Enrollment
242
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bethlehem, PA
William Penn El Sch
Federal NCES profile for William Penn El Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 420357006634
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
William Penn El Sch earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Pennsylvania schools.
- #8 of 12
- elementary schools in Bethlehem · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.7:1
- students per teacher
- 66.1%
- free-lunch eligible
William Penn El Sch has class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, William Penn El Sch ranks #8 of 12 elementary schools in Bethlehem, PA.
School address
District: Bethlehem Area Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 420357006634 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.1%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How William Penn El Sch compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at William Penn El Sch
William Penn El Sch is a higher-need, small elementary school in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, enrolling 242 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Pennsylvania schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 66.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 242 puts it in the smaller third of Pennsylvania schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 112 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #61.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (54%) and White (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 242 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Bethlehem's elementary schools, it stands alongside Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch (702 students): William Penn El Sch is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.7:1 vs 14.9:1).
Bethlehem Area Sd also operates Liberty Hs (2,541 students) and Freedom Hs (1,792 students) alongside William Penn El Sch.
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 William Penn El Sch compares
William Penn El Sch on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.7:1 | ▼ 7% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.1% | ▲ 14% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 242 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
242
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 39% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
33.5%
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
$17,060
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 242 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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
Hispanic or Latino 53.7%
White 28.9%
African American 14.9%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 53.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.6, William Penn El Sch is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bethlehem Area Sd, which includes William Penn El Sch.
$17,060
Per student
-5%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 64.1%
State 24.8%
Federal 11.2%
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.
How William Penn El Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty Hs | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Freedom Hs | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Hills Ms | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Nitschmann Ms | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northeast Ms | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to William Penn El Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,541
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,792
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 966
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 715
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar elementary schools in Bethlehem
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Southern Lehigh Intermediate Sch
Standard public school
702 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Spring Garden El Sch
Standard public school
532 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Lehigh Valley Dual Language Cs
Standard public school
457 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Governor Wolf El Sch
Standard public school
432 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Clearview El Sch
Standard public school
384 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Lincoln El Sch
Standard public school
355 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~242 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on William Penn El Sch's federal record.
- Compare William Penn El Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Bethlehem 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 William Penn El Sch
How many students attend William Penn El Sch?
William Penn El Sch has 242 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bethlehem, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at William Penn El Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at William Penn El Sch is 12.7:1, which is 7% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 19% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at William Penn El Sch?
66.1% of students at William Penn El Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of William Penn El Sch?
The largest demographic group at William Penn El Sch is Hispanic or Latino at 53.7% of enrollment, in Bethlehem, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for William Penn El Sch?
William Penn El Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical 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 William Penn El Sch rank among elementary schools in Bethlehem?
By Resource Investment Index, William Penn El Sch ranks #8 of 12 elementary schools in Bethlehem, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Bethlehem on the city page.
Is William Penn El Sch a good school?
William Penn El Sch earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Pennsylvania median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Bethlehem Area Sd?
Besides William Penn El Sch, Bethlehem Area Sd also operates Liberty Hs (2,541 students), Freedom Hs (1,792 students), and East Hills Ms (966 students). See the Bethlehem 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.