Enrollment
371
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Hershey, PA
South Hanover El Sch
Federal NCES profile for South Hanover El 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 421410001797
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 77
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Hanover El Sch earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median.
- #1 of 4
- elementary schools in Hershey · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.3:1
- students per teacher
- 14.8%
- free-lunch eligible
South Hanover El Sch has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Hanover El Sch ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Hershey, PA.
School address
District: Lower Dauphin Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 421410001797 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.8%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-75% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Hanover El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Hanover El Sch
South Hanover El Sch is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Hershey, Pennsylvania, enrolling 371 students.
At 13.3:1, 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, 14.8% free-meal eligibility runs 75% below the Pennsylvania average.
Enrollment of 371 puts it in the smaller third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 269 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #83.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Asian (8%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 371 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Hershey's elementary schools, it stands alongside Hershey Intrmd El Sch (479 students): South Hanover El Sch is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.3:1 vs 12.9:1).
Lower Dauphin Sd also operates Lower Dauphin Hs (1,057 students) and Lower Dauphin Ms (781 students) alongside South Hanover 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 South Hanover El Sch compares
South Hanover 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 | 13.3:1 | ▼ 2% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.8% | ▼ 75% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 371 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
371
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 75% 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
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 49% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
9.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$16,544
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 371 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 74.9%
Asian 8.1%
Hispanic or Latino 7.5%
Two or More 5.4%
African American 4.0%
Largest group: White at 74.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.2, South Hanover 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 Lower Dauphin Sd, which includes South Hanover El Sch.
$16,544
Per student
-8%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.8%
State 33.3%
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 Hanover El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Dauphin Hs | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lower Dauphin Ms | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East Hanover El Sch | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Nye El Sch | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Conewago El Sch | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Hanover El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,057
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 781
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 333
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 317
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 239
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
Similar elementary schools in Hershey
3 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 (~371 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Hanover El Sch's federal record.
- Compare South Hanover El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Lower Dauphin 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 Hanover El Sch
How many students attend South Hanover El Sch?
South Hanover El Sch has 371 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Hershey, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Hanover El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at South Hanover El Sch is 13.3:1, which is 2% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Hanover El Sch?
14.8% of students at South Hanover El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Hanover El Sch?
The largest demographic group at South Hanover El Sch is White at 74.9% of enrollment, in Hershey, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Hanover El Sch?
South Hanover El 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 Hanover El Sch rank among elementary schools in Hershey?
By Resource Investment Index, South Hanover El Sch ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Hershey, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Hershey on the city page.
Is South Hanover El Sch a good school?
South Hanover El 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 Lower Dauphin Sd?
Besides South Hanover El Sch, Lower Dauphin Sd also operates Lower Dauphin Hs (1,057 students), Lower Dauphin Ms (781 students), and East Hanover El Sch (333 students). See the Lower Dauphin 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.