Enrollment
611
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Steelton, PA
Swatara Ms
Federal NCES profile for Swatara 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 420540001742
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Swatara Ms earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Pennsylvania schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Steelton · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 98.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Swatara Ms has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Swatara Ms ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Steelton, PA.
School address
District: Central Dauphin Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420540001742 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.5%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Swatara Ms compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Swatara Ms
Swatara Ms is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Steelton, Pennsylvania, enrolling 611 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Pennsylvania schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 98.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 611 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 473 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #138.
Its student body is led by African American (32%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 78/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 306 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 307 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 611 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 10 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Central Dauphin Sd also operates Central Dauphin Shs (1,966 students) and Central Dauphin East Shs (1,573 students) alongside Swatara 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 Swatara Ms compares
Swatara 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 | 14.2:1 | ▲ 4% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.5% | ▲ 70% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 611 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
611
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% 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
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 65% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
30.4%
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
$15,143
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 306 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
149
in-school suspensions + 158 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 24.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 50.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 10 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
African American 31.9%
Hispanic or Latino 23.1%
White 19.0%
Asian 15.1%
Two or More 10.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 31.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 77.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 77.6, Swatara Ms is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central Dauphin Sd, which includes Swatara Ms.
$15,143
Per student
-16%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 68.5%
State 22.6%
Federal 8.9%
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 Swatara Ms Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Dauphin Shs | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central Dauphin East Shs | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Linglestown Ms | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Dauphin Ms | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Side El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Swatara Ms's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,966
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,573
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 841
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 834
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 722
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
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 (~611 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Swatara Ms's federal record.
- Compare Swatara Ms against another school. Compare schools
- Central 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 Swatara Ms
How many students attend Swatara Ms?
Swatara Ms has 611 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Steelton, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Swatara Ms?
The student-teacher ratio at Swatara Ms is 14.2:1, which is 4% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Swatara Ms?
98.5% of students at Swatara Ms are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Swatara Ms?
The largest demographic group at Swatara Ms is African American at 31.9% of enrollment, in Steelton, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 77.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Swatara Ms?
Swatara 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 Swatara Ms rank among public schools in Steelton?
By Resource Investment Index, Swatara Ms ranks #1 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 Swatara Ms a good school?
Swatara Ms earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. 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 Central Dauphin Sd?
Besides Swatara Ms, Central Dauphin Sd also operates Central Dauphin Shs (1,966 students), Central Dauphin East Shs (1,573 students), and Linglestown Ms (841 students). See the Central 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.