Enrollment
284
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 421899007661
Vaux Hs: a Big Picture School — Philadelphia, PA
Federal NCES profile for Vaux Hs: a Big Picture School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 32/100.
👥 Class size 46
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 72
📋 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: Philadelphia City 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)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 13.5:1 Pennsylvania avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.9%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vaux Hs: a Big Picture School 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
Vaux Hs: a Big Picture School reports 284 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 20.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 0% 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 15% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 98.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 70% above the Pennsylvania average and 91% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 142 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 88.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Philadelphia City Sd spends $36,791 per pupil district-wide, above the Pennsylvania average of $22,745 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 37.0% from local sources (property taxes), 39.7% from the state, and 23.3% 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 5 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 Vaux Hs: a Big Picture School 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 | 13.5:1 | ▼ 0% | 13.5:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.9% | ▲ 70% | 58.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 284 | top 20% | — | — |
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
98.9%
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
13.5:1
students per teacher
— 0% above state mean
Top 51% in Pennsylvania — lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
88.4%
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
$36,791
per pupil, district-wide
— above Pennsylvania avg of $22,745
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 142 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 49 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 284 Top 20% in Pennsylvania — larger than 80% of 2,930 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 20.0
Students per teacher 13.5:1 +0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 98.9% +70% vs state
NCES ID 421899007661
Student demographics
African American 88.0%
Hispanic or Latino 5.6%
Two or More 4.2%
White 0.7%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: African American at 88.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP program Not offered
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 142:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 88.4%
In-school suspensions 10
Out-of-school suspensions 49
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Philadelphia City Sd, which includes Vaux Hs: a Big Picture School.
$36,791
Per student
+62%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $22,745
+89%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 37.0%
State 39.7%
Federal 23.3%
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
- 3,463
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Enrollment
- 2,472
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Enrollment
- 2,329
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,783
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,763
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
Similar high schools in Philadelphia
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Northeast Hs
Standard public school
3,463 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Lincoln Hs
Standard public school
2,472 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Central Hs
Standard public school
2,329 students 20.4:1 students per teacher
Washington George Hs
Standard public school
1,755 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Franklin Towne Chs
Standard public school
1,292 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Fels Samuel Hs
Standard public school
1,255 students 14.8:1 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 Vaux Hs: a Big Picture School
How many students attend Vaux Hs: a Big Picture School?
Vaux Hs: a Big Picture School has 284 students enrolled. It is a high school in Philadelphia, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vaux Hs: a Big Picture School?
The student-teacher ratio at Vaux Hs: a Big Picture School is 13.5:1, which is 0% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.5:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Vaux Hs: a Big Picture School?
98.9% of students at Vaux Hs: a Big Picture School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vaux Hs: a Big Picture School?
The largest demographic group at Vaux Hs: a Big Picture School is African American at 88.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in Philadelphia, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vaux Hs: a Big Picture School?
Vaux Hs: a Big Picture School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (F) based on 5 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.