Shafer Elementary School

Q: Is Shafer Elementary School a good school?

Shafer Elementary School ranks 474 th of 1534 Pennsylvania elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Shafer Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, serving 558 students in grades K-4. As part of the Nazareth Area School District, which is ranked 74 out of 606 districts in the state, Shafer consistently outperforms the state average in academic performance.

Shafer Elementary School stands out for its strong academic achievements, with 57.5% of students proficient or better in Math and 63.7% proficient or better in English Language Arts, significantly higher than the state averages. The school also excels in Science, with 93.5% of students proficient or better, far surpassing the state average of 65.6%. Compared to nearby schools like Shawnee Elementary School and George Wolf Elementary School, Shafer's academic performance is consistently impressive.

Another notable aspect of Shafer Elementary School is its diverse student population. While the majority of students are White (73.48%), the school has a higher percentage of Hispanic (15.95%) and Asian (2.69%) students compared to other schools in the Nazareth Area School District. Additionally, Shafer serves a more economically diverse population, with 35.13% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, higher than the surrounding schools. This diversity, combined with the school's strong academic performance, suggests Shafer is providing a well-rounded and equitable educational experience for its students.

Detail:

Public K-4

49 S Liberty St
Nazareth, PA 18064

(610) 759-5228

District: Nazareth Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
474^th of 1,534 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,641

Students who attend Shafer Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Nazareth Area Intermediate School
	Nazareth Area Middle School
High:	Nazareth Area High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.1

Number of students: 558

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.5%

Hispanic:

15.9%

Two or more races:

5.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 35.1%

See top rated Pennsylvania elementary schools

Compare Shafer Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Shafer Elementary School ranks better than 69.1% of elementary schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks last among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Nazareth Area School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 70.94. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (73.5%), Hispanic (15.9%), two or more races (5.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 35.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Nazareth Area School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Shafer Elementary School is 14.1, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the Nazareth Area School District! (See more...)

Compare Shafer Elementary School employs 39.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Shafer Elementary School is $16,641, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the Nazareth Area School District!

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Shafer Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Shafer Elementary School 474^th of 1534 Pennsylvania public elementary schools. (See Shafer Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Nazareth Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Nazareth Area School District 74^th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Shafer Elementary School.

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Rank History for Shafer Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Shafer Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	43.83	839^th	1302	35.6%
2004	72.98	381^st	1308	70.9%
2005	62.96	560^th	1299	56.9%
2006	68.08	515^th	1545	66.7%
2007	63.42	649^th	1555	58.3%
2008	63.12	669^th	1551	56.9%
2009	56.94	828^th	1549	46.5%
2022	68.48	525^th	1534	65.8%
2023	70.94	474^th	1534	69.1%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	74.71	279^th	1414	80.3%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Shafer Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	54.73	387^th	1043	62.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Shafer Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	89.89	26^th	432	94.0%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Shafer Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	58.61	519^th	1236	58.0%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for White 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.

Data source: Pennsylvania Dept of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4.7)

67%

33%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, September 27, 2014

What a warm, inviting and welcoming place! I am thrilled that my son is a student in this school. He has loved every teacher he has had. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Shafer Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	569	0	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	572
1989	621	1	4	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	627
1990	633	3	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	640
1991	645	3	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	650
1992	608	3	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	613
1993	625	4	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	630
1994	644	3	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	650
1995	675	1	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	681
1996	675	1	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	681
1997	747	4	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	756
1998	789	3	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	797
1999	712	5	1	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	721
2000	713	2	3	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	726
2001	721	5	4	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	735
2002	710	2	5	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	722
2003	710	2	5	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	722
2004	678	3	5	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	692
2005	637	5	5	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	655
2006	620	4	5	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	638
2007	590	11	6	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	620
2008	649	14	12	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	696
2009	669	23	17	22	0	n/a	n/a	1	732
2010	488	12	23	16	0	n/a	n/a	1	540
2011	511	13	15	26	0	0	3	0	568
2012	505	10	14	27	0	0	8	0	564
2013	489	10	7	31	0	1	9	0	547
2014	495	10	9	30	0	0	16	0	560
2015	504	6	11	36	0	0	22	0	579
2016	517	7	13	36	0	1	18	0	592
2017	527	6	15	43	0	1	22	0	614
2018	508	5	17	55	0	1	28	0	614
2019	468	8	17	62	0	2	36	0	593
2020	470	8	21	73	0	2	37	0	611
2021	412	16	22	74	0	2	31	0	557
2022	423	15	9	86	0	1	38	0	572
2023	410	14	15	89	0	1	29	0	558

