Altoona Area High School

Summary:

Altoona Area High School is a public high school serving grades 6-12 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, with a total enrollment of 2,228 students. The school is part of the Altoona Area School District, which is ranked 353 out of 606 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Altoona Area High School has a predominantly white student population, with 85.01% of students identifying as white in the 2022-2023 school year. The school has a higher percentage of African American students (10.37%) compared to the state average. Academically, the school has shown mixed performance on Keystone Exams, with 42.6% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in Algebra I, 54.4% in Biology, and 70.3% in Literature. These scores are generally higher than the state averages but lower than some nearby high-performing schools like Tyrone Area High School. Altoona Area High School's 4-year graduation rate of 82.1% in 2022-2023 is lower than the state average, and its dropout rate of 4.8% is higher.

Compared to nearby schools, Altoona Area High School's academic performance, graduation rates, and socioeconomic status are generally lower. However, the school's performance for specific student subgroups, such as African American, Hispanic, and low-socioeconomic status students, is higher than the state averages for those subgroups. Additionally, the school has seen a gradual decrease in racial diversity, with the percentage of non-white students declining from 13.62% in 2021-2022 to 12.86% in 2020-2021. Overall, Altoona Area High School faces some challenges, but it also has strengths, and its performance has been somewhat inconsistent over the years.


Detail:

Public 6-12

 1404 6th Ave
       Altoona, PA  16602-2427


(814) 940-6986

District: Altoona Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
232nd of 674 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,989 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  16.2 Help
Number of students:  2,228

Racial breakdown:

White:
85.0%
African American:
10.4%
Hispanic:
2.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  48.3% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Altoona Area High School ranks better than 65.6% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 67.65. (See more...)
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The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Altoona Area High School 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 Racial makeup is: White (85%), African American (10.4%), Hispanic (2.6%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 48.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Altoona Area High School is 16.2. (See more...)
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Compare Altoona Area High School employs 137.2 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Altoona Area High School is $12,989.
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Altoona Area High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Altoona Area High School 232nd of 674 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Altoona Area High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Disabled students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Altoona Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Altoona Area School District 353rd of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Altoona Area High School

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Rank History for all students at Altoona Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 67.97 188th 583 67.8%
2004 61.97 256th 590 56.6%
2005 73.46 145th 593 75.5%
2006 69.54 185th 604 69.4%
2007 70.51 175th 615 71.5%
2008 69.27 176th 621 71.7%
2009 72.61 159th 632 74.8%
2010 79.43 87th 649 86.6%
2011 76.26 114th 660 82.7%
2012 71.71 184th 664 72.3%
2013 62.71 232nd 591 60.7%
2014 59.00 277th 580 52.2%
2015 60.77 336th 680 50.6%
2016 61.27 344th 677 49.2%
2017 55.64 380th 663 42.7%
2018 57.58 377th 673 44.0%
2019 65.79 291st 693 58.0%
2021 51.85 334th 537 37.8%
2022 61.03 282nd 634 55.5%
2023 67.65 232nd 674 65.6%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Altoona Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 62.26 240th 652 63.2%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Altoona Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 66.03 121st 502 75.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for African American students at Altoona Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 50.07 123rd 260 52.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Altoona Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 63.74 84th 252 66.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Altoona Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 61.47 225th 577 61.0%
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.

Altoona Area High School 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 Altoona Area High School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 2308 49 4 2 0 n/a n/a -29 2334
1989 2087 51 5 5 0 n/a n/a 0 2148
1990 1994 47 11 6 1 n/a n/a 0 2059
1991 2003 47 9 6 0 n/a n/a 0 2065
1992 2069 45 13 3 1 n/a n/a 0 2131
1993 2032 40 16 6 1 n/a n/a 0 2095
1994 2193 52 21 3 1 n/a n/a 0 2270
1995 2205 66 12 11 0 n/a n/a 0 2294
1996 2205 66 12 11 0 n/a n/a 0 2294
1997 2254 71 5 13 0 n/a n/a 0 2343
1998 2228 66 4 9 0 n/a n/a 0 2307
1999 2147 61 6 8 8 n/a n/a 0 2230
2000 2029 52 9 5 8 n/a n/a 0 2103
2001 1945 48 11 7 2 n/a n/a 0 2013
2002 1885 64 7 6 0 n/a n/a 0 1962
2003 1885 64 7 6 0 n/a n/a 0 1962
2004 1819 65 10 4 0 n/a n/a 0 1898
2005 1849 78 6 3 0 n/a n/a 0 1936
2006 1831 82 7 5 0 n/a n/a 0 1925
2007 1828 83 7 3 0 n/a n/a 0 1921
2008 1755 88 4 6 0 n/a n/a 0 1853
2009 1707 84 6 3 0 n/a n/a 0 1800
2010 1684 90 9 6 0 n/a n/a 0 1789
2011 1642 83 8 8 0 0 0 0 1741
2012 1552 89 5 15 1 0 0 0 1662
2013 1516 109 5 15 1 0 0 0 1646
2014 1523 109 8 15 3 0 0 0 1658
2015 1577 138 8 14 2 0 0 0 1739
2016 1614 137 4 21 2 0 0 0 1778
2017 1599 139 7 24 0 1 0 0 1770
2018 1525 122 11 22 1 0 3 0 1684
2019 1503 124 16 27 1 0 7 0 1678
2020 1476 128 18 31 2 0 8 0 1663
2021 1924 198 19 51 3 0 13 0 2208
2022 1921 215 17 47 5 1 18 0 2224
2023 1894 231 15 57 5 1 25 0 2228

