Building 21 Allentown

Summary:

Building 21 Allentown is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with a student population of 439. The school is part of the Allentown City School District, which is ranked 541 out of 606 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Building 21 Allentown faces significant challenges in academic performance, consistently ranking in the bottom quartile of Pennsylvania high schools and receiving a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's Hispanic and low socioeconomic status student populations are particularly underperforming, ranking 246 out of 252 and 597 out of 652 Pennsylvania high schools, respectively, in the 2022-2023 school year. Proficiency rates on the Keystone Exams are also significantly lower than the state and district averages, with only 4.2% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in Algebra I, compared to the state average of 34.1% and the Allentown City School District average of 12%.

When compared to nearby high schools, such as Emmaus High School and Parkland High School, Building 21 Allentown stands out as the lowest-performing, with proficiency rates on Keystone Exams that are over 50 percentage points lower. The school's high poverty rates, with 97.27% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, may be a contributing factor to the low academic performance, as research has shown that students from low-income backgrounds often face additional challenges in educational attainment.


Detail:

Public, Magnet 9-12

 265 Lehigh St
       Allentown, PA  18102


(484) 765-4400

District: Allentown City School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
623rd of 674 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,890 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  15.6 Help
Number of students:  439

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
73.3%
African American:
13.9%
White:
7.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  97.3% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Building 21 Allentown ranks worse than 92.4% of high schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks last among 3 ranked high schools in the Allentown City School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 6.31. (See more...)
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The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Building 21 Allentown freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
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Compare Details Building 21 Allentown has the smallest high school student body size in the Allentown City School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (73.3%), African American (13.9%), White (7.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 97.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Allentown City School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Building 21 Allentown is 15.6, which is the lowest among 3 high schools in the Allentown City School District! (See more...)
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Compare Building 21 Allentown employs 28 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Building 21 Allentown is $15,890. 1 high schools in the Allentown City School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Building 21 Allentown:

SchoolDigger ranks Building 21 Allentown 623rd of 674 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Building 21 Allentown in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Hispanic students:


Allentown City School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Allentown City School District 541st of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Building 21 Allentown

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Building 21 Allentown

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 2.70 649th 693 6.3%
2023 6.31 623rd 674 7.6%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Building 21 Allentown

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 8.85 597th 652 8.4%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Building 21 Allentown

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 7.41 246th 252 2.4%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Hispanic 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.

Building 21 Allentown Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Building 21 Allentown

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2018 42 68 1 289 0 1 5 0 406
2019 48 79 0 348 0 0 5 0 480
2020 38 76 1 334 0 1 10 0 460
2021 38 70 0 292 0 2 12 0 414
2022 37 68 0 319 0 1 21 0 446
2023 31 61 1 322 1 1 22 0 439

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 Building 21 Allentown

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2018 406 25.0 16.2 98.5
2019 480 25.0 19.2 97.7
2020 460 32.0 14.3 98.5
2021 414 30.0 13.8 96.6
2022 446 30.0 14.8 97.5
2023 439 28.0 15.6 97.3

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 Building 21 Allentown

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2018 406 25.0 16.2 98.5
2019 480 25.0 19.2 97.7
2020 460 32.0 14.3 98.5
2021 414 30.0 13.8 96.6
2022 446 30.0 14.8 97.5
2023 439 28.0 15.6 97.3

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 Building 21 Allentown

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,007 (7.2%) $12,932 (92.8%) $13,939
2020 $1,094 (7.0%) $14,447 (93.0%) $15,541
2021 $1,633 (10.2%) $14,425 (89.8%) $16,058
2022 $2,650 (16.7%) $13,239 (83.3%) $15,890

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Building 21 Allentown

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 649th of 693 High schoolsRanks 623rd of 674 High schools
 1.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Building 21 Allentown)17.74.2
 13.5%
   11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)63.334.1
 29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Building 21 Allentown)6.910.4
 3.5%
   11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)63.250.7
 12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Building 21 Allentown)2730.6
 3.6%
   11th Grade Literature (Pennsylvania)71.565.3
 6.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students480439
 8.5%
African American7961
 22.8%
American Indian01
Asian01
Hispanic348322
 7.5%
Pacific Islander01
White4831
 35.4%
Two or More Races522
 340%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients97.7%97.3%
 0.4%


Schools Near Building 21 Allentown









Frequently Asked Questions about Building 21 Allentown

In the 2022-23 school year, 439 students attended Building 21 Allentown.

Students at Building 21 Allentown are 73% Hispanic, 14% African American, 7% White, 5% Two or more races.

Building 21 Allentown ranks in the bottom 7.6% of Pennsylvania high schools.


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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.





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