1. Home
  2. Pennsylvania
  3. Lebanon
  4. Lebanon School District
  5. Harding Elementary School

Harding Elementary School

Summary:

Harding Elementary School is a public elementary school in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, serving 603 students in grades PK-5 as part of the Lebanon School District. The school faces significant challenges, with a high percentage of Hispanic students, consistently low academic performance, and a student population that is predominantly from low-income households.

Harding Elementary School stands out for its high percentage of Hispanic students (76.62%), which is significantly higher than the surrounding schools in the area. This racial disparity is correlated with the school's low academic performance, as its Hispanic student subgroup ranks in the bottom 20% of Pennsylvania elementary schools for Math and English Language Arts proficiency. The school's proficiency rates in PSSA Math, Science, and English Language Arts are consistently lower than the state and district averages, often by 20 percentage points or more, earning it a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Harding Elementary School also faces significant socioeconomic challenges, with an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 77.78% to 99.84% over the past few years. This is much higher than the surrounding schools in the Annville-Cleona School District and Cornwall-Lebanon School District, which range from 32.96% to 81.24%. Despite spending significantly more per student ($13,067 in 2021-2022) than the state average, Harding Elementary School's academic performance remains poor, raising questions about the effectiveness of the school's resource allocation and the need for targeted interventions and support to address the unique needs of the student population.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 622 Chestnut St
       Lebanon, PA  17042-5221

(717) 273-9391

District: Lebanon School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1316th of 1,534 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,067 Help


Students who attend Harding Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Lebanon Middle School
High:    Lebanon Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.7 Help
Number of students:  603

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
76.6%
White:
15.1%
African American:
4.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  77.8% Help


 See top rated Pennsylvania elementary schools

 Compare Harding Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Harding Elementary School ranks worse than 85.8% of elementary schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks 4th among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Lebanon School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 12.09. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (76.6%), White (15.1%), African American (4.1%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 77.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Lebanon School District. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Harding Elementary School is 15.7, which is the 2nd best among 5 elementary schools in the Lebanon School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Harding Elementary School employs 38.3 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Harding Elementary School is $13,067, which is the 2nd highest among 5 elementary schools in the Lebanon School District.
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Harding Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Harding Elementary School 1316th of 1534 Pennsylvania public elementary schools. (See Harding Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Disabled students:
Hispanic students:


Lebanon School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Lebanon School District 525th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for Harding Elementary School?

Rank History for Harding Elementary School

Help
Compare

Rank History for all students at Harding Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 20.35 1086th 1302 16.6%
2004 9.63 1167th 1308 10.8%
2005 6.20 1213th 1299 6.6%
2006 15.05 1379th 1545 10.7%
2007 21.98 1338th 1555 14.0%
2008 11.57 1421st 1551 8.4%
2009 18.52 1365th 1549 11.9%
2010 10.87 1464th 1579 7.3%
2011 13.73 1447th 1597 9.4%
2012 15.43 1402nd 1599 12.3%
2013 14.24 1319th 1519 13.2%
2014 14.48 1274th 1467 13.2%
2015 21.96 1174th 1474 20.4%
2016 17.87 1285th 1554 17.3%
2017 11.91 1336th 1547 13.6%
2018 28.19 1169th 1530 23.6%
2019 18.97 1258th 1544 18.5%
2021 15.45 1188th 1433 17.1%
2022 16.82 1246th 1534 18.8%
2023 12.09 1316th 1534 14.2%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Harding Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 35.42 121st 196 38.3%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Harding Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 18.90 1181st 1414 16.5%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Harding Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 21.00 869th 1043 16.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Harding Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 26.44 347th 432 19.7%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Pennsylvania Dept 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.

Harding Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
Help






Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Harding Elementary School

Help
Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 480 14 8 53 1 n/a n/a 0 556
1989 473 12 10 70 0 n/a n/a 0 565
1990 473 17 6 55 0 n/a n/a 0 551
1991 505 22 4 44 0 n/a n/a 0 575
1992 491 19 1 44 0 n/a n/a 0 555
1993 461 27 1 62 0 n/a n/a 0 551
1994 471 24 5 64 0 n/a n/a 0 564
1995 450 33 13 84 0 n/a n/a 0 580
1996 450 33 13 84 0 n/a n/a 0 580
1997 429 20 16 114 0 n/a n/a 0 579
1998 427 28 15 114 0 n/a n/a 0 584
1999 435 25 11 118 0 n/a n/a 0 589
2000 379 38 12 134 0 n/a n/a 0 563
2001 377 33 7 160 0 n/a n/a 0 577
2002 335 38 9 205 0 n/a n/a 0 587
2003 335 38 9 205 0 n/a n/a 0 587
2004 320 31 6 236 0 n/a n/a 0 593
2005 312 36 3 265 0 n/a n/a 0 616
2006 294 51 3 259 1 n/a n/a 0 608
2007 277 46 4 278 0 n/a n/a 0 605
2008 254 59 6 273 0 n/a n/a 0 592
2009 253 55 4 287 2 n/a n/a 11 612
2010 216 60 3 290 3 n/a n/a 21 593
2011 223 45 6 311 4 0 7 0 596
2012 211 38 8 309 3 0 9 0 578
2013 208 39 10 347 1 0 13 0 618
2014 192 49 9 329 1 0 11 0 591
2015 194 35 14 371 0 0 12 0 626
2016 182 39 10 379 0 0 23 0 633
2017 162 34 8 417 0 0 25 0 646
2018 156 30 9 420 0 0 28 0 643
2019 128 30 9 450 1 0 28 0 646
2020 132 29 2 454 1 0 29 0 647
2021 131 25 2 433 1 0 21 0 613
2022 112 23 1 426 1 0 22 0 585
2023 91 25 1 462 1 2 21 0 603

