Enrollment
1,143
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Mcdonald, PA
South Fayette Twp Hs
Federal NCES profile for South Fayette Twp Hs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 61/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 422058000470
👥 S:T ratio 34
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Fayette Twp Hs earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Pennsylvania schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Mcdonald · Resource Index
- 61
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.6:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 9.3%
- free-lunch eligible
South Fayette Twp Hs has class sizes larger than 89% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Fayette Twp Hs ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Mcdonald, PA.
School address
District: South Fayette Township Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 422058000470 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
69.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
9.3%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-84% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Fayette Twp Hs compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Fayette Twp Hs
South Fayette Twp Hs is a lower-poverty, large high school in Mcdonald, Pennsylvania, enrolling 1,143 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.6:1 is larger than about 89% of Pennsylvania schools and 22% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 9.3% free-meal eligibility runs 84% below the Pennsylvania average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Pennsylvania, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,143 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 137 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #76.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Asian (23%) (diversity index 46/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 27 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 286 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
15.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
South Fayette Township Sd also operates South Fayette Ms (859 students) and South Fayette Intermediate Sch (803 students) alongside South Fayette Twp Hs.
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 Twp Hs compares
South Fayette Twp Hs on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.6:1 | ▲ 22% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 9.3% | ▼ 84% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,143 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,143
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
9.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 84% 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
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 89% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 286 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 69.8%
Asian 22.6%
Two or More 4.3%
Hispanic or Latino 1.7%
African American 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 69.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.9, South Fayette Twp Hs is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 27
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Fayette Township Sd, which includes South Fayette Twp Hs.
$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 Twp Hs Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Fayette Ms | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Fayette Intermediate Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| South Fayette Twp El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Fayette Twp Hs's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 859
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- 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 high 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 (~1,143 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Fayette Twp Hs's federal record.
- Compare South Fayette Twp Hs 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 Twp Hs
How many students attend South Fayette Twp Hs?
South Fayette Twp Hs has 1,143 students enrolled. It is a high school in Mcdonald, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Fayette Twp Hs?
The student-teacher ratio at South Fayette Twp Hs is 16.6:1, which is 22% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Fayette Twp Hs?
9.3% of students at South Fayette Twp Hs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Fayette Twp Hs?
The largest demographic group at South Fayette Twp Hs is White at 69.8% of enrollment, in Mcdonald, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Fayette Twp Hs?
South Fayette Twp Hs has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Fayette Twp Hs rank among public schools in Mcdonald?
By Resource Investment Index, South Fayette Twp Hs ranks #3 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 Twp Hs a good school?
South Fayette Twp Hs earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% 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 Twp Hs, South Fayette Township Sd also operates South Fayette Ms (859 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.