Laurel High School

Q: Is Laurel High School a good school?

Laurel High School ranks 114 th of 674 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Laurel High School is a public high school located in New Castle, Pennsylvania, serving 328 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the New Castle Area School District, which is ranked 82 out of 606 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Laurel High School stands out for its exceptional academic performance, consistently outperforming the state averages in key metrics. The school has maintained a high 4-year graduation rate, ranging from 96.9% to 98.7% over the past 5 years, and a 0% dropout rate during the same period. Laurel High School students also excel on Keystone Exams, with proficiency rates in Algebra I, Biology, and Literature significantly higher than the state averages. In 2022-2023, the school's proficiency rates were 42.8%, 72.7%, and 74.3%, respectively, compared to the state averages of 34.1%, 50.7%, and 65.3%.

One notable characteristic of Laurel High School is its relatively homogeneous student population, with a significantly higher percentage of white students (96.65%) compared to nearby schools like Lincoln Junior/Senior High School and New Castle Senior High School, which have more diverse student populations. Additionally, Laurel High School serves a community with a lower socioeconomic status, as indicated by the relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 22.56% to 25.62% over the past 3 years.

Detail:

Public 9-12

2497 Harlansburg Rd
New Castle, PA 16101-9705

(724) 658-9056

District: Laurel School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
114^th of 674 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,193

Feeder schools for Laurel High School:

Elementary:

Laurel Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.6

Number of students: 328

Racial breakdown:

White:

96.6%

Hispanic:

1.5%

Two or more races:

1.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 22.6%

See top rated Pennsylvania high schools

Compare Laurel High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Laurel High School is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2018 the calculated Average Standard Score was 73.2. (See more...)

Compare Details Laurel High School ranks better than 83.1% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 79.58. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Laurel 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 (96.6%), Hispanic (1.5%), two or more races (1.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 22.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Laurel High School is 11.6. (See more...)

Compare Laurel High School employs 28.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Laurel High School is $18,193.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Laurel High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Laurel High School 114^th of 674 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Laurel High School in the ranking list.)

Laurel School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Laurel School District 82^nd of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

What do you think?

Your rating for Laurel High School?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Laurel High School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	46.30	435^th	643	32.3%
2004	34.99	498^th	663	24.9%
2005	55.71	366^th	687	46.7%
2006	64.68	283^rd	736	61.5%
2007	60.27	349^th	749	53.4%
2008	63.22	311^th	753	58.7%
2009	55.00	429^th	770	44.3%
2010	54.15	457^th	805	43.2%
2011	59.92	395^th	825	52.1%
2012	49.42	529^th	834	36.6%
2013	36.40	562^nd	758	25.9%
2014	53.11	409^th	728	43.8%
2015	55.19	405^th	835	51.5%
2016	66.20	300^th	870	65.5%
2017	78.69	160^th	877	81.8%
2018	73.20	227^th	861	73.6%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Laurel High School

Compare

Rank History for all high school students at Laurel High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	55.72	308^th	583	47.2%
2004	49.87	344^th	590	41.7%
2005	63.23	240^th	593	59.5%
2006	64.82	236^th	604	60.9%
2007	54.86	353^rd	615	42.6%
2008	62.70	261^st	621	58.0%
2009	46.24	425^th	632	32.8%
2010	68.43	201^st	649	69.0%
2011	73.14	171^st	660	74.1%
2012	62.76	285^th	664	57.1%
2013	63.96	213^th	591	64.0%
2014	49.01	363^rd	580	37.4%
2015	59.80	348^th	680	48.8%
2016	70.16	235^th	677	65.3%
2017	83.38	71^st	663	89.3%
2018	84.06	59^th	673	91.2%
2019	85.93	56^th	693	91.9%
2021	69.97	184^th	537	65.7%
2022	89.03	32^nd	634	95.0%
2023	79.58	114^th	674	83.1%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Laurel High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	68.27	186^th	652	71.5%

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

Rank History for high school White students at Laurel High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	72.29	149^th	577	74.2%

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

We're sorry, but no reviews have been submitted for Laurel High School.

If you have first-hand knowledge about Laurel High School, submit a rating!