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 Harding Elementary School

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 556 32.0 17.3 n/a
1989 565 33.9 16.6 n/a
1990 551 32.4 17.0 0
1991 575 29.4 19.5 n/a
1992 555 32.2 17.2 n/a
1993 551 24.0 23.0 n/a
1994 564 27.5 20.5 n/a
1995 580 26.5 21.9 n/a
1996 580 26.5 21.9 n/a
1997 579 26.5 21.8 n/a
1998 584 27.5 21.2 n/a
1999 589 26.0 22.7 n/a
2000 563 26.0 21.7 53.5
2001 577 28.0 20.6 47.1
2002 587 28.7 20.5 46.7
2003 587 28.7 20.5 46.7
2004 593 32.7 18.1 44.4
2005 616 32.7 18.8 44.5
2006 608 34.5 17.6 68.4
2007 605 33.3 18.2 70.2
2008 592 39.1 15.1 75
2009 612 39.2 15.6 82.2
2010 593 38.7 15.3 88.5
2011 596 37.8 15.7 82
2012 578 35.1 16.4 82.4
2013 618 35.7 17.3 90
2014 591 36.2 16.3 86.6
2015 626 35.0 17.8 88.7
2016 633 35.0 18.0 100
2017 646 36.4 17.7 100
2018 643 37.7 17.0 99.8
2019 646 36.2 17.8 99.7
2020 647 35.7 18.0 99.7
2021 613 36.8 16.6 99.8
2022 585 37.7 15.5 99.5
2023 603 38.3 15.7 77.8

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 Harding Elementary School

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 556 32.0 17.3 n/a
1989 565 33.9 16.6 n/a
1990 551 32.4 17.0 0
1991 575 29.4 19.5 n/a
1992 555 32.2 17.2 n/a
1993 551 24.0 23.0 n/a
1994 564 27.5 20.5 n/a
1995 580 26.5 21.9 n/a
1996 580 26.5 21.9 n/a
1997 579 26.5 21.8 n/a
1998 584 27.5 21.2 n/a
1999 589 26.0 22.7 n/a
2000 563 26.0 21.7 53.5
2001 577 28.0 20.6 47.1
2002 587 28.7 20.5 46.7
2003 587 28.7 20.5 46.7
2004 593 32.7 18.1 44.4
2005 616 32.7 18.8 44.5
2006 608 34.5 17.6 68.4
2007 605 33.3 18.2 70.2
2008 592 39.1 15.1 75
2009 612 39.2 15.6 82.2
2010 593 38.7 15.3 88.5
2011 596 37.8 15.7 82
2012 578 35.1 16.4 82.4
2013 618 35.7 17.3 90
2014 591 36.2 16.3 86.6
2015 626 35.0 17.8 88.7
2016 633 35.0 18.0 100
2017 646 36.4 17.7 100
2018 643 37.7 17.0 99.8
2019 646 36.2 17.8 99.7
2020 647 35.7 18.0 99.7
2021 613 36.8 16.6 99.8
2022 585 37.7 15.5 99.5
2023 603 38.3 15.7 77.8

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 Harding Elementary School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,210 (10.8%) $9,981 (89.2%) $11,190
2020 $1,121 (9.6%) $10,550 (90.4%) $11,671
2021 $1,898 (15.6%) $10,302 (84.4%) $12,201
2022 $2,223 (17.0%) $10,844 (83.0%) $13,067

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Harding Elementary 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 1258th of 1544 Elementary schoolsRanks 1316th of 1534 Elementary schools
 4.3%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Harding Elementary School)28.422.7
 5.7%
   3rd Grade Math (Pennsylvania)5651.7
 4.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Harding Elementary School)43.232
 11.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)61.954
 7.9%
4th Grade Math (Harding Elementary School)25.316.9
 8.4%
   4th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)46.246.5
 0.3%
4th Grade Science (Harding Elementary School)62.740.3
 22.4%
   4th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)77.874.1
 3.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Harding Elementary School)53.721
 32.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)63.651.8
 11.8%
5th Grade Math (Harding Elementary School)17.815.5
 2.3%
   5th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)4342.7
 0.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Harding Elementary School)34.929.1
 5.8%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)58.553.6
 4.9%
All Grades Math (Harding Elementary School)23.818
 5.8%
   All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)42.439.3
 3.1%
All Grades Science (Harding Elementary School)62.740.3
 22.4%
   All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)6865.6
 2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Harding Elementary School)43.927.5
 16.4%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)60.953.8
 7.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students646603
 6.7%
African American3025
 16.7%
American Indian11
Asian91
 88.9%
Hispanic450462
 2.7%
Pacific Islander02
White12891
 28.9%
Two or More Races2821
 25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients99.7%77.8%
 21.9%

Schools Near Harding Elementary School








Frequently Asked Questions about Harding Elementary School

In the 2022-23 school year, 603 students attended Harding Elementary School.

Students who attend Harding Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lebanon Middle School
High : Lebanon Senior High School

Students at Harding Elementary School are 77% Hispanic, 15% White, 4% African American, 3% Two or more races.

Harding Elementary School ranks in the bottom 14.2% of Pennsylvania elementary schools.


Rate Harding Elementary School!



Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...


Compare to nearby schools

PAPennsylvania Elementary School Rankings

PAPennsylvania District Rankings

Schools in Lebanon, PA

Sign up for updates!

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




Diagnostics

None retrieved from Database in 68 milliseconds.