Freedom High School

Summary:

Freedom High School is a public high school located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,753 students. It is part of the Bethlehem Area School District, which is ranked 451 out of 610 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Freedom High School has consistently underperformed compared to the state average on Keystone Exams, with lower proficiency rates in Algebra I, Biology, and Literature. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates were 32.8% in Algebra I, 37.6% in Biology, and 51.1% in Literature, compared to the state averages of 41.6%, 50.5%, and 63.2%, respectively. The school's performance has been relatively stagnant over the past few years, with little improvement in test scores. Additionally, the school's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with Asian and African American students performing better than the school's overall average, while Hispanic and English Language Learner students perform significantly worse.

While Freedom High School's four-year graduation rate has been around 87.5% in recent years, which is slightly below the state average, the school's dropout rate has been relatively low, ranging from 1.4% to 2.0% in the past few years. However, the school has a relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 37.71% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023, which is higher than the nearby Nazareth Area High School, which has only 21.96% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. When compared to other nearby high schools, such as Nazareth Area High School and Saucon Valley Senior High School, Freedom High School generally underperforms academically, with lower proficiency rates on Keystone Exams.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 3149 Chester Ave
       Bethlehem, PA  18020-2896


(610) 867-5843

District: Bethlehem Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
488th of 686 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $17,351 Help


Feeder schools for Freedom High School:

Elementary:    Donegan Elementary School
    Farmersville Elementary School
    Governor Wolf Elementary School
    Miller Heights Elementary School
    More...
Middle:    East Hills Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.6 Help
Number of students:  1,813

Racial breakdown:

White:
43.8%
Hispanic:
39.4%
African American:
10.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  52.6% Help


 See top rated Pennsylvania high schools

 Compare Freedom High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Freedom High School ranks worse than 71.1% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 34.2. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Freedom 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: White (43.8%), Hispanic (39.4%), African American (10.3%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 52.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Freedom High School is 15.6. (See more...)
Help
Compare Freedom High School employs 115.9 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Freedom High School is $17,351.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Freedom High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Freedom High School 488th of 686 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Freedom 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.)


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Your rating for Freedom High School?

Rank History for Freedom High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Freedom High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 67.60 193rd 583 66.9%
2004 56.62 296th 590 49.8%
2005 49.69 373rd 593 37.1%
2006 40.75 442nd 604 26.8%
2007 49.44 392nd 615 36.3%
2008 55.21 334th 621 46.2%
2009 47.40 412th 632 34.8%
2010 48.73 408th 649 37.1%
2011 40.80 484th 660 26.7%
2012 49.10 422nd 664 36.4%
2013 32.79 470th 591 20.5%
2014 22.82 499th 580 14.0%
2015 23.65 547th 680 19.6%
2016 35.92 508th 677 25.0%
2017 36.10 488th 663 26.4%
2018 44.44 467th 673 30.6%
2019 28.60 536th 693 22.7%
2021 31.92 423rd 537 21.2%
2022 55.08 347th 634 45.3%
2023 28.86 513th 674 23.9%
2024 34.20 488th 686 28.9%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Freedom High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 20.23 79th 85 7.1%
2024 39.14 49th 84 41.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 20.49 546th 652 16.3%
2024 23.43 539th 664 18.8%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Freedom High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 36.13 465th 665 30.1%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Freedom High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 21.33 424th 502 15.5%
2024 20.01 433rd 513 15.6%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Freedom High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 32.51 473rd 662 28.5%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Freedom High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 20.13 91st 112 18.8%
2024 24.65 100th 121 17.4%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Freedom High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 48.76 125th 260 51.9%
2024 51.45 129th 284 54.6%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Freedom High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 19.02 215th 252 14.7%
2024 22.40 217th 274 20.8%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Freedom High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 35.49 399th 577 30.8%
2024 52.15 290th 595 51.3%
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.

Freedom High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
by a student
Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Open Quote Great for people like me who don't give a damn about the education system. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Freedom 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 1564 43 29 189 0 n/a n/a -11 1814
1989 1430 50 26 165 1 n/a n/a 0 1672
1990 1366 51 21 176 1 n/a n/a 0 1615
1991 1285 50 19 194 2 n/a n/a 0 1550
1992 1221 67 19 209 1 n/a n/a 0 1517
1993 1169 70 15 215 2 n/a n/a 0 1471
1994 1135 65 22 251 1 n/a n/a 0 1474
1995 1163 63 21 304 1 n/a n/a 0 1552
1996 1163 63 21 304 1 n/a n/a 0 1552
1997 1212 68 22 301 1 n/a n/a 0 1604
1998 1247 76 30 355 1 n/a n/a 0 1709
1999 1183 82 31 345 1 n/a n/a 0 1642
2000 1259 77 35 387 1 n/a n/a 0 1759
2001 1265 78 41 374 0 n/a n/a 0 1758
2002 1327 101 37 412 0 n/a n/a 0 1877
2003 1327 101 37 412 0 n/a n/a 0 1877
2004 1349 112 35 421 1 n/a n/a 0 1918
2005 1388 143 36 433 3 n/a n/a 0 2003
2006 1401 161 51 472 2 n/a n/a 0 2087
2007 1348 167 50 464 4 n/a n/a 0 2033
2008 1298 179 69 532 2 n/a n/a 0 2080
2009 1190 200 83 732 4 n/a n/a 8 2217
2010 1126 204 82 570 5 n/a n/a 6 1993
2011 1115 220 88 565 6 0 0 0 1994
2012 1079 217 85 547 8 1 2 0 1939
2013 1088 169 79 531 4 1 3 0 1875
2014 1039 168 75 552 1 1 9 0 1845
2015 982 201 74 573 1 3 9 0 1843
2016 996 208 80 610 2 4 10 0 1910
2017 949 220 76 650 1 2 15 0 1913
2018 946 220 81 657 1 3 18 0 1926
2019 930 200 78 713 4 1 30 0 1956
2020 901 179 75 684 4 1 31 0 1875
2021 875 195 89 683 4 2 33 0 1881
2022 859 193 89 685 6 5 31 0 1868
2023 797 175 78 672 4 5 22 0 1753
2024 795 187 75 715 6 8 27 0 1813