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 Shafer Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	572	26.1	21.9	n/a
1989	627	28.2	22.2	n/a
1990	640	29.2	21.9	0
1991	650	31.3	20.7	n/a
1992	613	34.3	17.8	n/a
1993	630	26.0	24.2	n/a
1994	650	27.0	24.1	n/a
1995	681	34.0	20.0	n/a
1996	681	34.0	20.0	n/a
1997	756	36.0	21.0	n/a
1998	797	38.0	21.0	n/a
1999	721	35.5	20.3	n/a
2000	726	40.5	17.9	9.4
2001	735	41.5	17.7	9.4
2002	722	42.0	17.2	9.4
2003	722	42.0	17.2	9.4
2004	692	43.0	16.1	8.8
2005	655	44.3	14.8	10.4
2006	638	42.5	15.0	11.6
2007	620	41.5	14.9	10.6
2008	696	47.4	14.7	14.7
2009	732	46.9	15.6	16.1
2010	540	32.5	16.5	18
2011	568	32.5	17.4	12.7
2012	564	32.5	17.3	18.6
2013	547	32.0	17.0	20.5
2014	560	34.6	16.1	20.9
2015	579	37.0	15.6	22.8
2016	592	39.0	15.1	20.9
2017	614	39.6	15.5	18.2
2018	614	40.3	15.2	25.4
2019	593	40.3	14.7	31.4
2020	611	39.6	15.4	31.1
2021	557	36.7	15.1	29.6
2022	572	39.8	14.3	34.4
2023	558	39.5	14.1	35.1

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 Shafer Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	572	26.1	21.9	n/a
1989	627	28.2	22.2	n/a
1990	640	29.2	21.9	0
1991	650	31.3	20.7	n/a
1992	613	34.3	17.8	n/a
1993	630	26.0	24.2	n/a
1994	650	27.0	24.1	n/a
1995	681	34.0	20.0	n/a
1996	681	34.0	20.0	n/a
1997	756	36.0	21.0	n/a
1998	797	38.0	21.0	n/a
1999	721	35.5	20.3	n/a
2000	726	40.5	17.9	9.4
2001	735	41.5	17.7	9.4
2002	722	42.0	17.2	9.4
2003	722	42.0	17.2	9.4
2004	692	43.0	16.1	8.8
2005	655	44.3	14.8	10.4
2006	638	42.5	15.0	11.6
2007	620	41.5	14.9	10.6
2008	696	47.4	14.7	14.7
2009	732	46.9	15.6	16.1
2010	540	32.5	16.5	18
2011	568	32.5	17.4	12.7
2012	564	32.5	17.3	18.6
2013	547	32.0	17.0	20.5
2014	560	34.6	16.1	20.9
2015	579	37.0	15.6	22.8
2016	592	39.0	15.1	20.9
2017	614	39.6	15.5	18.2
2018	614	40.3	15.2	25.4
2019	593	40.3	14.7	31.4
2020	611	39.6	15.4	31.1
2021	557	36.7	15.1	29.6
2022	572	39.8	14.3	34.4
2023	558	39.5	14.1	35.1

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 Shafer Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$487 (3.2%)	$14,524 (96.8%)	$15,011
2020	$444 (2.8%)	$15,567 (97.2%)	$16,011
2021	$1,013 (5.8%)	$16,328 (94.2%)	$17,341
2022	$644 (3.9%)	$15,996 (96.1%)	$16,641

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Shafer 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.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Shafer Elementary School)	87.1	57.9	29.2%
3rd Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	56	51.7	4.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Shafer Elementary School)	85.6	59.4	26.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	61.9	54	7.9%
All Grades Math (Shafer Elementary School)	87.1	57.5	29.6%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (Shafer Elementary School)	85.6	63.7	21.9%
All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	60.9	53.8	7.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	593	558	5.9%
African American	8	14	75%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	17	15	11.8%
Hispanic	62	89	43.5%
Pacific Islander	2	1	50%
White	468	410	12.4%
Two or More Races	36	29	19.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	31.4%	35.1%	3.8%

