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Liberty High School

Summary:

Liberty High School is a public high school located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 2,640 students. The school is part of the Bethlehem Area School District, which is ranked 451 out of 610 school districts in Pennsylvania and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Liberty High School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Pennsylvania high schools, with academic performance significantly below the state average. Only 26.3% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in Algebra I, 31.5% in Biology, and 47.9% in Literature in the 2023-2024 school year. The school's performance varies across different student subgroups, with Asian and White students performing better than African American, Hispanic, English Language Learner, and Low Socioeconomic Status students. Liberty High School's four-year graduation rate has ranged from 83.9% to 87.5%, slightly below the state average, and its dropout rate has ranged from 1.4% to 2.3%, slightly higher than the state average.

Compared to nearby high schools, such as Freedom High School, Saucon Valley Senior High School, and Southern Lehigh Senior High School, Liberty High School's performance is generally lower, with these schools having higher Keystone Exam proficiency rates, higher graduation rates, and lower dropout rates. Additionally, the nearby Innovative Arts Academy Charter School has significantly lower academic performance compared to the state and Liberty High School, highlighting the challenges faced by some charter schools in providing a high-quality education.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 1115 Linden St
       Bethlehem, PA  18018-2999

(610) 691-7200

District: Bethlehem Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
536th of 686 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,688 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  16.5 Help
Number of students:  2,640

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
47.5%
White:
37.4%
African American:
10.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  50.1% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Liberty High School ranks worse than 78.1% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 25.37. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Liberty High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (47.5%), White (37.4%), African American (10.6%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 50.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Liberty High School is 16.5. (See more...)
Help
Compare Liberty High School employs 160 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Liberty High School is $15,688.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Liberty High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Liberty High School 536th of 686 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Liberty High School 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:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Bethlehem Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Bethlehem Area School District 451st of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Liberty High School.

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Rank History for Liberty High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Liberty High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 44.34 392nd 583 32.8%
2004 44.39 382nd 590 35.3%
2005 30.66 482nd 593 18.7%
2006 27.98 505th 604 16.4%
2007 39.31 469th 615 23.7%
2008 28.40 513th 621 17.4%
2009 45.02 439th 632 30.5%
2010 40.72 475th 649 26.8%
2011 43.16 471st 660 28.6%
2012 37.72 489th 664 26.4%
2013 16.03 521st 591 11.8%
2014 11.40 522nd 580 10.0%
2015 15.36 577th 680 15.1%
2016 33.82 514th 677 24.1%
2017 28.61 513th 663 22.6%
2018 36.72 499th 673 25.9%
2019 30.58 529th 693 23.7%
2021 15.59 483rd 537 10.1%
2022 49.89 389th 634 38.6%
2023 27.45 519th 674 23.0%
2024 25.37 536th 686 21.9%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Liberty High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 21.64 98th 129 24.0%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Liberty High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 25.35 72nd 85 15.3%
2024 25.03 74th 84 11.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Liberty High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 18.71 551st 652 15.5%
2024 18.90 553rd 664 16.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Liberty High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 23.78 523rd 665 21.4%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Liberty High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 26.56 372nd 502 25.9%
2024 21.21 423rd 513 17.5%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Liberty High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 26.41 510th 662 23.0%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Liberty High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 64.17 53rd 112 52.7%
2024 52.68 77th 121 36.4%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Liberty High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 29.45 183rd 260 29.6%
2024 39.16 166th 284 41.5%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Liberty High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 29.38 182nd 252 27.8%
2024 17.64 234th 274 14.6%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Liberty High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 33.80 410th 577 28.9%
2024 51.25 296th 595 50.3%
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.

