Is New Castle Senior High School a good school?

New Castle Senior High School ranks 501 st of 674 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend New Castle Senior High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 771 students attended New Castle Senior High School.

What is the racial makeup of New Castle Senior High School?

Students at New Castle Senior High School are 58% White, 26% African American, 11% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic.

What schools feed into New Castle Senior High School?

New Castle Senior High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Washington Intrmd School Middle : New Castle Junior High School

New Castle Senior High School

Summary:

New Castle Senior High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in New Castle, Pennsylvania, with a student population of 771 as of the 2022-2023 school year. The school faces significant challenges, including lower academic performance, higher socioeconomic needs, and a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools.

New Castle Senior High School has consistently underperformed on standardized tests, with only 13.9% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in Keystone Exams/Algebra I, compared to the state average of 34.1%. The school's performance in Keystone Exams/Biology (42.5%) and Keystone Exams/Literature (50%) also lags behind the state averages of 50.7% and 65.3%, respectively. Additionally, the school's four-year graduation rate has fluctuated between 83.3% and 89.8%, which is generally lower than the nearby schools, such as Riverside High School, which has a graduation rate above 90%.

Compared to the surrounding schools, New Castle Senior High School serves a more diverse student population, with 58.37% White, 26.07% African American, 4.02% Hispanic, and 11.28% two or more races. However, this diversity does not seem to translate into equitable academic outcomes, as the school's performance on standardized tests suggests potential achievement gaps between different racial and ethnic groups. Furthermore, the school has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, reaching 100% in the 2022-2023 school year, indicating significant socioeconomic challenges that may contribute to the school's lower academic performance and higher dropout rates. These factors highlight the need for targeted interventions and support to improve student outcomes at New Castle Senior High School.

Detail:

Public 9-12

300 E Lincoln Ave
New Castle, PA 16101-2530

(724) 656-4700

District: New Castle Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
501^st of 674 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,662

Feeder schools for New Castle Senior High School:

Elementary:	Washington Intrmd School
Middle:	New Castle Junior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.6

Number of students: 771

Racial breakdown:

White:

58.4%

African American:

26.1%

Two or more races:

11.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Compare New Castle Senior High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details New Castle Senior High School ranks worse than 74.3% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 31.14. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of New Castle Senior 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 (58.4%), African American (26.1%), two or more races (11.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at New Castle Senior High School is 15.6. (See more...)

Compare New Castle Senior High School employs 49.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at New Castle Senior High School is $17,662.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

New Castle Senior High School:

SchoolDigger ranks New Castle Senior High School 501^st of 674 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See New Castle Senior High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Disabled students:

African American students:

White students:

New Castle Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks New Castle Area School District 526^th of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for New Castle Senior High School

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Rank History for all students at New Castle Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	49.41	362^nd	583	37.9%
2004	54.23	319^th	590	45.9%
2005	51.65	350^th	593	41.0%
2006	35.65	471^st	604	22.0%
2007	65.34	239^th	615	61.1%
2008	54.26	344^th	621	44.6%
2009	42.85	449^th	632	29.0%
2010	47.73	417^th	649	35.7%
2011	42.50	474^th	660	28.2%
2012	37.18	492^nd	664	25.9%
2013	33.10	468^th	591	20.8%
2014	27.13	482^nd	580	16.9%
2015	40.79	483^rd	680	29.0%
2016	39.30	498^th	677	26.4%
2017	31.17	499^th	663	24.7%
2018	54.18	403^rd	673	40.1%
2019	40.54	484^th	693	30.2%
2021	42.70	385^th	537	28.3%
2022	33.65	483^rd	634	23.8%
2023	31.14	501^st	674	25.7%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at New Castle Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	8.93	125^th	129	3.1%

See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at New Castle Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	48.19	366^th	652	43.9%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at New Castle Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	31.15	333^rd	502	33.7%

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

Rank History for African American students at New Castle Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	34.53	159^th	260	38.8%

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

Rank History for White students at New Castle Senior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	29.86	442^nd	577	23.4%

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

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Enrollment information for New Castle Senior High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	961	163	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	1125
1989	877	136	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	1015
1990	863	130	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	996
1991	818	120	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	938
1992	768	119	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	891
1993	814	140	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	958
1994	777	136	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	915
1995	755	163	1	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	923
1996	755	163	1	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	923
1997	768	168	1	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	941
1998	773	165	3	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	949
1999	817	157	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	976
2000	824	151	1	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	983
2001	768	152	0	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	925
2002	764	175	3	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	951
2003	764	175	3	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	951
2004	795	217	4	11	2	n/a	n/a	0	1029
2005	745	176	7	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	938
2006	1273	351	8	18	1	n/a	n/a	0	1651
2007	1184	455	8	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	1659
2008	1118	419	12	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	1559
2009	1090	430	6	10	1	n/a	n/a	5	1542
2010	1018	390	2	13	0	n/a	n/a	45	1468
2011	964	368	2	18	0	0	50	0	1402
2012	896	344	6	20	0	0	53	0	1319
2013	897	322	5	23	0	0	59	0	1306
2014	518	203	4	15	0	0	45	0	785
2015	538	197	3	16	0	0	46	0	800
2016	504	207	2	20	0	0	40	0	773
2017	483	210	4	15	2	0	37	0	751
2018	497	206	3	17	3	0	22	0	748
2019	502	193	3	18	1	0	29	0	746
2020	498	214	3	21	2	0	23	0	761
2021	474	239	1	22	0	0	42	0	778
2022	492	207	1	26	1	0	75	0	802
2023	450	201	0	31	2	0	87	0	771

