Halifax Area High School

Q: Is Halifax Area High School a good school?

Halifax Area High School ranks 188 th of 674 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Halifax Area High School is a public high school serving 244 students in grades 9-12 in Halifax, Pennsylvania, which is part of the Harrisburg City School District. This school stands out for its strong academic performance, high graduation rates, and low dropout rates compared to many of the surrounding schools in the region.

Halifax Area High School has a significantly higher percentage of white students (90.98%) compared to nearby schools like Harrisburg High School, which has a more diverse student population. Academically, Halifax Area High School consistently outperforms the state average on Keystone Exams, with 53.9% of 11th graders proficient or better in Algebra I, 53.3% in Biology, and 73.3% in Literature - all higher than the state averages. The school also maintains a high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 87.1% to 92.7% over the past five years, significantly higher than the 61.8% rate at Harrisburg High School.

While Halifax Area High School has a relatively homogeneous racial makeup, it serves a diverse socioeconomic population, with 29.51% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. This suggests the school is able to provide a quality education to students from various economic backgrounds. When compared to nearby schools, Halifax Area High School stands out for its strong academic performance, high graduation rates, and low dropout rates, making it a valuable asset to the local community.

Detail:

Public 9-12

3940 Peters Mountain Rd
Halifax, PA 17032

(717) 896-3416

District: Halifax Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
188^th of 674 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,885

Feeder schools for Halifax Area High School:

Elementary:	Halifax Area Elementary School
Middle:	Halifax Area Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.1

Number of students: 244

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.0%

Hispanic:

3.7%

Two or more races:

2.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 29.5%

See top rated Pennsylvania high schools

Compare Halifax Area High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Halifax Area High School ranks better than 72.1% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 72.48. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Halifax Area 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%), Hispanic (3.7%), two or more races (2.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 29.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Halifax Area High School is 10.1. (See more...)

Compare Halifax Area High School employs 24 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Halifax Area High School is $14,885.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Halifax Area High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Halifax Area High School 188^th of 674 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Halifax Area High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

White students:

Halifax Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Halifax Area School District 184^th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Halifax Area High School.

What do you think?

Your rating for Halifax Area High School?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Halifax Area High School

Compare

Rank History for all students at Halifax Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	42.32	410^th	583	29.7%
2004	47.51	359^th	590	39.2%
2005	76.97	113^th	593	80.9%
2006	47.52	394^th	604	34.8%
2007	46.98	415^th	615	32.5%
2008	42.22	433^rd	621	30.3%
2009	66.66	221^st	632	65.0%
2010	56.11	336^th	649	48.2%
2011	63.72	280^th	660	57.6%
2012	45.75	441^st	664	33.6%
2013	54.47	306^th	591	48.2%
2014	63.26	229^th	580	60.5%
2015	60.05	346^th	680	49.1%
2016	73.52	188^th	677	72.2%
2017	53.33	394^th	663	40.6%
2018	47.08	452^nd	673	32.8%
2019	75.39	174^th	693	74.9%
2022	79.05	117^th	634	81.5%
2023	72.48	188^th	674	72.1%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	67.98	191^st	652	70.7%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Halifax Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	76.71	78^th	502	84.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Halifax Area High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	62.69	214^th	577	62.9%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Halifax Area High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	378	1	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	380
1989	372	1	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	375
1990	370	1	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	372
1991	347	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	348
1992	348	0	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	350
1993	367	0	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	370
1994	353	1	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	356
1995	360	1	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	365
1996	360	1	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	365
1997	376	2	10	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	389
1998	386	2	11	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	400
1999	365	1	9	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	377
2000	432	2	8	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	445
2001	368	1	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	375
2002	370	0	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	376
2003	370	0	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	376
2004	350	1	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	355
2005	392	4	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	402
2006	328	2	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	335
2007	345	3	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	351
2008	375	4	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	6	391
2009	356	4	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	10	374
2010	365	5	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	9	384
2011	352	5	3	13	0	0	1	0	374
2012	338	3	3	9	0	0	0	0	353
2013	319	2	1	7	0	0	2	0	331
2014	283	3	1	7	0	0	4	0	298
2015	289	4	0	6	0	0	5	0	304
2016	265	5	2	4	0	0	7	0	283
2017	259	4	4	6	0	0	7	0	280
2018	274	4	7	2	0	0	8	0	295
2019	247	3	7	4	0	0	5	0	266
2020	237	2	6	6	1	0	4	0	256
2021	216	4	5	6	0	0	5	0	236
2022	215	3	3	9	0	0	4	0	234
2023	222	4	3	9	0	0	6	0	244