Liberty High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3.8)
50%

0%

25%

25%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a student
Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Open Quote I find Liberty High School to be safe. Even though sometimes there is a fight or two, just don't get too involved that you will be in a fight. In my 3 years I have only seen one fight out in the open. Everyone I have met is nice and want to help. The teachers I have had are very involved. The Guidance Councilor I got was a treasure, but I have heard horror story of this other counsellor. The Hon. Chemistry teachers inspired me to become a chemistry teacher. I would definitely say, you get what you put into it. I see a lot of negative comments, but I have overall had a good experience.I also had good learning opportunities like the school-to-work program to St.Luke's Hospital. Also, I made good friends and would definitely recommend. Close Quote


by a student
Saturday, April 7, 2018

Open Quote The school itself is somewhat clean and well-kept, but oftentimes the bathrooms could be out of paper towels, toilet paper, and soap for weeks. The student body is okay. Many of them are failures (60), and just about everyone is rude. The hallways and overpasses, especially the overpasses, are very crowded and probably dangerous. Some of the teachers are great, but many are just mediocre and only teach from the outdated textbook or have very boring, uninvolved lesson plans. A few of my current teachers are mediocre and borderline very bad. For example, one of them strictly teaches from the book. Most of the class is failing because of her lazy teaching style. Also, I believe the teachers have an unfair system. Somebody I know is failing most of her classes, but is still recommended for all Honors, whereas I’ve never failed any and am still recommended for just Advanced. Another issue with this school is the rest of the staff, other than the teachers. The nurses are very rude and tend to send students away very often. The officers are generally nice. My guidance counselor is terrible, I’ve heard bad things about a few other ones too. Close Quote


by a student
Friday, March 2, 2012

Open Quote Liberty is not a very safe school. People are very rude and disrespectful to others and the halways are crowded. On the flip side, you can sometimes find a ncie friend. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Liberty High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 1468 105 26 333 0 n/a n/a -29 1903
1989 1431 108 28 326 0 n/a n/a 0 1893
1990 1399 100 33 345 0 n/a n/a 0 1877
1991 1473 112 44 377 0 n/a n/a 0 2006
1992 1451 100 46 405 0 n/a n/a 0 2002
1993 1468 100 50 451 0 n/a n/a 0 2069
1994 1472 121 46 484 1 n/a n/a 0 2124
1995 1531 135 46 542 0 n/a n/a 0 2254
1996 1531 135 46 542 0 n/a n/a 0 2254
1997 1591 124 44 552 0 n/a n/a 0 2311
1998 1690 142 50 570 0 n/a n/a 0 2452
1999 1712 118 47 622 2 n/a n/a 0 2501
2000 1707 121 35 636 2 n/a n/a 0 2501
2001 1795 137 28 669 2 n/a n/a 0 2631
2002 1826 161 32 735 3 n/a n/a 0 2757
2003 1826 161 32 735 3 n/a n/a 0 2757
2004 1793 178 41 743 2 n/a n/a 0 2757
2005 1781 194 45 825 1 n/a n/a 0 2846
2006 1758 238 39 891 0 n/a n/a 0 2926
2007 1741 266 50 949 4 n/a n/a 0 3010
2008 1723 293 52 1030 9 n/a n/a 0 3107
2009 1618 313 42 886 9 n/a n/a 8 2876
2010 1563 343 51 1032 5 n/a n/a 18 3012
2011 1477 343 59 1011 3 0 0 0 2893
2012 1402 351 59 993 2 0 2 0 2809
2013 1353 360 77 992 1 0 3 0 2786
2014 1311 366 82 1006 2 3 14 0 2784
2015 1272 348 86 1028 2 5 18 0 2759
2016 1237 324 89 1072 2 4 24 0 2752
2017 1190 360 88 1114 4 6 25 0 2787
2018 1161 335 84 1101 6 4 35 0 2726
2019 1105 341 81 1086 5 1 54 0 2673
2020 1066 346 67 1119 2 1 64 0 2665
2021 1057 306 62 1159 6 1 72 0 2663
2022 1010 311 61 1238 6 2 74 0 2702
2023 987 280 50 1253 7 2 61 0 2640

