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C

Bethlehem Area School District

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 5 towns

Serves Bethlehem, Bethlehem Township, Hanover Township, Fountain Hill and Freemansburg.

Bethlehem’s School Grade C better than 32% of Pennsylvania school districts

Students
12,717
Schools
22
Spent per student
$18,980
PA $21,758
Students per teacher
13:1
Debt
$207.3M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Bethlehem Area School District

  • Its letter, C: results better than 32% of Pennsylvania districts
  • Math proficiency 9 pts below the state
  • Reading proficiency 6 pts below the state
  • Spends 13% less per student than the PA average
  • 13 students per teacher
  • Debt of $207.3M, about $16,297 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

C: better than 32% of the 688 Pennsylvania school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math well below the state, 2021–22
C
GraduationFour-year graduation below the state, class of 2023
C−
The towns it serves, and their School Grades

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Bethlehem. Grade by grade →

K–510 elementary schoolsThis district
6–84 middle schoolsThis district
9–12Liberty HSThis district

Test scores vs. PA

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency27%
State average 36.1% · 5,986 students tested
Reading / language arts49%
State average 55.1% · 6,473 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)86%
State average 87.5% · 1,118 in the class

95% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$18,980 per student · 13% below PA
Spending
Classroom instruction 61%Support & administration 36%Other 3%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 64%State 30%Federal 6%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
12,979’20
13,022’21
12,939’22
12,825’23
12,717’24

About steady since 2020–21.

Students
Hispanic 47%White 37%Black 11%Asian 3%Two or more races 1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%

Schools in the district

22 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Pennsylvania’s other public schools.

Fountain Hill El Sch
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Bethlehem
C−
530 students12:1
Donegan El Sch
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Bethlehem
C−
467 students11:1
Marvine El Sch
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Bethlehem
B
265 students10:1
Calypso El Sch
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Bethlehem
B
222 students13:1
Spring Garden El Sch
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Bethlehem
B+
532 students13:1
Governor Wolf El Sch
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Bethlehem
A−
432 students13:1
Clearview El Sch
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Bethlehem
B−
384 students13:1
Farmersville El Sch
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Easton
B+
357 students13:1
Lincoln El Sch
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Bethlehem
B
355 students13:1
Freemansburg El Sch
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Freemansburg
C−
328 students11:1
Miller Heights El Sch
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Bethlehem
A
328 students12:1
Asa Packer El Sch
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Bethlehem
A
314 students12:1
James Buchanan El Sch
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Bethlehem
C+
253 students12:1
William Penn El Sch
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Bethlehem
B−
242 students11:1
Thomas Jefferson El Sch
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Bethlehem
C+
238 students11:1
Hanover El Sch
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Bethlehem
A
205 students12:1
East Hills MS
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Bethlehem
B−
966 students13:1
Nitschmann MS
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Bethlehem
C
731 students13:1
Northeast MS
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Bethlehem
C−
715 students12:1
Broughal MS
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Bethlehem
D
520 students12:1
Liberty HS
High · Grades 9–12 · Bethlehem
C−
2,541 students16:1
Freedom HS
High · Grades 9–12 · Bethlehem
C−
1,792 students17:1

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within Pennsylvania.