Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School

Summary:

Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School is a public charter high school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, serving 186 students in grades 9-12. This specialized school stands out for its exceptional academic performance, with students consistently outperforming the state average on Keystone Exams, Pennsylvania's standardized tests.

The school's academic excellence is reflected in its high statewide rankings, reaching as high as 45th out of 686 Pennsylvania high schools in the 2023-2024 school year. Its 4-year graduation rate of 94.5% in 2022-2023 is significantly higher than the state average, and the school has very low dropout rates, ranging from 0% to 1.6% in recent years. Compared to nearby public high schools like Dauphin County Technical School, Central Dauphin East Senior High School, and Steelton-Highspire High School, Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School stands out for its exceptional academic performance.

The school's unique student population, with a higher percentage of White students and female students compared to the state, suggests it attracts a specific type of student and family. Additionally, the school's relatively high spending per student, ranging from $14,130 to $16,006 in recent years, and its low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 12.3 to 13.7, contribute to its success. As a charter school focused on the arts, Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School offers a specialized educational experience that sets it apart from the traditional public high schools in the Harrisburg area.

Detail:

Public, Charter 9-12

150 Strawberry Square
Harrisburg, PA 17101

(717) 732-8450

District: Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School

SchoolDigger Rank:
45^th of 686 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,006

Student/teacher ratio: 13.7

Number of students: 186

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.4%

African American:

17.2%

Hispanic:

9.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 8.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School ranks better than 93.4% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 90.61. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (62.4%), African American (17.2%), Hispanic (9.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School is 13.7. (See more...)

Compare Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School employs 13.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School is $16,006.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School:

SchoolDigger ranks Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School 45^th of 686 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

White students:

Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School:

SchoolDigger ranks Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School 21^st of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School

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Rank History for all students at Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2015	80.23	103^rd	680	84.9%
2016	69.38	246^th	677	63.7%
2017	84.35	56^th	663	91.6%
2018	86.26	42^nd	673	93.8%
2019	85.32	61^st	693	91.2%
2021	65.29	231^st	537	57.0%
2022	83.83	77^th	634	87.9%
2023	85.09	79^th	674	88.3%
2024	90.61	45^th	686	93.4%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	89.32	43^rd	665	93.5%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for White students at Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	88.75	39^th	577	93.2%
2024	92.35	31^st	595	94.8%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2014	76	25	1	7	1	2	21	133
2015	116	32	3	10	2	1	14	178
2016	129	35	1	8	1	1	12	187
2017	144	27	2	11	0	0	13	197
2018	149	30	4	9	0	0	7	199
2019	131	35	2	14	0	0	4	186
2020	136	33	7	16	1	1	6	200
2021	126	33	7	18	1	0	9	194
2022	124	33	7	19	0	0	9	192
2023	116	32	6	18	0	0	14	186

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	133	9.0	14.7	0
2015	178	12.0	14.8	0
2016	187	12.0	15.5	17.6
2017	197	13.5	14.5	n/a
2018	199	14.0	14.2	n/a
2019	186	14.0	13.2	15.6
2020	200	14.0	14.2	n/a
2021	194	14.5	13.3	2.6
2022	192	15.5	12.3	8.9
2023	186	13.5	13.7	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	133	9.0	14.7	0
2015	178	12.0	14.8	0
2016	187	12.0	15.5	17.6
2017	197	13.5	14.5	n/a
2018	199	14.0	14.2	n/a
2019	186	14.0	13.2	15.6
2020	200	14.0	14.2	n/a
2021	194	14.5	13.3	2.6
2022	192	15.5	12.3	8.9
2023	186	13.5	13.7	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$00 (0.0%)	$14,758 (100.0%)	$14,758
2020	$00 (0.0%)	$14,130 (100.0%)	$14,130
2021	$00 (0.0%)	$15,887 (100.0%)	$15,887
2022	$173 (1.1%)	$15,833 (98.9%)	$16,006

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 61^st of 693 High schools	Ranks 79^th of 674 High schools	2.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School)	80	37.9	42.1%
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School)	91.3	70.2	21.1%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	50.7	12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School)	87	95.9	8.9%
11th Grade Literature (Pennsylvania)	71.5	65.3	6.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	186	186
African American	35	32	8.6%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	2	6	200%
Hispanic	14	18	28.6%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	131	116	11.5%
Two or More Races	4	14	250%

