Big Spring High School

Q: Is Big Spring High School a good school?

Big Spring High School ranks 466 th of 674 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Big Spring High School is a public high school located in Newville, Pennsylvania, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 739 students. While the school has some positive metrics, such as high graduation rates and low dropout rates, it faces challenges in terms of academic performance, particularly for its white and low-income student subgroups.

Big Spring High School has a significantly higher percentage of white students (91.88%) compared to the surrounding schools, which have more diverse student populations. The school consistently ranks in the bottom half of Pennsylvania high schools, ranking 466 out of 674 in the 2022-2023 school year and receiving a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. While the school performs well for its disabled student population, ranking 160 out of 502 Pennsylvania high schools, it struggles with its white and low socioeconomic status student subgroups, ranking 491 and 412 respectively out of Pennsylvania high schools.

Academically, Big Spring High School's performance, as measured by Keystone Exam proficiency rates, is generally below the state averages, particularly in Algebra I (15.4% proficient vs. 34.1% statewide) and Biology (45.8% proficient vs. 50.7% statewide). However, the school performs better in Literature (56.4% proficient vs. 65.3% statewide). Compared to nearby high schools, such as Northern High School, Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School, and Cumberland Valley High School, Big Spring High School generally underperforms in terms of statewide rankings, academic proficiency, and socioeconomic factors.

Detail:

Public 9-12

100 Mount Rock Rd
Newville, PA 17241-2436

(717) 776-2436

District: Big Spring School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
466^th of 674 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,947

Feeder schools for Big Spring High School:

Elementary:	Mount Rock Elementary School
	Newville Elementary School
	Oak Flat Elementary School
Middle:	Big Spring Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.1

Number of students: 739

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.9%

Two or more races:

3.2%

Hispanic:

3.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 32.6%

See top rated Pennsylvania high schools

Compare Big Spring High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Big Spring High School ranks worse than 69.1% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 38.1. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Big Spring High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (91.9%), two or more races (3.2%), Hispanic (3.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 32.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Big Spring High School is 13.1. (See more...)

Compare Big Spring High School employs 56.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Big Spring High School is $18,947.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Big Spring High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Big Spring High School 466^th of 674 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Big Spring High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

White students:

Big Spring School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Big Spring School District 256^th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Big Spring High School

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Rank History for all students at Big Spring High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	35.74	441^st	583	24.4%
2004	44.05	384^th	590	34.9%
2005	43.05	417^th	593	29.7%
2006	37.85	459^th	604	24.0%
2007	43.36	439^th	615	28.6%
2008	34.85	486^th	621	21.7%
2009	38.43	481^st	632	23.9%
2010	32.21	521^st	649	19.7%
2011	35.69	513^th	660	22.3%
2012	50.90	409^th	664	38.4%
2013	54.50	304^th	591	48.6%
2014	48.39	366^th	580	36.9%
2015	62.12	309^th	680	54.6%
2016	42.19	485^th	677	28.4%
2017	51.53	408^th	663	38.5%
2018	52.41	417^th	673	38.0%
2019	53.70	397^th	693	42.7%
2021	53.78	315^th	537	41.3%
2022	48.30	399^th	634	37.1%
2023	38.10	466^th	674	30.9%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Big Spring High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	39.82	412^th	652	36.8%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Big Spring High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	59.29	160^th	502	68.1%

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

Rank History for White students at Big Spring High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	22.27	491^st	577	14.9%

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.

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Big Spring High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	1022	6	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1028
1989	998	5	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1005
1990	967	1	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	970
1991	925	1	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	929
1992	921	5	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	932
1993	941	3	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	945
1994	911	5	1	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	923
1995	974	6	3	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	989
1996	974	6	3	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	989
1997	967	5	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	978
1998	988	7	5	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	1003
1999	991	9	5	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	1011
2000	988	10	7	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	1008
2001	994	13	6	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	1017
2002	1007	3	2	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	1016
2003	1007	3	2	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	1016
2004	971	5	2	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	982
2005	951	5	7	3	3	n/a	n/a	0	969
2006	979	9	8	6	4	n/a	n/a	0	1006
2007	994	10	3	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	1016
2008	1012	12	6	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	1040
2009	1032	11	7	5	0	n/a	n/a	2	1057
2010	964	10	6	5	1	n/a	n/a	3	989
2011	953	11	5	6	0	0	4	0	979
2012	917	10	4	4	1	0	7	0	943
2013	874	6	6	5	0	0	4	0	895
2014	879	4	4	8	0	0	2	0	897
2015	830	5	5	9	0	1	5	0	855
2016	842	13	7	14	0	1	7	0	884
2017	818	13	8	18	0	3	9	0	869
2018	775	13	7	16	0	2	13	0	826
2019	769	8	8	18	0	2	16	0	821
2020	741	6	8	16	0	2	21	0	794
2021	714	7	6	15	0	0	22	0	764
2022	735	8	5	19	0	0	24	0	791
2023	679	8	5	23	0	0	24	0	739

