Enrollment
321
Pennsylvania · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 420013700879 Charter school
Young Scholars of Central Pa Cs — State College, PA
Federal NCES profile for Young Scholars of Central Pa Cs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 38/100.
👥 Class size 58
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 28
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: Young Scholars of Central Pa Cs · 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)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.6:1
vs 13.5:1 Pennsylvania avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.0%
vs 58.1% Pennsylvania avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Young Scholars of Central Pa Cs 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
Young Scholars of Central Pa Cs reports 321 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 35.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 10.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 21% below the Pennsylvania state mean of 13.5:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 33% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 41.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 29% below the Pennsylvania average and 21% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 321 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 29.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Young Scholars of Central Pa Cs spends $17,218 per pupil district-wide, below the Pennsylvania average of $22,745 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 93.6% from local sources (property taxes), 0.3% from the state, and 6.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F), calculated from 4 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 Young Scholars of Central Pa Cs 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 | 10.6:1 | ▼ 21% | 13.5:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.0% | ▼ 29% | 58.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 321 | top 26% | — | — |
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
41.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 29% 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
10.6:1
students per teacher
— 21% below state mean
Top 11% in Pennsylvania — lower ratio than 89% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
29.0%
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
$17,218
per pupil, district-wide
— below Pennsylvania avg of $22,745
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 321 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
21
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 321 Top 26% in Pennsylvania — larger than 74% of 2,930 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 35.0
Students per teacher 10.6:1 -21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 41.0% -29% vs state
NCES ID 420013700879
Student demographics
White 59.8%
African American 14.3%
Two or More 14.0%
Asian 6.5%
Hispanic or Latino 5.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 59.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 321:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 29.0%
In-school suspensions 21
Out-of-school suspensions 15
Expulsions 5
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Young Scholars of Central Pa Cs, which includes Young Scholars of Central Pa Cs.
$17,218
Per student
-24%
vs Pennsylvania
Avg $22,745
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 93.6%
State 0.3%
Federal 6.1%
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.
Similar elementary schools in State College
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Radio Park El Sch
Standard public school
424 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Park Forest El Sch
Standard public school
419 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Mount Nittany El Sch
Standard public school
413 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Spring Creek El Sch
Standard public school
360 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Easterly Parkway El Sch
Standard public school
314 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Corl Street El Sch
Standard public school
250 students 12.6:1 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 Young Scholars of Central Pa Cs
How many students attend Young Scholars of Central Pa Cs?
Young Scholars of Central Pa Cs has 321 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in State College, PA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Young Scholars of Central Pa Cs?
The student-teacher ratio at Young Scholars of Central Pa Cs is 10.6:1, which is 21% lower than the Pennsylvania average of 13.5:1 and 33% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Young Scholars of Central Pa Cs?
41.0% of students at Young Scholars of Central Pa Cs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Pennsylvania average of 58.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Young Scholars of Central Pa Cs?
The largest demographic group at Young Scholars of Central Pa Cs is White at 59.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in State College, PA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Young Scholars of Central Pa Cs?
Young Scholars of Central Pa Cs has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F) based on 4 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.