is White at 62.3% of enrollment, in Mcdonald, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Fayette Intermediate Sch?
South Fayette Intermediate 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 South Fayette Intermediate Sch rank among public schools in Mcdonald?
By Resource Investment Index, South Fayette Intermediate Sch ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Mcdonald, 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 Mcdonald on the city page.
Is South Fayette Intermediate Sch a good school?
South Fayette Intermediate Sch earns 55/100 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 South Fayette Township Sd?
Besides South Fayette Intermediate Sch, South Fayette Township Sd also operates South Fayette Twp Hs (1,143 students), South Fayette Ms (859 students), and South Fayette Twp El Sch (717 students). See the South Fayette Township 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.