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 Big Spring High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1028	58.0	17.7	n/a
1989	1005	59.0	17.0	n/a
1990	970	60.0	16.1	0
1991	929	60.0	15.4	n/a
1992	932	63.5	14.6	n/a
1993	945	54.0	17.5	n/a
1994	923	54.0	17.1	n/a
1995	989	58.4	16.9	n/a
1996	989	58.4	16.9	n/a
1997	978	63.5	15.4	n/a
1998	1003	67.0	15.0	n/a
1999	1011	70.5	14.3	n/a
2000	1008	72.5	13.9	8.2
2001	1017	72.0	14.1	7.4
2002	1016	78.5	12.9	9.6
2003	1016	78.5	12.9	9.6
2004	982	77.3	12.7	9.6
2005	969	77.4	12.5	10.1
2006	1006	74.4	13.5	11.7
2007	1016	75.4	13.5	15.7
2008	1040	69.3	15.0	14
2009	1057	77.1	13.7	14.5
2010	989	77.8	12.7	17.1
2011	979	76.2	12.8	23.8
2012	943	75.2	12.5	19.5
2013	895	65.7	13.6	23.4
2014	897	66.5	13.4	27
2015	855	64.0	13.3	27.1
2016	884	66.0	13.3	27
2017	869	64.3	13.5	20
2018	826	64.3	12.8	26.2
2019	821	63.3	12.9	28.7
2020	794	64.3	12.3	28
2021	764	60.3	12.6	28.8
2022	791	57.2	13.8	31.4
2023	739	56.1	13.1	32.6

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 Big Spring High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1028	58.0	17.7	n/a
1989	1005	59.0	17.0	n/a
1990	970	60.0	16.1	0
1991	929	60.0	15.4	n/a
1992	932	63.5	14.6	n/a
1993	945	54.0	17.5	n/a
1994	923	54.0	17.1	n/a
1995	989	58.4	16.9	n/a
1996	989	58.4	16.9	n/a
1997	978	63.5	15.4	n/a
1998	1003	67.0	15.0	n/a
1999	1011	70.5	14.3	n/a
2000	1008	72.5	13.9	8.2
2001	1017	72.0	14.1	7.4
2002	1016	78.5	12.9	9.6
2003	1016	78.5	12.9	9.6
2004	982	77.3	12.7	9.6
2005	969	77.4	12.5	10.1
2006	1006	74.4	13.5	11.7
2007	1016	75.4	13.5	15.7
2008	1040	69.3	15.0	14
2009	1057	77.1	13.7	14.5
2010	989	77.8	12.7	17.1
2011	979	76.2	12.8	23.8
2012	943	75.2	12.5	19.5
2013	895	65.7	13.6	23.4
2014	897	66.5	13.4	27
2015	855	64.0	13.3	27.1
2016	884	66.0	13.3	27
2017	869	64.3	13.5	20
2018	826	64.3	12.8	26.2
2019	821	63.3	12.9	28.7
2020	794	64.3	12.3	28
2021	764	60.3	12.6	28.8
2022	791	57.2	13.8	31.4
2023	739	56.1	13.1	32.6

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 Big Spring High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$61 (0.3%)	$18,165 (99.7%)	$18,226
2020	$79 (0.4%)	$19,724 (99.6%)	$19,803
2021	$385 (2.0%)	$19,118 (98.0%)	$19,502
2022	$431 (2.3%)	$18,515 (97.7%)	$18,947

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Big Spring 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 397^th of 693 High schools	Ranks 466^th of 674 High schools	11.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Big Spring High School)	60.1	15.4	44.7%
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Big Spring High School)	65.1	45.8	19.3%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	50.7	12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Big Spring High School)	66.5	56.4	10.1%
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	821	739	10%
African American	8	8
American Indian	0	0
Asian	8	5	37.5%
Hispanic	18	23	27.8%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	769	679	11.7%
Two or More Races	16	24	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	28.7%	32.6%	3.9%

