Enrollment
859
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Mcdonald, PA
South Fayette Ms
Federal NCES profile for South Fayette Ms, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 422058000258
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Fayette Ms earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Pennsylvania schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Mcdonald · Resource Index
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.9:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 11.6%
- free-lunch eligible
South Fayette Ms has class sizes larger than 85% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Fayette Ms ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Mcdonald, PA.
School address
District: South Fayette Township Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 422058000258 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.6%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-80% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Fayette Ms compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Fayette Ms
South Fayette Ms is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Mcdonald, Pennsylvania, enrolling 859 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.6% free-meal eligibility runs 80% below the Pennsylvania average.
Enrollment of 859 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 252 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #49.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and Asian (26%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 286 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.2% 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 Intermediate Sch (803 students) alongside South Fayette Ms.
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 Ms compares
South Fayette Ms on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.9:1 | ▲ 17% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.6% | ▼ 80% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 859 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
859
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 80% 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
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 85% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
6.2%
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 286 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: 0.5 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 64.1%
Asian 25.8%
Two or More 5.1%
African American 2.7%
Hispanic or Latino 1.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 64.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.9, South Fayette Ms 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 Ms.
$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 Ms Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Fayette Twp Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Fayette Intermediate Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| South Fayette Twp El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Fayette Ms'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
- 803
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 717
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar middle 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 (~859 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Fayette Ms's federal record.
- Compare South Fayette Ms 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 Ms
How many students attend South Fayette Ms?
South Fayette Ms has 859 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Mcdonald, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Fayette Ms?
The student-teacher ratio at South Fayette Ms is 15.9:1, which is 17% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Fayette Ms?
11.6% of students at South Fayette Ms are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Fayette Ms?
The largest demographic group at South Fayette Ms is White at 64.1% of enrollment, in Mcdonald, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Fayette Ms?
South Fayette Ms has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (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 Ms rank among public schools in Mcdonald?
By Resource Investment Index, South Fayette Ms ranks #1 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 Ms a good school?
South Fayette Ms earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% 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 South Fayette Township Sd?
Besides South Fayette Ms, South Fayette Township Sd also operates South Fayette Twp Hs (1,143 students), South Fayette Intermediate Sch (803 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.