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 New Castle Senior High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1125	74.5	15.1	n/a
1989	1015	68.5	14.8	n/a
1990	996	60.5	16.4	0
1991	938	55.5	16.9	n/a
1992	891	61.0	14.6	n/a
1993	958	52.5	18.2	n/a
1994	915	54.5	16.8	n/a
1995	923	55.5	16.6	n/a
1996	923	55.5	16.6	n/a
1997	941	57.0	16.5	n/a
1998	949	56.0	16.9	n/a
1999	976	58.0	16.8	n/a
2000	983	58.0	16.9	21.5
2001	925	58.0	15.9	22.8
2002	951	54.7	17.4	24.7
2003	951	54.7	17.4	24.7
2004	1029	58.2	17.7	22.9
2005	938	59.0	15.9	25.1
2006	1651	99.7	16.6	46.6
2007	1659	101.7	16.3	43.5
2008	1559	102.8	15.2	41.2
2009	1542	100.3	15.4	47
2010	1468	102.3	14.3	54.3
2011	1402	98.7	14.2	54.6
2012	1319	95.2	13.8	61
2013	1306	92.8	14.0	60.9
2014	785	57.2	13.7	62.8
2015	800	54.0	14.8	99.8
2016	773	53.0	14.5	100
2017	751	52.3	14.3	99.9
2018	748	54.5	13.7	100
2019	746	53.1	14.0	100
2020	761	51.2	14.8	100
2021	778	46.6	16.6	2.4
2022	802	45.9	17.4	99.6
2023	771	49.2	15.6	100

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 New Castle Senior High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1125	74.5	15.1	n/a
1989	1015	68.5	14.8	n/a
1990	996	60.5	16.4	0
1991	938	55.5	16.9	n/a
1992	891	61.0	14.6	n/a
1993	958	52.5	18.2	n/a
1994	915	54.5	16.8	n/a
1995	923	55.5	16.6	n/a
1996	923	55.5	16.6	n/a
1997	941	57.0	16.5	n/a
1998	949	56.0	16.9	n/a
1999	976	58.0	16.8	n/a
2000	983	58.0	16.9	21.5
2001	925	58.0	15.9	22.8
2002	951	54.7	17.4	24.7
2003	951	54.7	17.4	24.7
2004	1029	58.2	17.7	22.9
2005	938	59.0	15.9	25.1
2006	1651	99.7	16.6	46.6
2007	1659	101.7	16.3	43.5
2008	1559	102.8	15.2	41.2
2009	1542	100.3	15.4	47
2010	1468	102.3	14.3	54.3
2011	1402	98.7	14.2	54.6
2012	1319	95.2	13.8	61
2013	1306	92.8	14.0	60.9
2014	785	57.2	13.7	62.8
2015	800	54.0	14.8	99.8
2016	773	53.0	14.5	100
2017	751	52.3	14.3	99.9
2018	748	54.5	13.7	100
2019	746	53.1	14.0	100
2020	761	51.2	14.8	100
2021	778	46.6	16.6	2.4
2022	802	45.9	17.4	99.6
2023	771	49.2	15.6	100

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 New Castle Senior High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,398 (9.6%)	$13,128 (90.4%)	$14,526
2020	$1,672 (9.3%)	$16,315 (90.7%)	$17,988
2021	$1,920 (10.7%)	$16,069 (89.3%)	$17,989
2022	$2,771 (15.7%)	$14,891 (84.3%)	$17,662

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on New Castle Senior 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 484^th of 693 High schools	Ranks 501^st of 674 High schools	4.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (New Castle Senior High School)	50	13.9	36.1%
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (New Castle Senior High School)	47.3	42.5	4.8%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	50.7	12.5%
11th Grade Literature (New Castle Senior High School)	69.8	50	19.8%
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	746	771	3.4%
African American	193	201	4.1%
American Indian	1	2	100%
Asian	3	0	100%
Hispanic	18	31	72.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	502	450	10.4%
Two or More Races	29	87	200%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near New Castle Senior 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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

New Castle Senior High School

New Castle Senior High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

New Castle Area School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for New Castle Senior High School

Rank History for all students at New Castle Senior High School

Rank History for Multi-racial students at New Castle Senior High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at New Castle Senior High School

Rank History for Disabled students at New Castle Senior High School

Rank History for African American students at New Castle Senior High School

Rank History for White students at New Castle Senior High School

Enrollment information for New Castle Senior High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at New Castle Senior High School

Student/Teacher Ratio New Castle Senior High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for New Castle Senior High School

Impact of COVID-19 on New Castle Senior High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near New Castle Senior High School