Enrollment
217
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 420002700366 Charter school
Sylvan Heights Science Cs — Harrisburg, PA
Federal NCES profile for Sylvan Heights Science Cs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 32/100.
👥 Class size 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 57
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Sylvan Heights Science Cs · Pennsylvania
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 13.5:1 Pennsylvania avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sylvan Heights Science Cs compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Sylvan Heights Science Cs reports 217 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 15.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 7% above the Pennsylvania state mean of 13.5:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 9% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 100.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 72% above the Pennsylvania average and 93% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 217 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 56.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Sylvan Heights Science Cs spends $19,258 per pupil district-wide, below the Pennsylvania average of $22,745 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 76.0% from local sources (property taxes), 0.7% from the state, and 23.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Sylvan Heights Science Cs compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Pennsylvania state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.4:1 | ▲ 7% | 13.5:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 72% | 58.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 217 | top 11% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
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
14.4:1
students per teacher
— 7% above state mean
Top 66% in Pennsylvania — lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
56.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$19,258
per pupil, district-wide
— below Pennsylvania avg of $22,745
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 217 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 217 Top 11% in Pennsylvania — larger than 89% of 2,930 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 15.0
Students per teacher 14.4:1 +7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 100.0% +72% vs state
NCES ID 420002700366
Student demographics
African American 68.2%
Hispanic or Latino 26.3%
Two or More 3.7%
White 1.8%
Largest group: African American at 68.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 217:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 56.2%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 15
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sylvan Heights Science Cs, which includes Sylvan Heights Science Cs.
$19,258
Per student
-15%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $22,745
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 76.0%
State 0.7%
Federal 23.2%
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.
Similar elementary schools in Harrisburg
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Thomas W Holtzman Jr El Sch
Standard public school
792 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Sara Lindemuth El Sch
Standard public school
758 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
North Side El Sch
Standard public school
722 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Paxtonia El Sch
Standard public school
682 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
South Side El Sch
Standard public school
603 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
West Hanover El Sch
Standard public school
589 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Sylvan Heights Science Cs
How many students attend Sylvan Heights Science Cs?
Sylvan Heights Science Cs has 217 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Harrisburg, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sylvan Heights Science Cs?
The student-teacher ratio at Sylvan Heights Science Cs is 14.4:1, which is 7% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.5:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sylvan Heights Science Cs?
100.0% of students at Sylvan Heights Science Cs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sylvan Heights Science Cs?
The largest demographic group at Sylvan Heights Science Cs is African American at 68.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Harrisburg, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sylvan Heights Science Cs?
Sylvan Heights Science Cs has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.