Schools Near Big Spring High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				Keystone Exams Algebra I (2023)	Keystone Exams Biology (2023)	Keystone Exams Literature (2023)	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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Keystone Exams Algebra I 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Biology 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Literature 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Big Spring High School	Public	9-12	100 Mount Rock Rd	Newville	17241	Cumberland County	Big Spring School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 776-2436	739	56	13.1	32.6%	679 (91.9%)	8 (1.1%)	23 (3.1%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (3.2%)	38.1	466^th of 674 public high schools	30.9%		48.3	399^th of 634 public high schools	37.1%	67	15.4	45.8	56.4	$18,947	$431	$18,515
Carlisle Area High School	Public	9-12	623 W. Penn St.	Carlisle	17013	Cumberland County	Carlisle Area School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 240-6800	1,578	112	14.0	39.2%	1,044 (66.2%)	164 (10.4%)	170 (10.8%)	57 (3.6%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.3%)	138 (8.7%)	65.9	247^th of 674 public high schools	63.4%		54.8	348^th of 634 public high schools	45.1%	101	36.2	58.2	69.1	$10,814	$322	$10,492
Shippensburg Area Senior High School	Public	9-12	201 Eberly Drive	Shippensburg	17257	Cumberland County	Shippensburg Area School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 530-2730	1,138	68	16.8	46.3%	895 (78.6%)	59 (5.2%)	88 (7.7%)	47 (4.1%)	2 (0.2%)	8 (0.7%)	39 (3.4%)	50.6	377^th of 674 public high schools	44.1%		55.8	338^th of 634 public high schools	46.7%	39	26.3	49.2	62.5	$11	$00	$11
Boiling Springs High School	Public	9-12	21 Academy Street	Boiling Springs	17007	Cumberland County	South Middleton School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 258-6484	777	51	15.1	21.6%	669 (86.1%)	13 (1.7%)	16 (2.1%)	38 (4.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	39 (5.0%)	67.9	228^th of 674 public high schools	66.2%		86.7	49^th of 634 public high schools	92.3%	179	32.5	57.3	75.7	$17,738	$114	$17,625
Loysville Youth Dev Center	Public	5-12	10 Opportunity Drive	Loysville	17047	Perry County	Loysville Youth Dev Center	No	No	No	No	(717) 789-5529	32	14	2.2		1 (3.1%)	26 (81.3%)	4 (12.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.1%)								(n/a)
West Perry Senior High School	Public	9-12	2608 Shermans Valley Road	Elliottsburg	17024	Perry County	West Perry School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 789-3931	686	47	14.7	38.5%	651 (94.9%)	4 (0.6%)	15 (2.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	12 (1.7%)	70	204^th of 674 public high schools	69.7%		62.6	268^th of 634 public high schools	57.7%	64	25.0	60.9	81.9	$44,161	$3,013	$41,149
Cumberland Valley High School	Public	9-12	6746 Carlisle Pike	Mechanicsburg	17050	Cumberland County	Cumberland Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 766-0217	3,035	177	17.1	24.7%	2,027 (66.8%)	135 (4.4%)	185 (6.1%)	556 (18.3%)	9 (0.3%)	1 (0.0%)	122 (4.0%)	91	34^th of 674 public high schools	95.0%		87.2	43^rd of 634 public high schools	93.2%	9	60.7	75.4	85.1	$13,700	$00	$13,700
Biglerville High School	Public	9-12	135 North Main Street	Biglerville	17307	Adams County	Upper Adams School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 677-7191	529	43	12.3	39.3%	350 (66.2%)	10 (1.9%)	157 (29.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	8 (1.5%)	50.2	380^th of 674 public high schools	43.6%		71.7	198^th of 634 public high schools	68.8%	182	16.2	54.5	63.6	$15,400	$00	$15,400
Cumberland Perry Area Career & Technical Center	Public	9-12	110 Old Willow Mill Road	Mechanicsburg	17050	Cumberland County	Cumberland Perry Area Career & Technical Center	No	No	No	No	(717) 697-0354	16	37	.4		12 (75.0%)	1 (6.3%)	2 (12.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (6.3%)								(n/a)
Northern High School	Public	9-12	653 S Baltimore St	Dillsburg	17019	York County	Northern York County School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 432-8691	1,051	62	16.8	21.1%	942 (89.6%)	23 (2.2%)	44 (4.2%)	15 (1.4%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)	22 (2.1%)	74	159^th of 674 public high schools	76.4%		67.7	221^st of 634 public high schools	65.1%	62	29.3	63.0	83.8	$14,189	$331	$13,858

Frequently Asked Questions about Big Spring High School

Is Big Spring High School a good school?

Big Spring High School ranks 466^th of 674 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools feed into Big Spring High School?

Big Spring High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Mount Rock Elementary School
Elementary : Newville Elementary School
Elementary : Oak Flat Elementary School
Middle : Big Spring Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Big Spring High School?

Students at Big Spring High School are 92% White, 3% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic, 1% African American.

What district is Big Spring High School in?

Big Spring School District

How many students attend Big Spring High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 739 students attended Big Spring High School.

Rate Big Spring 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.