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 Altoona Area High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 2334 110.7 21.0 n/a
1989 2148 110.0 19.5 n/a
1990 2059 109.8 18.7 0
1991 2065 110.4 18.7 n/a
1992 2131 112.0 19.0 n/a
1993 2095 111.0 18.9 n/a
1994 2270 110.0 20.6 n/a
1995 2294 111.0 20.7 n/a
1996 2294 111.0 20.7 n/a
1997 2343 114.0 20.6 n/a
1998 2307 113.0 20.4 n/a
1999 2230 115.0 19.4 n/a
2000 2103 116.0 18.1 25.2
2001 2013 118.0 17.1 30.7
2002 1962 118.7 16.5 31.8
2003 1962 118.7 16.5 31.8
2004 1898 111.2 17.1 30.3
2005 1936 117.2 16.5 32.2
2006 1925 117.7 16.4 37
2007 1921 117.5 16.3 39.6
2008 1853 115.5 16.0 39.8
2009 1800 115.3 15.6 40.4
2010 1789 116.7 15.3 44
2011 1741 118.2 14.7 43.9
2012 1662 111.4 14.9 51
2013 1646 110.4 14.9 49
2014 1658 112.6 14.7 53.8
2015 1739 113.0 15.3 56.6
2016 1778 113.0 15.7 56.4
2017 1770 113.1 15.6 41.2
2018 1684 113.9 14.7 40.1
2019 1678 115.4 14.5 42
2020 1663 115.8 14.3 40.8
2021 2208 138.9 15.8 43.7
2022 2224 134.9 16.4 45.1
2023 2228 137.2 16.2 48.3

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 Altoona Area High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 2334 110.7 21.0 n/a
1989 2148 110.0 19.5 n/a
1990 2059 109.8 18.7 0
1991 2065 110.4 18.7 n/a
1992 2131 112.0 19.0 n/a
1993 2095 111.0 18.9 n/a
1994 2270 110.0 20.6 n/a
1995 2294 111.0 20.7 n/a
1996 2294 111.0 20.7 n/a
1997 2343 114.0 20.6 n/a
1998 2307 113.0 20.4 n/a
1999 2230 115.0 19.4 n/a
2000 2103 116.0 18.1 25.2
2001 2013 118.0 17.1 30.7
2002 1962 118.7 16.5 31.8
2003 1962 118.7 16.5 31.8
2004 1898 111.2 17.1 30.3
2005 1936 117.2 16.5 32.2
2006 1925 117.7 16.4 37
2007 1921 117.5 16.3 39.6
2008 1853 115.5 16.0 39.8
2009 1800 115.3 15.6 40.4
2010 1789 116.7 15.3 44
2011 1741 118.2 14.7 43.9
2012 1662 111.4 14.9 51
2013 1646 110.4 14.9 49
2014 1658 112.6 14.7 53.8
2015 1739 113.0 15.3 56.6
2016 1778 113.0 15.7 56.4
2017 1770 113.1 15.6 41.2
2018 1684 113.9 14.7 40.1
2019 1678 115.4 14.5 42
2020 1663 115.8 14.3 40.8
2021 2208 138.9 15.8 43.7
2022 2224 134.9 16.4 45.1
2023 2228 137.2 16.2 48.3

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 Altoona Area High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $547 (3.4%) $15,631 (96.6%) $16,178
2020 $559 (3.4%) $15,703 (96.6%) $16,262
2021 $846 (7.5%) $10,467 (92.5%) $11,314
2022 $2,467 (19.0%) $10,521 (81.0%) $12,989

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Altoona Area High 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 291st of 693 High schoolsRanks 232nd of 674 High schools
 7.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Altoona Area High School)7142.6
 28.4%
   11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)63.334.1
 29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Altoona Area High School)64.754.4
 10.3%
   11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)63.250.7
 12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Altoona Area High School)76.870.3
 6.5%
   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 Students16782228
 32.8%
African American124231
 86.3%
American Indian15
 400%
Asian1615
 6.3%
Hispanic2757
 111.1%
Pacific Islander01
White15031894
 26%
Two or More Races725
 257.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients42%48.3%
 6.4%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Altoona Area High School

Altoona Area High School ranks 232nd of 674 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 2,228 students attended Altoona Area High School.

Students at Altoona Area High School are 85% White, 10% African American, 3% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.


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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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