Blackhawk High School

Q: Is Blackhawk High School a good school?

Blackhawk High School ranks 177 th of 674 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Blackhawk High School is a public high school located in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of 762. The school is part of the Big Beaver Falls Area School District, which is ranked 194 out of 606 districts in Pennsylvania and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Blackhawk High School consistently ranks among the top high schools in Pennsylvania, with rankings ranging from 60th to 255th out of hundreds of schools over the past several years. The school's Keystone Exam proficiency rates are significantly higher than the state averages, particularly in Literature (80% vs. 65.3%) and Biology (57.4% vs. 50.7%). Blackhawk High School's 4-year graduation rate is consistently high, ranging from 92.5% to 95% over the past 5 years, outperforming the state average. However, the school has a predominantly white student population, with over 93% of students identifying as white, which is less diverse compared to some nearby schools like Central Valley High School and Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School.

Blackhawk High School also has a relatively low percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 22.92% to 30.31% over the past 3 years, which is lower than the nearby schools like Rochester High School and Beaver Falls Area Senior High School, which have significantly higher percentages of economically disadvantaged students. This suggests that the school may not be serving a representative cross-section of the local community, and could be an opportunity to explore ways to better support and engage students from lower-income backgrounds.

Detail:

Public 9-12

500 Blackhawk Rd
Beaver Falls, PA 15010-1410

(724) 846-9600

District: Blackhawk School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
177^th of 674 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,152

Feeder schools for Blackhawk High School:

Elementary:	Patterson Primary School
Middle:	Highland Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.5

Number of students: 762

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.7%

Two or more races:

2.8%

Hispanic:

1.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 30.3%

See top rated Pennsylvania high schools

Compare Blackhawk High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Blackhawk High School ranks better than 73.7% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 73.11. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Blackhawk 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 (93.7%), two or more races (2.8%), Hispanic (1.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 30.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Blackhawk High School is 14.5. (See more...)

Compare Blackhawk High School employs 52.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Blackhawk High School is $10,152.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Blackhawk High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Blackhawk High School 177^th of 674 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Blackhawk High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

White students:

Blackhawk School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Blackhawk School District 194^th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Blackhawk High School

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Rank History for all students at Blackhawk High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	74.51	135^th	583	76.8%
2004	76.46	139^th	590	76.4%
2005	57.35	294^th	593	50.4%
2006	58.45	303^rd	604	49.8%
2007	67.73	211^th	615	65.7%
2008	54.72	340^th	621	45.2%
2009	70.68	185^th	632	70.7%
2010	75.10	133^rd	649	79.5%
2011	65.68	261^st	660	60.5%
2012	63.70	270^th	664	59.3%
2013	77.37	105^th	591	82.2%
2014	70.48	159^th	580	72.6%
2015	72.22	199^th	680	70.7%
2016	82.73	70^th	677	89.7%
2017	87.02	32^nd	663	95.2%
2018	81.69	92^nd	673	86.3%
2019	85.37	60^th	693	91.3%
2021	75.02	140^th	537	73.9%
2022	64.12	255^th	634	59.8%
2023	73.11	177^th	674	73.7%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	69.86	174^th	652	73.3%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Blackhawk High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	55.13	182^nd	502	63.7%

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

Rank History for White students at Blackhawk High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	64.47	198^th	577	65.7%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, February 3, 2015

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Enrollment information for Blackhawk High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	1166	7	4	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	1180
1989	1133	7	4	5	5	n/a	n/a	0	1154
1990	1090	9	8	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	1112
1991	1079	8	6	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	1097
1992	1092	6	4	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	1105
1993	1146	5	7	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	1162
1994	1169	6	3	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	1183
1995	1226	8	4	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	1240
1996	1226	8	4	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	1240
1997	1236	7	4	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	1251
1998	1242	9	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	1253
1999	1243	10	5	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	1259
2000	1199	16	6	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	1223
2001	1175	13	5	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	1196
2002	1149	20	9	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	1180
2003	1149	20	9	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	1180
2004	1140	13	10	1	4	n/a	n/a	0	1168
2005	1162	12	10	1	4	n/a	n/a	0	1189
2006	1160	12	8	0	5	n/a	n/a	0	1185
2007	1132	3	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1135
2008	1097	16	7	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	1121
2009	1068	19	6	0	0	n/a	n/a	5	1098
2010	1046	17	7	0	0	n/a	n/a	3	1073
2011	989	13	0	2	0	0	13	0	1017
2012	994	15	3	7	0	0	13	0	1032
2013	986	16	4	6	0	0	11	0	1023
2014	772	12	4	10	0	0	8	0	806
2015	752	11	4	11	0	0	7	0	785
2016	740	13	4	8	1	0	8	0	774
2017	735	10	2	9	1	0	12	0	769
2018	726	6	0	11	1	0	13	0	757
2019	679	9	0	16	1	0	20	0	725
2020	686	5	2	13	1	0	26	0	733
2021	684	9	4	12	1	0	26	0	736
2022	709	11	4	11	0	0	24	0	759
2023	714	10	5	11	1	0	21	0	762

