Enrollment
709
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 422355005208
Towanda Area Jshs — Towanda, PA
Federal NCES profile for Towanda Area Jshs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 39/100.
👥 Class size 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 26
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: Towanda Area Sd · 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)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 13.5:1 Pennsylvania avg
+30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.9%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Towanda Area Jshs 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
Towanda Area Jshs reports 709 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 41.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 30% 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 11% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 89.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 55% above the Pennsylvania average and 74% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 355 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 29.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Towanda Area Sd spends $18,811 per pupil district-wide, below the Pennsylvania average of $22,745 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 41.8% from local sources (property taxes), 46.6% from the state, and 11.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Towanda Area Jshs 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 | 17.6:1 | ▲ 30% | 13.5:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.9% | ▲ 55% | 58.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 709 | top 80% | — | — |
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
89.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 55% 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
17.6:1
students per teacher
— 30% above state mean
Top 94% in Pennsylvania — lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
29.6%
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
$18,811
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 355 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
80
in-school suspensions + 45 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 709 Top 80% in Pennsylvania — larger than 20% of 2,930 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 41.0
Students per teacher 17.6:1 +30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 89.9% +55% vs state
NCES ID 422355005208
Student demographics
White 95.3%
Hispanic or Latino 1.6%
African American 1.4%
Two or More 1.0%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 95.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 5
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 355:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 29.6%
In-school suspensions 80
Out-of-school suspensions 45
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Towanda Area Sd, which includes Towanda Area Jshs.
$18,811
Per student
-17%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $22,745
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 41.8%
State 46.6%
Federal 11.6%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 423
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Enrollment
- 350
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
Similar other schools in Towanda
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 Towanda Area Jshs
How many students attend Towanda Area Jshs?
Towanda Area Jshs has 709 students enrolled. It is a other school in Towanda, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Towanda Area Jshs?
The student-teacher ratio at Towanda Area Jshs is 17.6:1, which is 30% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.5:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Towanda Area Jshs?
89.9% of students at Towanda Area Jshs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Towanda Area Jshs?
The largest demographic group at Towanda Area Jshs is White at 95.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in Towanda, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Towanda Area Jshs?
Towanda Area Jshs has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.