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 Halifax Area High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	380	26.7	14.2	n/a
1989	375	27.1	13.8	n/a
1990	372	28.3	13.1	0
1991	348	28.5	12.2	n/a
1992	350	28.3	12.3	n/a
1993	370	23.7	15.6	n/a
1994	356	23.7	15.0	n/a
1995	365	27.2	13.4	n/a
1996	365	27.2	13.4	n/a
1997	389	26.2	14.8	n/a
1998	400	29.2	13.7	n/a
1999	377	31.2	12.1	n/a
2000	445	33.0	13.5	18.2
2001	375	33.0	11.4	25.1
2002	376	31.0	12.1	26.6
2003	376	31.0	12.1	26.6
2004	355	31.8	11.2	33.8
2005	402	31.0	13.0	24.9
2006	335	29.8	11.2	35.5
2007	351	28.4	12.4	41.9
2008	391	19.4	20.2	37.1
2009	374	30.2	12.4	41.2
2010	384	30.0	12.7	22.1
2011	374	31.0	12.0	21.1
2012	353	27.5	12.8	25.2
2013	331	28.9	11.4	23.9
2014	298	29.1	10.2	26.8
2015	304	29.0	10.4	31.9
2016	283	29.0	9.7	30.4
2017	280	27.6	10.1	33.2
2018	295	27.6	10.6	27.8
2019	266	26.6	9.9	32.7
2020	256	25.6	9.9	28.1
2021	236	25.6	9.1	25.4
2022	234	25.1	9.3	26.9
2023	244	24.0	10.1	29.5

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 Halifax Area High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	380	26.7	14.2	n/a
1989	375	27.1	13.8	n/a
1990	372	28.3	13.1	0
1991	348	28.5	12.2	n/a
1992	350	28.3	12.3	n/a
1993	370	23.7	15.6	n/a
1994	356	23.7	15.0	n/a
1995	365	27.2	13.4	n/a
1996	365	27.2	13.4	n/a
1997	389	26.2	14.8	n/a
1998	400	29.2	13.7	n/a
1999	377	31.2	12.1	n/a
2000	445	33.0	13.5	18.2
2001	375	33.0	11.4	25.1
2002	376	31.0	12.1	26.6
2003	376	31.0	12.1	26.6
2004	355	31.8	11.2	33.8
2005	402	31.0	13.0	24.9
2006	335	29.8	11.2	35.5
2007	351	28.4	12.4	41.9
2008	391	19.4	20.2	37.1
2009	374	30.2	12.4	41.2
2010	384	30.0	12.7	22.1
2011	374	31.0	12.0	21.1
2012	353	27.5	12.8	25.2
2013	331	28.9	11.4	23.9
2014	298	29.1	10.2	26.8
2015	304	29.0	10.4	31.9
2016	283	29.0	9.7	30.4
2017	280	27.6	10.1	33.2
2018	295	27.6	10.6	27.8
2019	266	26.6	9.9	32.7
2020	256	25.6	9.9	28.1
2021	236	25.6	9.1	25.4
2022	234	25.1	9.3	26.9
2023	244	24.0	10.1	29.5

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 Halifax Area High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$00 (0.0%)	$24,454 (100.0%)	$24,454
2020	$29 (0.1%)	$26,791 (99.9%)	$26,820
2021	$00 (0.0%)	$14,725 (100.0%)	$14,725
2022	$00 (0.0%)	$14,885 (100.0%)	$14,885

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Halifax 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 174^th of 693 High schools	Ranks 188^th of 674 High schools	2.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Halifax Area High School)	75.8	53.9	21.9%
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Halifax Area High School)	75.4	53.3	22.1%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	50.7	12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Halifax Area High School)	80.6	73.3	7.3%
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	266	244	8.3%
African American	3	4	33.3%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	7	3	57.1%
Hispanic	4	9	125%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	247	222	10.1%
Two or More Races	5	6	20%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	32.7%	29.5%	3.2%