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 Blackhawk High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1180	69.8	16.9	n/a
1989	1154	68.0	16.9	n/a
1990	1112	71.2	15.6	0
1991	1097	71.7	15.2	n/a
1992	1105	71.9	15.3	n/a
1993	1162	66.0	17.6	n/a
1994	1183	64.0	18.5	n/a
1995	1240	66.0	18.8	n/a
1996	1240	66.0	18.8	n/a
1997	1251	66.0	19.0	n/a
1998	1253	68.5	18.3	n/a
1999	1259	68.5	18.4	n/a
2000	1223	70.0	17.5	8.3
2001	1196	71.0	16.8	10.4
2002	1180	70.5	16.7	9.7
2003	1180	70.5	16.7	9.7
2004	1168	69.5	16.8	9.8
2005	1189	70.0	17.0	9.6
2006	1185	71.6	16.6	12.3
2007	1135	70.5	16.1	13.3
2008	1121	73.0	15.4	14.7
2009	1098	72.0	15.3	16
2010	1073	81.2	13.2	21.6
2011	1017	72.2	14.0	23.4
2012	1032	66.2	15.5	21.5
2013	1023	62.2	16.4	28.6
2014	806	53.2	15.1	23.6
2015	785	53.0	14.8	24.7
2016	774	51.0	15.1	23.4
2017	769	52.2	14.7	22.5
2018	757	51.5	14.6	24.4
2019	725	51.5	14.0	19.9
2020	733	52.3	14.0	21.4
2021	736	52.3	14.0	25.4
2022	759	52.3	14.4	22.9
2023	762	52.5	14.5	30.3

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 Blackhawk High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1180	69.8	16.9	n/a
1989	1154	68.0	16.9	n/a
1990	1112	71.2	15.6	0
1991	1097	71.7	15.2	n/a
1992	1105	71.9	15.3	n/a
1993	1162	66.0	17.6	n/a
1994	1183	64.0	18.5	n/a
1995	1240	66.0	18.8	n/a
1996	1240	66.0	18.8	n/a
1997	1251	66.0	19.0	n/a
1998	1253	68.5	18.3	n/a
1999	1259	68.5	18.4	n/a
2000	1223	70.0	17.5	8.3
2001	1196	71.0	16.8	10.4
2002	1180	70.5	16.7	9.7
2003	1180	70.5	16.7	9.7
2004	1168	69.5	16.8	9.8
2005	1189	70.0	17.0	9.6
2006	1185	71.6	16.6	12.3
2007	1135	70.5	16.1	13.3
2008	1121	73.0	15.4	14.7
2009	1098	72.0	15.3	16
2010	1073	81.2	13.2	21.6
2011	1017	72.2	14.0	23.4
2012	1032	66.2	15.5	21.5
2013	1023	62.2	16.4	28.6
2014	806	53.2	15.1	23.6
2015	785	53.0	14.8	24.7
2016	774	51.0	15.1	23.4
2017	769	52.2	14.7	22.5
2018	757	51.5	14.6	24.4
2019	725	51.5	14.0	19.9
2020	733	52.3	14.0	21.4
2021	736	52.3	14.0	25.4
2022	759	52.3	14.4	22.9
2023	762	52.5	14.5	30.3

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 Blackhawk High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$280 (1.4%)	$19,478 (98.6%)	$19,759
2020	$442 (2.7%)	$16,094 (97.3%)	$16,536
2021	$684 (3.8%)	$17,307 (96.2%)	$17,991
2022	$43 (0.4%)	$10,109 (99.6%)	$10,152

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Blackhawk 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 60^th of 693 High schools	Ranks 177^th of 674 High schools	17.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Blackhawk High School)	84	37.5	46.5%
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Blackhawk High School)	87	57.4	29.6%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	50.7	12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Blackhawk High School)	86.4	80	6.4%
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	725	762	5.1%
African American	9	10	11.1%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	0	5
Hispanic	16	11	31.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	679	714	5.2%
Two or More Races	20	21	5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	19.9%	30.3%	10.5%

