Building 21 Allentown

Summary:

Building 21 Allentown is a public magnet high school serving 439 students in grades 9-12 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, which is part of the Allentown City School District. Despite its higher per-student spending compared to state and district averages, the school consistently underperforms academically and struggles to effectively serve its diverse student population.

Building 21 Allentown ranks in the bottom half of Pennsylvania high schools, with significantly lower proficiency rates on Keystone Exams compared to the state and district averages. The school also struggles to serve certain student subgroups, ranking 169 out of 284 Pennsylvania high schools for African American students, 248 out of 274 for Hispanic students, and 79 out of 84 for English Language Learners. While the school's four-year graduation rate has fluctuated between 77-87.5%, its dropout rate of 1.6-4.1% is higher than the state and district averages.

When compared to other high schools in the Allentown area, such as Louis E. Dieruff High School and William Allen High School, Building 21 Allentown consistently underperforms on academic measures. Schools in higher-performing districts, like Emmaus High School and Parkland High School, also significantly outperform Building 21 Allentown, suggesting that the school's challenges may not be solely due to its unique student population or higher per-student spending.

Detail:

Public, Magnet 9-12

265 Lehigh St
Allentown, PA 18102

(484) 765-4400

District: Allentown City School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
620^th of 686 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,890

Student/teacher ratio: 15.6

Number of students: 439

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

73.3%

African American:

13.9%

White:

7.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 97.3%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Building 21 Allentown ranks worse than 90.4% of high schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks last among 3 ranked high schools in the Allentown City School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.94. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Building 21 Allentown 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 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...)

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

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...)

Compare Building 21 Allentown employs 28 full-time teachers.

Finance

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 2024 Rankings:

Building 21 Allentown:

SchoolDigger ranks Building 21 Allentown 620^th of 686 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Building 21 Allentown in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Allentown City School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Allentown City School District 544^th of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Building 21 Allentown

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Rank History for all students at Building 21 Allentown

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2019	2.70	649^th	693	6.3%
2023	6.31	623^rd	674	7.6%
2024	7.94	620^th	686	9.6%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Building 21 Allentown

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	18.11	79^th	84	6.0%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

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	597^th	652	8.4%
2024	10.57	603^rd	664	9.2%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Building 21 Allentown

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	6.05	611^th	665	8.1%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Building 21 Allentown

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	24.48	399^th	513	22.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Building 21 Allentown

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	10.22	591^st	662	10.7%

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

Rank History for African American students at Building 21 Allentown

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	38.84	169^th	284	40.5%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for African American 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	246^th	252	2.4%
2024	14.14	248^th	274	9.5%

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.

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Building 21 Allentown

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2018	42	68	1	289	0	1	5	406
2019	48	79	0	348	0	0	5	480
2020	38	76	1	334	0	1	10	460
2021	38	70	0	292	0	2	12	414
2022	37	68	0	319	0	1	21	446
2023	31	61	1	322	1	1	22	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

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

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

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total 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 649^th of 693 High schools	Ranks 623^rd 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)	17.7	4.2	13.5%
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Building 21 Allentown)	6.9	10.4	3.5%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	50.7	12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Building 21 Allentown)	27	30.6	3.6%
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	480	439	8.5%
African American	79	61	22.8%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	348	322	7.5%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	48	31	35.4%
Two or More Races	5	22	340%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	97.7%	97.3%	0.4%