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Laurel High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	626	1	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	629
1989	620	3	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	624
1990	580	0	3	0	3	n/a	n/a	586
1991	613	1	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	615
1992	627	1	1	1	1	n/a	n/a	631
1993	644	1	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	648
1994	678	2	1	1	1	n/a	n/a	683
1995	704	1	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	710
1996	704	1	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	710
1997	720	1	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	725
1998	733	2	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	738
1999	744	1	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	749
2000	717	2	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	723
2001	709	1	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	713
2002	667	3	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	672
2003	667	3	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	672
2004	632	5	3	6	2	n/a	n/a	648
2005	658	4	4	7	3	n/a	n/a	676
2006	651	7	5	5	1	n/a	n/a	669
2007	659	7	9	4	2	n/a	n/a	681
2008	651	3	9	4	2	n/a	n/a	669
2009	665	2	8	2	2	n/a	n/a	679
2010	643	2	8	2	1	n/a	n/a	656
2011	646	5	7	1	0	0	0	659
2012	661	9	7	1	0	0	0	678
2013	663	8	4	2	0	0	0	677
2014	635	10	3	2	0	0	0	650
2015	596	11	2	4	0	0	0	613
2016	584	10	3	5	0	0	0	602
2017	571	8	2	4	0	0	2	587
2018	534	6	1	6	0	0	3	550
2019	343	5	1	1	0	0	2	352
2020	351	5	1	3	0	0	2	362
2021	342	2	0	2	0	0	2	348
2022	313	2	0	2	0	1	6	324
2023	317	1	0	5	0	1	4	328

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 Laurel High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	629	45.0	13.9	n/a
1989	624	44.0	14.1	n/a
1990	586	44.5	13.1	0
1991	615	45.5	13.5	n/a
1992	631	45.5	13.8	n/a
1993	648	38.5	16.8	n/a
1994	683	38.0	18.0	n/a
1995	710	39.5	18.0	n/a
1996	710	39.5	18.0	n/a
1997	725	39.0	18.6	n/a
1998	738	39.5	18.7	n/a
1999	749	41.5	18.0	n/a
2000	723	41.5	17.4	16.2
2001	713	41.5	17.2	14.9
2002	672	41.5	16.2	15
2003	672	41.5	16.2	15
2004	648	41.0	15.8	15.9
2005	676	39.6	17.1	14.9
2006	669	39.6	16.9	20.2
2007	681	39.7	17.2	19.7
2008	669	32.8	20.4	23
2009	679	33.5	20.3	28.7
2010	656	34.0	19.2	28.7
2011	659	33.8	19.4	27.3
2012	678	33.6	20.1	31.6
2013	677	41.5	16.3	28.1
2014	650	40.0	16.2	27.5
2015	613	41.0	14.9	34.7
2016	602	42.0	14.3	30.6
2017	587	38.0	15.4	28.8
2018	550	35.8	15.3	29.8
2019	352	26.0	13.5	28.4
2020	362	26.1	13.8	24.3
2021	348	25.4	13.6	23
2022	324	27.0	11.9	25.6
2023	328	28.1	11.6	22.6

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 Laurel High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	629	45.0	13.9	n/a
1989	624	44.0	14.1	n/a
1990	586	44.5	13.1	0
1991	615	45.5	13.5	n/a
1992	631	45.5	13.8	n/a
1993	648	38.5	16.8	n/a
1994	683	38.0	18.0	n/a
1995	710	39.5	18.0	n/a
1996	710	39.5	18.0	n/a
1997	725	39.0	18.6	n/a
1998	738	39.5	18.7	n/a
1999	749	41.5	18.0	n/a
2000	723	41.5	17.4	16.2
2001	713	41.5	17.2	14.9
2002	672	41.5	16.2	15
2003	672	41.5	16.2	15
2004	648	41.0	15.8	15.9
2005	676	39.6	17.1	14.9
2006	669	39.6	16.9	20.2
2007	681	39.7	17.2	19.7
2008	669	32.8	20.4	23
2009	679	33.5	20.3	28.7
2010	656	34.0	19.2	28.7
2011	659	33.8	19.4	27.3
2012	678	33.6	20.1	31.6
2013	677	41.5	16.3	28.1
2014	650	40.0	16.2	27.5
2015	613	41.0	14.9	34.7
2016	602	42.0	14.3	30.6
2017	587	38.0	15.4	28.8
2018	550	35.8	15.3	29.8
2019	352	26.0	13.5	28.4
2020	362	26.1	13.8	24.3
2021	348	25.4	13.6	23
2022	324	27.0	11.9	25.6
2023	328	28.1	11.6	22.6

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 Laurel High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$121 (0.8%)	$15,611 (99.2%)	$15,732
2020	$51 (0.3%)	$15,809 (99.7%)	$15,860
2021	$355 (2.1%)	$16,505 (97.9%)	$16,860
2022	$460 (2.5%)	$17,733 (97.5%)	$18,193

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Laurel 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 56^th of 693 High schools	Ranks 114^th of 674 High schools	8.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Laurel High School)	77.6	42.8	34.8%
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Laurel High School)	92.1	72.7	19.4%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	50.7	12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Laurel High School)	90.7	74.3	16.4%
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	352	328	6.8%
African American	5	1	80%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	1	0	100%
Hispanic	1	5	400%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	343	317	7.6%
Two or More Races	2	4	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	28.4%	22.6%	5.8%

