Enrollment
821
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Steelton, PA
Steelton-Highspire El Sch
Federal NCES profile for Steelton-Highspire El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 422280001799
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Steelton-Highspire El Sch earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Pennsylvania schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Steelton · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.4:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Steelton-Highspire El Sch has class sizes larger than 88% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Steelton-Highspire El Sch ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Steelton, PA.
School address
District: Steelton-Highspire Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 422280001799 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Steelton-Highspire El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Steelton-Highspire El Sch
Steelton-Highspire El Sch is a high-poverty, large elementary school in Steelton, Pennsylvania, enrolling 821 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.4:1 is larger than about 88% of Pennsylvania schools and 21% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 100.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 821 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 2,889 Pennsylvania schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 344 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #309, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 411 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 53.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Steelton's elementary schools, it stands alongside Tri-Community El Sch (427 students): Steelton-Highspire El Sch is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.4:1 vs 13.8:1).
Its district, Steelton-Highspire Sd, also runs Steelton-Highspire Hs (612 students).
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 Steelton-Highspire El Sch compares
Steelton-Highspire 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 | 16.4:1 | ▲ 21% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 72% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 821 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
821
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 72% above the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 88% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
53.8%
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
$16,712
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 411 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 63 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.6 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
African American 47.9%
Hispanic or Latino 27.8%
Two or More 14.9%
White 8.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 47.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.4, Steelton-Highspire El Sch is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Steelton-Highspire Sd, which includes Steelton-Highspire El Sch.
$16,712
Per student
-7%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.6%
State 52.5%
Federal 20.9%
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 Steelton-Highspire El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steelton-Highspire Hs | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Steelton-Highspire El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 612
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar elementary schools in Steelton
1 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 (~821 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Steelton-Highspire El Sch's federal record.
- Compare Steelton-Highspire El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Steelton-Highspire 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 Steelton-Highspire El Sch
How many students attend Steelton-Highspire El Sch?
Steelton-Highspire El Sch has 821 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Steelton, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Steelton-Highspire El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Steelton-Highspire El Sch is 16.4:1, which is 21% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Steelton-Highspire El Sch?
100.0% of students at Steelton-Highspire El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Steelton-Highspire El Sch?
The largest demographic group at Steelton-Highspire El Sch is African American at 47.9% of enrollment, in Steelton, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Steelton-Highspire El Sch?
Steelton-Highspire El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (lower 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 Steelton-Highspire El Sch rank among public schools in Steelton?
By Resource Investment Index, Steelton-Highspire El Sch ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Steelton, 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 Steelton on the city page.
Is Steelton-Highspire El Sch a good school?
Steelton-Highspire El Sch earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Steelton-Highspire Sd?
Besides Steelton-Highspire El Sch, Steelton-Highspire Sd also operates Steelton-Highspire Hs (612 students). See the Steelton-Highspire 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.