Enrollment
1,681
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · York, PA
William Penn Shs
Federal NCES profile for William Penn Shs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 422682004647
👥 S:T ratio 30
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
William Penn Shs earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Pennsylvania schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Pennsylvania.
- #4 of 6
- high schools in York · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.5:1
- large classes for Pennsylvania
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
William Penn Shs has class sizes larger than 93% of Pennsylvania schools. Computed live against every Pennsylvania school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, William Penn Shs ranks #4 of 6 high schools in York, PA.
School address
District: York City Sd · Pennsylvania
NCES ID 422682004647 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
96.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 13.6:1 Pennsylvania avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How William Penn Shs compares with Pennsylvania and U.S. medians
What stands out at William Penn Shs
William Penn Shs is a high-poverty, large high school in York, Pennsylvania, enrolling 1,681 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.5:1 is larger than about 93% of Pennsylvania schools and 29% 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 100.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Pennsylvania, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,681 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,889 scored Pennsylvania schools.
Against 58 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #11.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (47%) and African American (39%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 336 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Its district draws 15.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 349 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,681 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 28 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among York's high schools, it stands alongside Central York Hs (1,756 students): William Penn Shs is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.5:1 vs 15.4:1).
York City Sd also operates Devers Sch (686 students) and Hannah Penn (674 students) alongside William Penn Shs.
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 Shs compares
William Penn Shs on the metrics families compare, against Pennsylvania and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.5:1 | ▲ 29% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 72% | 58.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,681 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,681
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 72% 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
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 93% in Pennsylvania - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$17,786
per pupil, district-wide
- below Pennsylvania avg of $17,970
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 336 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 349 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 28 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 47.1%
African American 39.1%
White 6.6%
Two or More 6.6%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 47.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.7, William Penn Shs is more mixed than the Pennsylvania school average of 37.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for York City Sd, which includes William Penn Shs.
$17,786
Per student
-1%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $17,970
+7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.7%
State 62.2%
Federal 15.1%
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 Shs Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Devers Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hannah Penn | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Goode Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ferguson Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mckinley Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to William Penn Shs's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 686
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 674
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 641
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 627
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 578
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar high schools in York
5 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Central York Hs
Standard public school
1,756 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
York Co School of Technology
Vocational / career-technical school
1,615 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
York Suburban Shs
Standard public school
859 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
West York Area Hs
Standard public school
851 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Crispus Attucks Cs
Standard public school
78 students 13:1 students per teacher
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 (~1,681 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on William Penn Shs's federal record.
- Compare William Penn Shs against another school. Compare schools
- York City 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 Shs
How many students attend William Penn Shs?
William Penn Shs has 1,681 students enrolled. It is a high school in York, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at William Penn Shs?
The student-teacher ratio at William Penn Shs is 17.5:1, which is 29% higher than the Pennsylvania average of 13.6:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at William Penn Shs?
100.0% of students at William Penn Shs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of William Penn Shs?
The largest demographic group at William Penn Shs is Hispanic or Latino at 47.1% of enrollment, in York, PA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for William Penn Shs?
William Penn Shs has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does William Penn Shs rank among high schools in York?
By Resource Investment Index, William Penn Shs ranks #4 of 6 high schools in York, PA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in York on the city page.
Is William Penn Shs a good school?
William Penn Shs earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% 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 York City Sd?
Besides William Penn Shs, York City Sd also operates Devers Sch (686 students), Hannah Penn (674 students), and Goode Sch (641 students). See the York City 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.