Schools Near Laurel 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 7th Grade	PSSA Math 8th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA Science 8th Grade	PSSA Science All Grades	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
Laurel High School	Public	9-12	2497 Harlansburg Rd	New Castle	16101	Lawrence County	Laurel School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 658-9056	328	28	11.6	22.6%	317 (96.6%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.2%)	79.6	114^th of 674 public high schools	83.1%		89	32^nd of 634 public high schools	95.0%	82	42.8	72.7	74.3									$18,193	$460	$17,733
Shenango High School	Public	7-12	2550 Ellwood Rd	New Castle	16101	Lawrence County	Shenango Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 658-5537	468	39	12.1	42.9%	439 (93.8%)	5 (1.1%)	5 (1.1%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.2%)	83.1	91^st of 674 public high schools	86.5%		84.4	70^th of 634 public high schools	89.0%	21	39.3	83.7	77.6	40.5	34.8	38.0	80.3	80.3	69.9	69.7	69.8	$28,923	$5,234	$23,689
New Castle Senior High School	Public	9-12	300 E Lincoln Ave	New Castle	16101	Lawrence County	New Castle Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(724) 656-4700	771	49	15.6	100.0%	450 (58.4%)	201 (26.1%)	31 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	87 (11.3%)	31.1	501^st of 674 public high schools	25.7%		33.7	483^rd of 634 public high schools	23.8%	18	13.9	42.5	50.0									$17,662	$2,771	$14,891
Lawrence County Career and Technical Center	Public	9-12	750 Phelps Way	New Castle	16101	Lawrence County	Lawrence County Career and Technical Center	No	No	No	No	(724) 658-3583	378	31	12.2	100.0%	320 (84.7%)	15 (4.0%)	11 (2.9%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	28 (7.4%)	13.3	580^th of 674 public high schools	13.9%		19.5	531^st of 634 public high schools	16.2%	49	12.2	23.0	36.2
Neshannock Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	3834 Mitchell Rd	New Castle	16105	Lawrence County	Neshannock Township School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 658-5513	537	33	16.1	25.7%	504 (93.9%)	3 (0.6%)	9 (1.7%)	8 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.4%)	95.6	11^th of 674 public high schools	98.4%		80	110^th of 634 public high schools	82.6%	99	79.6	84.0	89.3	54.3	39.4	48.1	89.4	89.4	64.1	77.3	69.6	$20,679	$579	$20,100
Union Area High School	Public	9-12	2106 Camden Ave	New Castle	16101	Lawrence County	Union Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 658-4501	194	19	10.4	52.6%	167 (86.1%)	18 (9.3%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.1%)	61	287^th of 674 public high schools	57.4%		62.8	264^th of 634 public high schools	58.4%	23	39.4	52.2	65.2									$23,162	$1,621	$21,541
Wilmington Area High School	Public	9-12	350 Wood St	New Wilmington	16142	Lawrence County	Wilmington Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 656-8866	310	29	10.7	99.0%	293 (94.5%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.9%)	65.3	254^th of 674 public high schools	62.3%		59.8	294^th of 634 public high schools	53.6%	40	29.6	67.2	66.2									$16,173	$1,586	$14,588
Mohawk Senior High School	Public	9-12	385 Mohawk School Road	New Castle	16102	Lawrence County	Mohawk Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 667-7782	441	30	14.5	29.0%	424 (96.1%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.3%)	73.9	163^rd of 674 public high schools	75.8%		56.7	332^nd of 634 public high schools	47.6%	169	54.4	58.0	69.8									$17,425	$1,344	$16,080
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
Slippery Rock Area High School	Public	9-12	201 Kiester Rd	Slippery Rock	16057	Butler County	Slippery Rock Area School District	No	No	No	No	(724) 794-2960	626	53	11.8	35.0%	587 (93.8%)	9 (1.4%)	10 (1.6%)	11 (1.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.1%)	73.7	168^th of 674 public high schools	75.1%		76.5	149^th of 634 public high schools	76.5%	19	46.2	54.8	77.5									$12,971	$38	$12,934

Frequently Asked Questions about Laurel High School

Is Laurel High School a good school?

Laurel High School ranks 114^th of 674 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Laurel High School in?

Laurel School District

What schools feed into Laurel High School?

Laurel High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Laurel Elementary School

How many students attend Laurel High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 328 students attended Laurel High School.

What is the racial makeup of Laurel High School?

Students at Laurel High School are 97% White, 2% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

Rate Laurel High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

PAPennsylvania High School Rankings

PAPennsylvania District Rankings

Schools in New Castle, PA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Laurel 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.