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 Freedom High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1814 96.7 18.7 n/a
1989 1672 92.5 18.0 n/a
1990 1615 87.0 18.5 0
1991 1550 85.4 18.1 n/a
1992 1517 90.3 16.7 n/a
1993 1471 86.2 17.1 n/a
1994 1474 84.6 17.4 n/a
1995 1552 78.2 19.8 n/a
1996 1552 78.2 19.8 n/a
1997 1604 81.5 19.7 n/a
1998 1709 81.9 20.9 n/a
1999 1642 91.8 17.9 n/a
2000 1759 87.9 20.0 17.3
2001 1758 95.8 18.4 19.9
2002 1877 99.5 18.9 18.6
2003 1877 99.5 18.9 18.6
2004 1918 104.6 18.3 17.6
2005 2003 103.8 19.3 17.5
2006 2087 112.3 18.6 22.2
2007 2033 112.5 18.1 22.4
2008 2080 110.9 18.8 25.7
2009 2217 113.3 19.6 31.7
2010 1993 112.5 17.7 0.5
2011 1994 111.7 17.8 37.9
2012 1939 106.3 18.2 38.4
2013 1875 104.6 17.9 n/a
2014 1845 104.9 17.5 39.9
2015 1843 104.0 17.7 43.6
2016 1910 103.0 18.5 45.2
2017 1913 102.6 18.6 33.2
2018 1926 106.0 18.1 34.8
2019 1956 110.8 17.6 36.3
2020 1875 107.8 17.3 37.7
2021 1881 105.6 17.8 34.8
2022 1868 101.8 18.3 38.1
2023 1753 111.4 15.7 37.7
2024 1813 115.9 15.6 52.6

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 Freedom High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1814 96.7 18.7 n/a
1989 1672 92.5 18.0 n/a
1990 1615 87.0 18.5 0
1991 1550 85.4 18.1 n/a
1992 1517 90.3 16.7 n/a
1993 1471 86.2 17.1 n/a
1994 1474 84.6 17.4 n/a
1995 1552 78.2 19.8 n/a
1996 1552 78.2 19.8 n/a
1997 1604 81.5 19.7 n/a
1998 1709 81.9 20.9 n/a
1999 1642 91.8 17.9 n/a
2000 1759 87.9 20.0 17.3
2001 1758 95.8 18.4 19.9
2002 1877 99.5 18.9 18.6
2003 1877 99.5 18.9 18.6
2004 1918 104.6 18.3 17.6
2005 2003 103.8 19.3 17.5
2006 2087 112.3 18.6 22.2
2007 2033 112.5 18.1 22.4
2008 2080 110.9 18.8 25.7
2009 2217 113.3 19.6 31.7
2010 1993 112.5 17.7 0.5
2011 1994 111.7 17.8 37.9
2012 1939 106.3 18.2 38.4
2013 1875 104.6 17.9 n/a
2014 1845 104.9 17.5 39.9
2015 1843 104.0 17.7 43.6
2016 1910 103.0 18.5 45.2
2017 1913 102.6 18.6 33.2
2018 1926 106.0 18.1 34.8
2019 1956 110.8 17.6 36.3
2020 1875 107.8 17.3 37.7
2021 1881 105.6 17.8 34.8
2022 1868 101.8 18.3 38.1
2023 1753 111.4 15.7 37.7
2024 1813 115.9 15.6 52.6

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 Freedom High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $230 (1.5%) $14,893 (98.5%) $15,124
2020 $258 (1.7%) $15,195 (98.3%) $15,453
2021 $622 (3.8%) $15,919 (96.2%) $16,541
2022 $1,147 (6.6%) $16,204 (93.4%) $17,351

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Freedom 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 536th of 693 High schoolsRanks 513th of 674 High schools
 1.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Freedom High School)43.215.7
 27.5%
   11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)63.334.1
 29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Freedom High School)47.636.4
 11.2%
   11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)63.250.7
 12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Freedom High School)55.552.1
 3.4%
   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 Students19561753
 10.4%
African American200175
 12.5%
American Indian44
Asian7878
Hispanic713672
 5.8%
Pacific Islander15
 400%
White930797
 14.3%
Two or More Races3022
 26.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients36.3%37.7%
 1.4%


Schools Near Freedom High School









Frequently Asked Questions about Freedom High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,813 students attended Freedom High School.

Students at Freedom High School are 44% White, 39% Hispanic, 10% African American, 4% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

Freedom High School ranks 488th of 686 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.


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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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