Enrollment
471
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Center Valley, PA
Southern Lehigh Ms
Federal NCES profile for Southern Lehigh Ms, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 422235004808
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 6
📋 Attendance 54
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southern Lehigh Ms earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Center Valley · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.1:1
- students per teacher
- 15.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Southern Lehigh Ms has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southern Lehigh Ms ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Center Valley, PA.
School address
District: Southern Lehigh Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 422235004808 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.2%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-74% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southern Lehigh Ms compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southern Lehigh Ms
Southern Lehigh Ms is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, enrolling 471 students.
At 13.1:1, 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, 15.2% free-meal eligibility runs 74% below the Pennsylvania average.
With 471 students, its enrollment sits close to the Pennsylvania median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Among 384 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #321, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 471 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Southern Lehigh Sd also operates Southern Lehigh Shs (1,013 students) and Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch (702 students) alongside Southern Lehigh Ms.
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 Ms compares
Southern Lehigh Ms on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.1:1 | ▼ 4% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.2% | ▼ 74% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 471 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
471
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.2%
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
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 46% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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 471 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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 80.9%
Hispanic or Latino 7.6%
Asian 7.6%
African American 2.5%
Two or More 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 80.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.3, Southern Lehigh Ms is less mixed than 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 Ms.
$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 Ms Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Lehigh Shs | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Liberty Bell El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hopewell El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southern Lehigh Ms'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
- 702
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- 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 middle 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 (~471 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southern Lehigh Ms's federal record.
- Compare Southern Lehigh Ms 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 Ms
How many students attend Southern Lehigh Ms?
Southern Lehigh Ms has 471 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Center Valley, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southern Lehigh Ms?
The student-teacher ratio at Southern Lehigh Ms is 13.1:1, which is 4% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 17% 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 Southern Lehigh Ms?
15.2% of students at Southern Lehigh Ms are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southern Lehigh Ms?
The largest demographic group at Southern Lehigh Ms is White at 80.9% of enrollment, in Center Valley, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southern Lehigh Ms?
Southern Lehigh Ms has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical 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 Ms rank among public schools in Center Valley?
By Resource Investment Index, Southern Lehigh Ms ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Center Valley, 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 Center Valley on the city page.
Is Southern Lehigh Ms a good school?
Southern Lehigh Ms earns 44/100 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 Southern Lehigh Sd?
Besides Southern Lehigh Ms, Southern Lehigh Sd also operates Southern Lehigh Shs (1,013 students), Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch (702 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.