Schools Near Halifax Area 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
Halifax Area High School	Public	9-12	3940 Peters Mountain Rd	Halifax	17032	Dauphin County	Halifax Area School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 896-3416	244	24	10.1	29.5%	222 (91.0%)	4 (1.6%)	9 (3.7%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.5%)	72.5	188^th of 674 public high schools	72.1%		79.1	117^th of 634 public high schools	81.5%	71	53.9	53.3	73.3	$14,885	$00	$14,885
Millersburg Area High School	Public	9-12	799 Center St	Millersburg	17061	Dauphin County	Millersburg Area School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 692-2108	229	22	10.4	42.4%	198 (86.5%)	9 (3.9%)	14 (6.1%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.2%)	66.3	246^th of 674 public high schools	63.5%		57.2	326^th of 634 public high schools	48.6%	80	11.1	61.4	84.1	$16,712	$165	$16,548
Susquenita High School	Public	9-12	309 Schoolhouse Rd	Duncannon	17020	Perry County	Susquenita School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 957-6000	503	39	12.7	31.2%	439 (87.3%)	4 (0.8%)	26 (5.2%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	27 (5.4%)	60.3	293^rd of 674 public high schools	56.5%		52.5	372^nd of 634 public high schools	41.3%	79	38.4	45.0	71.8	$16,293	$04	$16,289
Upper Dauphin Area High School	Public	9-12	220 N Church St	Elizabethville	17023	Dauphin County	Upper Dauphin Area School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 362-8181	343	25	13.9	46.9%	311 (90.7%)	7 (2.0%)	17 (5.0%)	4 (1.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	48.1	397^th of 674 public high schools	41.1%		49.5	394^th of 634 public high schools	37.9%	3	17.4	56.3	58.4	$16,655	$411	$16,244
Newport High School	Public	9-12	500 Caroline Street	Newport	17074	Perry County	Newport School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 567-3806	291	26	11.3	40.5%	265 (91.1%)	3 (1.0%)	13 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.4%)	31.5	499^th of 674 public high schools	26.0%		72.9	190^th of 634 public high schools	70.0%	309	18.0	35.7	54.9	$18,558	$2,184	$16,374
East Pennsboro Area Senior High School	Public	9-12	425 W Shady Ln	Enola	17025	Cumberland County	East Pennsboro Area School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 732-0723	761	56	13.5	36.0%	518 (68.1%)	58 (7.6%)	76 (10.0%)	55 (7.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	51 (6.7%)	76	143^rd of 674 public high schools	78.8%		67.5	225^th of 634 public high schools	64.5%	82	37.6	69.9	74.4	$14,000	$718	$13,281
Central Dauphin Senior High School	Public	9-12	437 Piketown Road	Harrisburg	17112	Dauphin County	Central Dauphin School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 703-5360	1,975	122	16.1	32.6%	1,264 (64.0%)	225 (11.4%)	159 (8.1%)	187 (9.5%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	136 (6.9%)	59.3	302^nd of 674 public high schools	55.2%		70.1	209^th of 634 public high schools	67.0%	93	26.5	50.7	73.1	$13,904	$758	$13,147
Susquehanna Township High School	Public	9-12	3500 Elmerton Ave	Harrisburg	17109	Dauphin County	Susquehanna Township School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 657-5117	743	56	13.1	55.3%	146 (19.7%)	309 (41.6%)	96 (12.9%)	122 (16.4%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	65 (8.7%)	32.9	493^rd of 674 public high schools	26.9%		27	503^rd of 634 public high schools	20.7%	10	24.5	38.9	49.0	$30,305	$1,411	$28,894
Greenwood High School	Public	9-12	405 E Sunbury St	Millerstown	17062	Perry County	Greenwood School District	No	No	No	No	(717) 589-3116	233	21	10.9	28.8%	225 (96.6%)	4 (1.7%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	92.6	24^th of 674 public high schools	96.4%		85	65^th of 634 public high schools	89.7%	41	71.8	72.4	90.0	$16,639	$00	$16,639
Harrisburg High School	Public	9-12	2451 Market St	Harrisburg	17103	Dauphin County	Harrisburg City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(717) 703-4300	1,230	77	16.0	100.0%	30 (2.4%)	628 (51.1%)	525 (42.7%)	16 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (2.5%)	3.3	664^th of 674 public high schools	1.5%		4.4	604^th of 634 public high schools	4.7%	60	2.1	2.8	12.2	$17,949	$466	$17,483

Frequently Asked Questions about Halifax Area High School

What is the racial makeup of Halifax Area High School?

Students at Halifax Area High School are 91% White, 4% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 2% African American, 1% Asian.

What schools feed into Halifax Area High School?

Halifax Area High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Halifax Area Elementary School
Middle : Halifax Area Middle School

How many students attend Halifax Area High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 244 students attended Halifax Area High School.

What district is Halifax Area High School in?

Halifax Area School District

Is Halifax Area High School a good school?

Halifax Area High School ranks 188^th of 674 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Halifax Area High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

PAPennsylvania High School Rankings

PAPennsylvania District Rankings

Schools in Halifax, PA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Halifax Area High School!

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.