Schools Near Shafer Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				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	PSSA Math 3rd Grade	PSSA Math 4th Grade	PSSA Math 5th Grade	PSSA Math All Grades	PSSA Science 4th Grade	PSSA Science All Grades	PSSA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 4th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	PSSA English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Shafer Elementary School	Public	K-4	49 S Liberty St	Nazareth	18064	Northampton County	Nazareth Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 759-5228	558	40	14.1	35.1%	410 (73.5%)	14 (2.5%)	89 (15.9%)	15 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (5.2%)	70.9	474^th of 1534 public elementary schools	69.1%		68.5	525^th of 1534 public elementary schools	65.8%	51	57.9	57.1		57.5	93.5	93.5	59.4	69.2		63.7	$16,641	$644	$15,996
Lower Nazareth Elementary School	Public	K-4	4422 Newburg Rd	Nazareth	18064	Northampton County	Nazareth Area School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 759-7311	620	40	15.6	20.6%	456 (73.5%)	17 (2.7%)	60 (9.7%)	63 (10.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (3.5%)	84.5	204^th of 1534 public elementary schools	86.7%		86.9	162^nd of 1534 public elementary schools	89.4%	42	68.1	75.6		72.2	92.6	92.6	68.1	82.2		75.8	$16,060	$185	$15,876
Plainfield Elementary School	Public	K-3	539 School Rd	Nazareth	18064	Northampton County	Pen Argyl Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 746-4436	420	35	11.9	52.6%	346 (82.4%)	15 (3.6%)	38 (9.0%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.8%)								(n/a)	63.7			63.7			60.6			60.6	$16,790	$1,832	$14,959
Kenneth N Butz Junior Elementary School	Public	K-4	960 Bushkill Center Rd	Nazareth	18064	Northampton County	Nazareth Area School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 759-1118	552	39	14.3	20.8%	464 (84.1%)	4 (0.7%)	50 (9.1%)	15 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.4%)	81.3	257^th of 1534 public elementary schools	83.2%		81.7	255^th of 1534 public elementary schools	83.4%	2	80.5	63.8		72.5	89.5	89.5	67.2	71.4		69.2	$16,318	$500	$15,818
Palmer Elementary School	Public	K-5	3050 Green Pond Rd	Easton	18045	Northampton County	Easton Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 250-2521	514	38	13.4	100.0%	303 (58.9%)	37 (7.2%)	114 (22.2%)	33 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.3%)	53.6	817^th of 1534 public elementary schools	46.7%		59.9	693^rd of 1534 public elementary schools	54.8%	124	48.6	49.4	40.9	46.3	81.3	81.3	52.3	62.1	47.7	53.5	$18,966	$1,125	$17,841
Tracy Elementary School	Public	K-5	1243 Tatamy Rd	Easton	18045	Northampton County	Easton Area School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 250-2556	414	33	12.6	100.0%	194 (46.9%)	42 (10.1%)	91 (22.0%)	49 (11.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	36 (8.7%)	55.2	780^th of 1534 public elementary schools	49.2%		61	668^th of 1534 public elementary schools	56.5%	112	61.3	41.6	51.4	50.7	69.2	69.2	61.3	40.5	63.5	54.5	$22,300	$1,125	$21,175
Shawnee Elementary School	Public	K-5	1315 Echo Trail	Easton	18040	Northampton County	Easton Area School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 250-2400	602	42	14.2	100.0%	322 (53.5%)	67 (11.1%)	137 (22.8%)	40 (6.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	34 (5.6%)	69	520^th of 1534 public elementary schools	66.1%		77.8	335^th of 1534 public elementary schools	78.2%	185	64.1	53.6	54.1	57.2	85.7	85.7	63.4	48.8	67.4	61.2	$17,605	$1,125	$16,480
George Wolf Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	300 Allen Street	Bath	18014	Northampton County	Northampton Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(610) 837-1833	447	37	12.0	49.9%	353 (79.0%)	16 (3.6%)	67 (15.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.5%)	41.6	993^rd of 1534 public elementary schools	35.3%		54	813^th of 1534 public elementary schools	47.0%	180	40.0	54.0	24.3	39.2	82.4	82.4	40.0	51.3	35.1	42.1	$20,415	$2,428	$17,987
Forks Elementary School	Public	K-5	1709 Richmond Rd	Easton	18040	Northampton County	Easton Area School District	No	No	No	No	(610) 250-2536	357	31	11.5	100.0%	214 (59.9%)	34 (9.5%)	63 (17.6%)	19 (5.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	24 (6.7%)	59.2	717^th of 1534 public elementary schools	53.3%		67.1	557^th of 1534 public elementary schools	63.7%	160	46.5	53.7	36.1	45.0	94.4	94.4	53.4	66.6	54.1	57.8	$19,581	$1,125	$18,457
Wilson Borough Elementary School	Public	K-4	301 S 21st St	Easton	18042	Northampton County	Wilson Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(484) 373-6220	304	27	11.4	59.9%	123 (40.5%)	43 (14.1%)	96 (31.6%)	9 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (10.9%)	78.8	310^th of 1534 public elementary schools	79.8%		63.7	611^th of 1534 public elementary schools	60.2%	301	68.8	59.2		64.6	89.8	89.8	70.8	71.4		71.1	$16,461	$1,575	$14,886

Frequently Asked Questions about Shafer Elementary School

How many students attend Shafer Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 558 students attended Shafer Elementary School.

What district is Shafer Elementary School in?

Nazareth Area School District

Is Shafer Elementary School a good school?

Shafer Elementary School ranks 474^th of 1534 Pennsylvania elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Shafer Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Nazareth Area Intermediate School
Middle : Nazareth Area Middle School
High : Nazareth Area High School

What is the racial makeup of Shafer Elementary School?

Students at Shafer Elementary School are 73% White, 16% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 3% African American.

Rate Shafer Elementary 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.