Enrollment
546
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Irwin, PA
West Hempfield Ms
Federal NCES profile for West Hempfield Ms, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 421176009953
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Hempfield Ms earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Pennsylvania schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Irwin · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.2:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 42.3%
- free-lunch eligible
West Hempfield Ms has class sizes larger than 95% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Hempfield Ms ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Irwin, PA.
School address
District: Hempfield Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 421176009953 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.2:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.3%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Hempfield Ms compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Hempfield Ms
West Hempfield Ms is a mid-sized middle school in Irwin, Pennsylvania, enrolling 546 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.2:1 is larger than about 95% of Pennsylvania schools and 34% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 42.3% lands close to the Pennsylvania typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 546 students, its enrollment sits close to the Pennsylvania median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 640 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #221.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 273 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
14.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Hempfield Area Sd also operates Hempfield Area Shs (1,228 students) and Wendover Ms (626 students) alongside West Hempfield 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 West Hempfield Ms compares
West Hempfield 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 | 18.2:1 | ▲ 34% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.3% | ▼ 27% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 546 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.2:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
546
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% below the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.2:1
students per teacher
- 34% above state mean
Top 95% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
14.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$16,170
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 273 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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
White 89.9%
Two or More 5.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.4%
African American 1.5%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 89.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.8, West Hempfield Ms is less mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hempfield Area Sd, which includes West Hempfield Ms.
$16,170
Per student
-10%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 59.2%
State 34.3%
Federal 6.5%
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 West Hempfield Ms Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hempfield Area Shs | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wendover Ms | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Stanwood El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Hempfield El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fort Allen El Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Hempfield Ms's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,228
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 626
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 518
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 496
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 480
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
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 (~546 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Hempfield Ms's federal record.
- Compare West Hempfield Ms against another school. Compare schools
- Hempfield Area 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 West Hempfield Ms
How many students attend West Hempfield Ms?
West Hempfield Ms has 546 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Irwin, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Hempfield Ms?
The student-teacher ratio at West Hempfield Ms is 18.2:1, which is 34% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 16% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Hempfield Ms?
42.3% of students at West Hempfield Ms are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Hempfield Ms?
The largest demographic group at West Hempfield Ms is White at 89.9% of enrollment, in Irwin, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Hempfield Ms?
West Hempfield Ms has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 West Hempfield Ms rank among public schools in Irwin?
By Resource Investment Index, West Hempfield Ms ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Irwin, 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 Irwin on the city page.
Is West Hempfield Ms a good school?
West Hempfield Ms earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of 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 Hempfield Area Sd?
Besides West Hempfield Ms, Hempfield Area Sd also operates Hempfield Area Shs (1,228 students), Wendover Ms (626 students), and Stanwood El Sch (518 students). See the Hempfield Area 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.