Schools Near Blackhawk 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)	PSSA Math (2023)				PSSA Science (2023)		PSSA English Language Arts (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	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
Blackhawk High School	Public	9-12	500 Blackhawk Rd	Beaver Falls	15010	Beaver County	Blackhawk School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 846-9600	762	53	14.5	30.3%	714 (93.7%)	10 (1.3%)	11 (1.4%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (2.8%)	73.1	177^th of 674 public high schools	73.7%		64.1	255^th of 634 public high schools	59.8%	78	37.5	57.4	80.0											$10,152	$43	$10,109
Beaver Falls Area Senior High School	Public	9-12	1701 8th Ave	Beaver Falls	15010	Beaver County	Big Beaver Falls Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 843-7470	469	31	15.2	88.9%	236 (50.3%)	120 (25.6%)	14 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	95 (20.3%)	24.8	536^th of 674 public high schools	20.5%		27.3	502^nd of 634 public high schools	20.8%	34	13.9	25.9	54.8											$24,368	$3,078	$21,290
New Brighton Area High School	Public	9-12	3202 43rd St	New Brighton	15066	Beaver County	New Brighton Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 846-1050	383	35	11.0	80.9%	292 (76.2%)	25 (6.5%)	17 (4.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (12.3%)	58.7	307^th of 674 public high schools	54.5%		56.1	335^th of 634 public high schools	47.2%	28	48.7	44.6	60.8											$20,398	$1,254	$19,144
Beaver Area Senior High School	Public	9-12	Gypsy Glen Rd	Beaver	15009	Beaver County	Beaver Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 774-0251	644	40	16.0	25.8%	596 (92.5%)	13 (2.0%)	13 (2.0%)	11 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.6%)	83.7	88^th of 674 public high schools	86.9%		87.4	40^th of 634 public high schools	93.7%	48	54.3	64.7	80.3											$17,370	$347	$17,022
Western Beaver County Junior/Senior High School	Public	6-12	216 Engle Rd	Industry	15052	Beaver County	Western Beaver County School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 643-8500	339	32	10.5	44.0%	312 (92.0%)	2 (0.6%)	9 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.7%)	50.9	376^th of 674 public high schools	44.2%		54.6	351^st of 634 public high schools	44.6%	25	27.7	36.7	75.0	54.6	43.6	28.3	41.2	58.5	58.5	81.8	56.4	62.2	66.9	$18,334	$389	$17,945
Rochester High School	Public	9-12	540 Reno Street	Rochester	15074	Beaver County	Rochester Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 775-7500	225	17	13.0	83.1%	148 (65.8%)	53 (23.6%)	5 (2.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (8.0%)	32.1	497^th of 674 public high schools	26.3%		9.3	570^th of 634 public high schools	10.1%	73	9.5	30.7	64.2											$25,727	$2,078	$23,649
Lincoln Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	501 Crescent Ave	Ellwood City	16117	Lawrence County	Ellwood City Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 752-1591	672	57	11.8	53.0%	591 (87.9%)	7 (1.0%)	19 (2.8%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (7.6%)	59	304^th of 674 public high schools	54.9%		73.8	181^st of 634 public high schools	71.5%	123	15.9	53.6	74.4		34.8	16.8	25.4	57.2	57.2		55.5	49.2	52.2	$19,967	$832	$19,135
Riverside High School	Public	9-12	300 Country Club Dr	Ellwood City	16117	Lawrence County	Riverside Beaver County School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 758-7512	446	31	14.3	41.0%	428 (96.0%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.5%)	65.4	252^nd of 674 public high schools	62.6%		81.8	95^th of 634 public high schools	85.0%	157	35.0	54.5	72.2											$19,264	$818	$18,446
Central Valley High School	Public	9-12	160 Baker Road Ext	Monaca	15061	Beaver County	Central Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 775-4300	709	46	15.2	22.0%	616 (86.9%)	49 (6.9%)	16 (2.3%)	7 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	20 (2.8%)	89.8	40^th of 674 public high schools	94.1%		74.7	168^th of 634 public high schools	73.5%	128	62.1	70.0	85.6											$16,656	$780	$15,876
Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School	Public, Charter	7-12	One Lincoln Park	Midland	15059	Beaver County	Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(724) 643-9004	699	41	17.0	20.5%	543 (77.7%)	73 (10.4%)	18 (2.6%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	61 (8.7%)	70.1	203^rd of 674 public high schools	69.9%		73.9	179^th of 634 public high schools	71.8%	24	34.8	58.8	76.0		40.3	25.0	31.8	76.2	76.2		76.2	80.7	78.7	$13,131	$1,195	$11,936

Frequently Asked Questions about Blackhawk High School

Is Blackhawk High School a good school?

Blackhawk High School ranks 177^th of 674 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools feed into Blackhawk High School?

Blackhawk High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Patterson Primary School
Middle : Highland Middle School

How many students attend Blackhawk High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 762 students attended Blackhawk High School.

What is the racial makeup of Blackhawk High School?

Students at Blackhawk High School are 94% White, 3% Two or more races, 1% Hispanic, 1% African American.

What district is Blackhawk High School in?

Blackhawk 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.