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
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10044/100
👥 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

Steelton, PA 17113
District: Central Dauphin Sd · Pennsylvania

NCES ID 420540001742 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

+105 students YoY

Swatara Ms grew from 539 students in 2022-23 to 644 in 2023-24 (+19.5%).

Teacher FTE added 43.6 → 48.8 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Growing CCD campus

+105 students YoY 420540001742 · Steelton, PA Middle · MID · TRAD

611 enr · 14.2:1 · 98.5% lunch · RII 44

Nearest enrollment peer: Central Dauphin Shs (1,966 students)

Swatara Ms grew from 539 students in 2022-23 to 644 in 2023-24 (+19.5%). Teacher FTE added 43.6 → 48.8 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Pennsylvania schools → · Find another →

Swatara Ms in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Swatara Ms reports 611 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Swatara Ms compares

Swatara Ms is a growing campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs 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 methodology

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
$15,380
per pupil, district-wide - below Pennsylvania avg of $18,725
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.

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

District finance for Central Dauphin Sd reports $15,380 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

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

Central Dauphin Sd · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide middle schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~611 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.2:1)

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. CCD year-over-year: 539 (2022-23) → 644 (2023-24), up 105.

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, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. 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.

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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .