Enrollment
2,569
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Plains, PA
Wilkes-Barre Area Hs
Federal NCES profile for Wilkes-Barre Area Hs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 422630007700
👥 S:T ratio 11
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 6
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wilkes-Barre Area Hs earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Pennsylvania.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Plains · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.3:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 86.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Wilkes-Barre Area Hs has class sizes larger than 99% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wilkes-Barre Area Hs ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Plains, PA.
School address
District: Wilkes-Barre Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 422630007700 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
115.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.3:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+64% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.5%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wilkes-Barre Area Hs compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wilkes-Barre Area Hs
Wilkes-Barre Area Hs is a high-poverty, large high school in Plains, Pennsylvania, enrolling 2,569 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.3:1 is larger than about 99% of Pennsylvania schools and 64% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 86.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Pennsylvania, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,569 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 2,889 Pennsylvania schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 24 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Pennsylvania schools statewide, it ranks #23, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (52%) and White (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 642 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Wilkes-Barre Area Sd spends $13,221 per pupil, 26% below the Pennsylvania average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 14 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Plains's high schools, it stands alongside Wilkes-Barre Area Sd Stem Academy (93 students): Wilkes-Barre Area Hs is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (22.3:1 vs 46.5:1).
Wilkes-Barre Area Sd also operates G a R Ms (1,101 students) and Dr David W Kistler El Sch (961 students) alongside Wilkes-Barre Area Hs.
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 Wilkes-Barre Area Hs compares
Wilkes-Barre Area Hs on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.3:1 | ▲ 64% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.5% | ▲ 49% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,569 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.3:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,569
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
86.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% 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
22.3:1
students per teacher
- 64% above state mean
Top 99% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
37.8%
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
$13,221
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 642 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 340 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 14 expulsions.
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
Hispanic or Latino 51.5%
White 25.9%
African American 14.8%
Two or More 6.6%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.1, Wilkes-Barre Area Hs is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wilkes-Barre Area Sd, which includes Wilkes-Barre Area Hs.
$13,221
Per student
-26%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.8%
State 37.4%
Federal 16.8%
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 Wilkes-Barre Area Hs Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| G a R Ms | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dr David W Kistler El Sch | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Heights/Murray El Sch | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Solomon/Plains Ms | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Solomon/Plains El Sch | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wilkes-Barre Area Hs's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,101
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 961
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 838
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 758
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 718
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar high schools in Plains
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~2,569 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wilkes-Barre Area Hs's federal record.
- Compare Wilkes-Barre Area Hs against another school. Compare schools
- Wilkes-Barre 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 Wilkes-Barre Area Hs
How many students attend Wilkes-Barre Area Hs?
Wilkes-Barre Area Hs has 2,569 students enrolled. It is a high school in Plains, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wilkes-Barre Area Hs?
The student-teacher ratio at Wilkes-Barre Area Hs is 22.3:1, which is 64% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 42% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wilkes-Barre Area Hs?
86.5% of students at Wilkes-Barre Area Hs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wilkes-Barre Area Hs?
The largest demographic group at Wilkes-Barre Area Hs is Hispanic or Latino at 51.5% of enrollment, in Plains, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wilkes-Barre Area Hs?
Wilkes-Barre Area Hs has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Wilkes-Barre Area Hs rank among public schools in Plains?
By Resource Investment Index, Wilkes-Barre Area Hs ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Plains, 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 Plains on the city page.
Is Wilkes-Barre Area Hs a good school?
Wilkes-Barre Area Hs earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Pennsylvania. 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 Wilkes-Barre Area Sd?
Besides Wilkes-Barre Area Hs, Wilkes-Barre Area Sd also operates G a R Ms (1,101 students), Dr David W Kistler El Sch (961 students), and Heights/Murray El Sch (838 students). See the Wilkes-Barre 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.