Schools Near Building 21 Allentown

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 6th 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 6th Grade	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
Building 21 Allentown	Public, Magnet	9-12	265 Lehigh St	Allentown	18102	Lehigh County	Allentown City School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(484) 765-4400	439	28	15.6	97.3%	31 (7.1%)	61 (13.9%)	322 (73.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (5.0%)	7.9	620^th of 686 public high schools	9.6%		6.3	623^rd of 674 public high schools	7.6%	3	10.5	6.0	39.3											$15,890	$2,650	$13,239
William Allen High School	Public	9-12	106 N 17th St	Allentown	18104	Lehigh County	Allentown City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(484) 765-5001	2,852	142	20.1	87.0%	189 (6.6%)	370 (13.0%)	2,106 (73.8%)	29 (1.0%)	3 (0.1%)	5 (0.2%)	150 (5.3%)	10.4	595^th of 686 public high schools	13.3%		12.8	584^th of 674 public high schools	13.4%	11	10.1	18.5	40.0											$14,155	$2,361	$11,794
Salisbury Senior High School	Public	9-12	500 E Montgomery St	Allentown	18103	Lehigh County	Salisbury Township School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 797-4107	524	35	14.7	32.8%	310 (59.2%)	22 (4.2%)	124 (23.7%)	16 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	51 (9.7%)	59.5	300^th of 686 public high schools	56.3%		59.4	301^st of 674 public high schools	55.3%	1	43.9	49.2	67.7											$46	$01	$45
Louis E Dieruff High School	Public	9-12	815 N Irving St	Allentown	18109	Lehigh County	Allentown City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(484) 765-5501	1,915	107	17.9	88.9%	175 (9.1%)	231 (12.1%)	1,385 (72.3%)	20 (1.0%)	4 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	99 (5.2%)	19.6	559^th of 686 public high schools	18.5%		15.9	573^rd of 674 public high schools	15.0%	14	19.3	23.5	50.0											$16,105	$2,686	$13,418
Innovative Arts Academy Charter School	Public, Charter	6-12	330 Howertown Road	Catasauqua	18032	Lehigh County	Innovative Arts Academy Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(610) 403-2787	531	35	15.1		47 (8.9%)	67 (12.6%)	400 (75.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.2%)	4.1	649^th of 686 public high schools	5.4%		15.5	575^th of 674 public high schools	14.7%	74	3.9	2.0	30.6	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	23.9	23.9	12.5	7.8	15.7	12.4	$2,265	$2,265	$00
Whitehall High School	Public	9-12	3800 Mechanicsville Rd	Whitehall	18052	Lehigh County	Whitehall-Coplay School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 437-5081	1,459	91	15.9	84.6%	698 (47.8%)	130 (8.9%)	496 (34.0%)	71 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	63 (4.3%)	47.8	401^st of 686 public high schools	41.5%		50.3	379^th of 674 public high schools	43.8%	22	37.6	47.4	58.1											$17,343	$1,000	$16,343
Emmaus High School	Public	9-12	500 Macungie Ave	Emmaus	18049	Lehigh County	East Penn School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 965-1651	2,846	165	17.2	24.2%	1,972 (69.3%)	165 (5.8%)	417 (14.7%)	139 (4.9%)	2 (0.1%)	8 (0.3%)	143 (5.0%)	72.5	182^nd of 686 public high schools	73.5%		65.7	250^th of 674 public high schools	62.9%	68	46.5	59.6	76.5											$16,999	$3,196	$13,803
Parkland High School	Public	9-12	2700 N Cedar Crest Blvd	Allentown	18104	Lehigh County	Parkland School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 351-5600	3,220	217	14.8	25.4%	1,931 (60.0%)	188 (5.8%)	581 (18.0%)	387 (12.0%)	3 (0.1%)	3 (0.1%)	127 (3.9%)	76.7	146^th of 686 public high schools	78.7%		83.4	90^th of 674 public high schools	86.6%	56	49.3	62.3	78.3											$19,830	$641	$19,189
Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts	Public, Charter	9-12	321 E. Third St	Bethlehem	18015	Northampton County	Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts	Yes	No	No	Yes	(610) 868-2971	563	56	10.0		340 (60.4%)	61 (10.8%)	110 (19.5%)	12 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	39 (6.9%)	78.9	122^nd of 686 public high schools	82.2%		74.2	158^th of 674 public high schools	76.6%	36	42.7	67.4	90.7											$15,962	$1,909	$14,053
Liberty High School	Public	9-12	1115 Linden St	Bethlehem	18018	Northampton County	Bethlehem Area School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 691-7200	2,640	160	16.5	50.1%	987 (37.4%)	280 (10.6%)	1,253 (47.5%)	50 (1.9%)	7 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	61 (2.3%)	25.4	536^th of 686 public high schools	21.9%		27.5	519^th of 674 public high schools	23.0%	17	26.3	31.5	47.9											$15,688	$944	$14,744

Frequently Asked Questions about Building 21 Allentown

How many students attend Building 21 Allentown?

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

What is the racial makeup of Building 21 Allentown?

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

Is Building 21 Allentown a good school?

Building 21 Allentown ranks in the bottom 9.6% of Pennsylvania high schools.

What district is Building 21 Allentown in?

Allentown City School District

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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.