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 Liberty High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1903 116.0 16.4 n/a
1989 1893 132.0 14.3 n/a
1990 1877 122.0 15.3 0
1991 2006 132.0 15.1 n/a
1992 2002 139.0 14.4 n/a
1993 2069 106.1 19.5 n/a
1994 2124 112.3 18.9 n/a
1995 2254 108.4 20.8 n/a
1996 2254 108.4 20.8 n/a
1997 2311 117.0 19.8 n/a
1998 2452 120.3 20.4 n/a
1999 2501 140.5 17.8 n/a
2000 2501 136.3 18.3 25.9
2001 2631 141.5 18.6 32
2002 2757 147.9 18.6 29.6
2003 2757 147.9 18.6 29.6
2004 2757 150.6 18.3 30.3
2005 2846 146.9 19.4 28.6
2006 2926 156.4 18.7 23.1
2007 3010 167.1 18.0 19.1
2008 3107 178.0 17.5 27.4
2009 2876 172.7 16.6 34.7
2010 3012 160.5 18.7 1.2
2011 2893 163.9 17.6 49.3
2012 2809 155.4 18.0 49.7
2013 2786 154.4 18.0 n/a
2014 2784 156.1 17.8 54.1
2015 2759 153.0 18.0 55
2016 2752 155.0 17.7 56.3
2017 2787 152.2 18.3 43.3
2018 2726 149.9 18.1 41.7
2019 2673 151.0 17.7 45.6
2020 2665 150.5 17.7 46.7
2021 2663 149.0 17.8 45.6
2022 2702 144.0 18.7 45.4
2023 2640 160.0 16.5 50.1

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 Liberty High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1903 116.0 16.4 n/a
1989 1893 132.0 14.3 n/a
1990 1877 122.0 15.3 0
1991 2006 132.0 15.1 n/a
1992 2002 139.0 14.4 n/a
1993 2069 106.1 19.5 n/a
1994 2124 112.3 18.9 n/a
1995 2254 108.4 20.8 n/a
1996 2254 108.4 20.8 n/a
1997 2311 117.0 19.8 n/a
1998 2452 120.3 20.4 n/a
1999 2501 140.5 17.8 n/a
2000 2501 136.3 18.3 25.9
2001 2631 141.5 18.6 32
2002 2757 147.9 18.6 29.6
2003 2757 147.9 18.6 29.6
2004 2757 150.6 18.3 30.3
2005 2846 146.9 19.4 28.6
2006 2926 156.4 18.7 23.1
2007 3010 167.1 18.0 19.1
2008 3107 178.0 17.5 27.4
2009 2876 172.7 16.6 34.7
2010 3012 160.5 18.7 1.2
2011 2893 163.9 17.6 49.3
2012 2809 155.4 18.0 49.7
2013 2786 154.4 18.0 n/a
2014 2784 156.1 17.8 54.1
2015 2759 153.0 18.0 55
2016 2752 155.0 17.7 56.3
2017 2787 152.2 18.3 43.3
2018 2726 149.9 18.1 41.7
2019 2673 151.0 17.7 45.6
2020 2665 150.5 17.7 46.7
2021 2663 149.0 17.8 45.6
2022 2702 144.0 18.7 45.4
2023 2640 160.0 16.5 50.1

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 Liberty High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $245 (1.7%) $14,394 (98.3%) $14,638
2020 $234 (1.6%) $14,204 (98.4%) $14,437
2021 $576 (3.8%) $14,602 (96.2%) $15,178
2022 $944 (6.0%) $14,744 (94.0%) $15,688

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Liberty 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 529th of 693 High schoolsRanks 519th of 674 High schools
 0.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Liberty High School)43.717.3
 26.4%
   11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)63.334.1
 29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Liberty High School)42.734.8
 7.9%
   11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)63.250.7
 12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Liberty High School)62.550.3
 12.2%
   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 Students26732640
 1.2%
African American341280
 17.9%
American Indian57
 40%
Asian8150
 38.3%
Hispanic10861253
 15.4%
Pacific Islander12
 100%
White1105987
 10.7%
Two or More Races5461
 13%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients45.6%50.1%
 4.5%

Schools Near Liberty High School








Frequently Asked Questions about Liberty High School

Liberty High School ranks in the bottom 21.9% of Pennsylvania high schools.

Students at Liberty High School are 47% Hispanic, 37% White, 11% African American, 2% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 2,640 students attended Liberty High 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.




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