Enrollment
275
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 420555002216
South Hamilton El Sch — Chambersburg, PA
Federal NCES profile for South Hamilton El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 56/100.
👥 Class size 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 76
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Chambersburg Area Sd · Pennsylvania
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 13.5:1 Pennsylvania avg
+28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.5%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Hamilton El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
South Hamilton El Sch reports 275 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 15.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 28% above the Pennsylvania state mean of 13.5:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 9% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 51.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 11% below the Pennsylvania average and 1% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 275 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 9.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Chambersburg Area Sd spends $17,789 per pupil district-wide, below the Pennsylvania average of $22,745 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 58.9% from local sources (property taxes), 29.0% from the state, and 12.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (C), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How South Hamilton El Sch compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Pennsylvania state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.3:1 | ▲ 28% | 13.5:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.5% | ▼ 11% | 58.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 275 | top 19% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
51.5%
free-lunch eligible
— 11% 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
17.3:1
students per teacher
— 28% above state mean
Top 93% in Pennsylvania — lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
9.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$17,789
per pupil, district-wide
— below Pennsylvania avg of $22,745
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 275 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 275 Top 19% in Pennsylvania — larger than 81% of 2,930 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 15.0
Students per teacher 17.3:1 +28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 51.5% -11% vs state
NCES ID 420555002216
Student demographics
White 70.2%
Hispanic or Latino 16.4%
Two or More 6.2%
African American 4.7%
Asian 2.5%
Largest group: White at 70.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 275:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 9.5%
In-school suspensions 2
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chambersburg Area Sd, which includes South Hamilton El Sch.
$17,789
Per student
-22%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $22,745
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 58.9%
State 29.0%
Federal 12.1%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,319
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,072
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,025
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Enrollment
- 706
- Students per teacher
- 23.2:1
- Enrollment
- 583
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
Similar elementary schools in Chambersburg
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Benjamin Chambers El Sch
Standard public school
583 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Hamilton Heights El Sch
Standard public school
553 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Scotland El Sch
Standard public school
460 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Stevens El Sch
Standard public school
305 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Marion El Sch
Standard public school
292 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Grandview El Sch
Standard public school
277 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about South Hamilton El Sch
How many students attend South Hamilton El Sch?
South Hamilton El Sch has 275 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Chambersburg, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Hamilton El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at South Hamilton El Sch is 17.3:1, which is 28% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.5:1 and 9% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Hamilton El Sch?
51.5% of students at South Hamilton El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Hamilton El Sch?
The largest demographic group at South Hamilton El Sch is White at 70.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Chambersburg, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Hamilton El Sch?
South Hamilton El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (C) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.