Schools Near Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Keystone Exams Algebra I (2024)	Keystone Exams Biology (2024)	Keystone Exams Literature (2024)	PSSA Math (2024)			PSSA Science (2024)		PSSA English Language Arts (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Keystone Exams Algebra I 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Biology 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Literature 11th Grade	PSSA Math 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA Science 8th Grade	PSSA Science All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School	Public, Charter	9-12	150 Strawberry Square	Harrisburg	17101	Dauphin County	Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(717) 732-8450	186	14	13.7		116 (62.4%)	32 (17.2%)	18 (9.7%)	6 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (7.5%)	90.6	45^th of 686 public high schools	93.4%		85.1	79^th of 674 public high schools	88.3%	34	66.6	75.0	85.4									$16,006	$173	$15,833
Harrisburg High School - SciTech Cmp	Public	9-12	215 Market Street	Harrisburg	17101	Dauphin County	Harrisburg City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 703-1900	323	24	13.4	99.1%	12 (3.7%)	197 (61.0%)	91 (28.2%)	18 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.5%)	61	282^nd of 686 public high schools	58.9%		61.9	275^th of 674 public high schools	59.2%	7	46.3	43.5	73.9									$23,869	$620	$23,249
Harrisburg High School	Public	9-12	2451 Market St	Harrisburg	17103	Dauphin County	Harrisburg City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 703-4300	1,230	77	16.0	100.0%	30 (2.4%)	628 (51.1%)	525 (42.7%)	16 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (2.5%)	2.4	671^st of 686 public high schools	2.2%		3.3	664^th of 674 public high schools	1.5%	7	2.4	5.1	12.1									$17,949	$466	$17,483
Cedar Cliff High School	Public	9-12	1301 Carlisle Road	Camp Hill	17011	Cumberland County	West Shore School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 737-8654	1,353	86	15.7	38.8%	919 (67.9%)	110 (8.1%)	196 (14.5%)	41 (3.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	85 (6.3%)	58.8	311^th of 686 public high schools	54.7%		47.2	402^nd of 674 public high schools	40.4%	91	51.7	48.2	61.1									$19,307	$1,156	$18,152
Camp Hill Senior High School	Public	9-12	100 S 24th St	Camp Hill	17011	Cumberland County	Camp Hill School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 901-2500	416	28	14.6	14.4%	326 (78.4%)	10 (2.4%)	45 (10.8%)	11 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.5%)	86.2	69^th of 686 public high schools	89.9%		87.1	63^rd of 674 public high schools	90.7%	6	53.5	81.2	82.9									$18,332	$602	$17,730
Steelton-Highspire High School	Public	7-12	250 Reynders Ave.	Steelton	17113	Dauphin County	Steelton-Highspire School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 704-3809	599	48	12.3	100.0%	78 (13.0%)	318 (53.1%)	165 (27.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.2%)	3.8	655^th of 686 public high schools	4.5%		4	652^nd of 674 public high schools	3.3%	3	6.3	10.0	19.6	3.9	1.3	2.5	16.4	16.4	17.7	18.5	18.1	$7,602	$1,081	$6,521
Susquehanna Township High School	Public	9-12	3500 Elmerton Ave	Harrisburg	17109	Dauphin County	Susquehanna Township School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 657-5117	743	56	13.1	55.3%	146 (19.7%)	309 (41.6%)	96 (12.9%)	122 (16.4%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	65 (8.7%)	43.1	444^th of 686 public high schools	35.3%		32.9	493^rd of 674 public high schools	26.9%	49	37.8	45.3	53.0									$30,305	$1,411	$28,894
East Pennsboro Area Senior High School	Public	9-12	425 W Shady Ln	Enola	17025	Cumberland County	East Pennsboro Area School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 732-0723	761	56	13.5	36.0%	518 (68.1%)	58 (7.6%)	76 (10.0%)	55 (7.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	51 (6.7%)	71.9	189^th of 686 public high schools	72.4%		76	143^rd of 674 public high schools	78.8%	46	47.0	60.5	74.1									$14,000	$718	$13,281
Central Dauphin East Senior High School	Public	9-12	626 Rutherford Rd	Harrisburg	17109	Dauphin County	Central Dauphin School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 541-1662	1,590	100	15.8	99.9%	344 (21.6%)	494 (31.1%)	322 (20.3%)	250 (15.7%)	5 (0.3%)	3 (0.2%)	172 (10.8%)	22.2	548^th of 686 public high schools	20.1%		25.5	529^th of 674 public high schools	21.5%	19	21.5	27.2	49.6									$14,002	$840	$13,162
Dauphin County Technical School	Public	9-12	6001 Locust Ln	Harrisburg	17109	Dauphin County	Dauphin County Technical School	No	No	No	No	(717) 652-3170	1,125	80	14.0	56.9%	487 (43.3%)	248 (22.0%)	245 (21.8%)	111 (9.9%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (2.8%)	40.2	464^th of 686 public high schools	32.4%		56.9	323^rd of 674 public high schools	52.1%	141	28.1	48.0	54.8

Frequently Asked Questions about Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School

How many students attend Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 186 students attended Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School.

Is Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School a good school?

Yes. Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School ranks in the top 6.6% of Pennsylvania high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School?

Students at Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School are 62% White, 17% African American, 10% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What district is Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School in?

Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.