Enrollment
1,380
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Hanover, PA
South Western Shs
Federal NCES profile for South Western Shs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 422247004608
👥 S:T ratio 35
📚 AP courses 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Western Shs earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Pennsylvania.
- #1 of 11
- public schools in Hanover · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.2:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 28.6%
- free-lunch eligible
South Western Shs has class sizes larger than 86% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Western Shs ranks #1 of 11 public schools in Hanover, PA.
School address
District: South Western Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 422247004608 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
85.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.6%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Western Shs compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Western Shs
South Western Shs is a large high school in Hanover, Pennsylvania, enrolling 1,380 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.2:1 is larger than about 86% of Pennsylvania schools and 19% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Pennsylvania, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,380 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 179 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #90.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 12 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 276 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 11 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
South Western Sd also operates Emory H Markle Ms (1,046 students) and Baresville El Sch (586 students) alongside South Western Shs.
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 Western Shs compares
South Western Shs on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.2:1 | ▲ 19% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.6% | ▼ 51% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,380 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,380
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 86% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,329
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 276 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
105
in-school suspensions + 85 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 11 expulsions.
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 80.9%
African American 7.4%
Hispanic or Latino 7.0%
Two or More 2.6%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 80.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.4, South Western Shs is less mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 12
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Western Sd, which includes South Western Shs.
$15,329
Per student
-15%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 65.4%
State 30.6%
Federal 4.0%
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 Western Shs Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emory H Markle Ms | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Baresville El Sch | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Park Hills El Sch | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Manheim El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Manheim El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Western Shs's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,046
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 586
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 572
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 538
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 256
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
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 (~1,380 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Western Shs's federal record.
- Compare South Western Shs against another school. Compare schools
- South Western 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 Western Shs
How many students attend South Western Shs?
South Western Shs has 1,380 students enrolled. It is a high school in Hanover, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Western Shs?
The student-teacher ratio at South Western Shs is 16.2:1, which is 19% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Western Shs?
28.6% of students at South Western Shs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Western Shs?
The largest demographic group at South Western Shs is White at 80.9% of enrollment, in Hanover, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Western Shs?
South Western Shs has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Western Shs rank among public schools in Hanover?
By Resource Investment Index, South Western Shs ranks #1 of 11 public schools in Hanover, 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 Hanover on the city page.
Is South Western Shs a good school?
South Western Shs earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Pennsylvania. 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 Western Sd?
Besides South Western Shs, South Western Sd also operates Emory H Markle Ms (1,046 students), Baresville El Sch (586 students), and Park Hills El Sch (572 students). See the South Western 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.