Enrollment
702
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bethlehem, PA
Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch
Federal NCES profile for Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 422235006967
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Pennsylvania schools.
- #5 of 12
- elementary schools in Bethlehem · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.9:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 15.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch has class sizes larger than 75% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch ranks #5 of 12 elementary schools in Bethlehem, PA.
School address
District: Southern Lehigh Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 422235006967 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.3%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-74% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch
Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, enrolling 702 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 15.3% free-meal eligibility runs 74% below the Pennsylvania average.
Enrollment of 702 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 392 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #220.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Asian (8%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 702 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Bethlehem's elementary schools, it stands alongside Spring Garden El Sch (532 students): Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.9:1 vs 13.6:1).
Southern Lehigh Sd also operates Southern Lehigh Shs (1,013 students) and Southern Lehigh Ms (471 students) alongside Southern Lehigh Intermediate 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 Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch compares
Southern Lehigh Intermediate 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 | 14.9:1 | ▲ 10% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.3% | ▼ 74% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 702 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
702
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 74% 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
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 75% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
5.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$18,074
per pupil, district-wide
- above Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 702 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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 78.3%
Asian 8.4%
Hispanic or Latino 7.8%
Two or More 3.0%
African American 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 78.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.3, Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch is about as mixed as the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Southern Lehigh Sd, which includes Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch.
$18,074
Per student
+1%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 75.3%
State 20.8%
Federal 3.9%
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 Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Lehigh Shs | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southern Lehigh Ms | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Liberty Bell El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hopewell El Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,013
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 471
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 445
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 426
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar elementary schools in Bethlehem
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Spring Garden El Sch
Standard public school
532 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Lehigh Valley Dual Language Cs
Standard public school
457 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Governor Wolf El Sch
Standard public school
432 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Clearview El Sch
Standard public school
384 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Lincoln El Sch
Standard public school
355 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Miller Heights El Sch
Standard public school
328 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
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 (~702 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch's federal record.
- Compare Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Southern Lehigh 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 Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch
How many students attend Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch?
Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch has 702 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bethlehem, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch is 14.9:1, which is 10% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch?
15.3% of students at Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch?
The largest demographic group at Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch is White at 78.3% of enrollment, in Bethlehem, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch?
Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch rank among elementary schools in Bethlehem?
By Resource Investment Index, Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch ranks #5 of 12 elementary schools in Bethlehem, 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 Bethlehem on the city page.
Is Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch a good school?
Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 Southern Lehigh Sd?
Besides Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch, Southern Lehigh Sd also operates Southern Lehigh Shs (1,013 students), Southern Lehigh Ms (471 students), and Liberty Bell El Sch (445 students). See the Southern Lehigh 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.