Norristown Area High School

Summary:

Norristown Area High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in the Norristown Area School District, with 2,309 students, making it the largest high school in the district. However, the school has consistently been ranked in the bottom half of Pennsylvania high schools, currently ranking 617 out of 686 and receiving a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Norristown Area High School significantly underperforms the state averages on the Keystone Exams, a standardized test used in Pennsylvania. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 11.5% of 11th graders scored proficient or better in Algebra I, compared to the state average of 41.6%. Similarly, only 17.1% scored proficient or better in Biology, compared to 50.5% statewide, and 32.3% in Literature, compared to 63.2% statewide. The school also has a very high percentage of students from low-income families, with 83.07% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, significantly higher than the state average.

Compared to nearby high-performing schools, such as North Penn Senior High School, Perkiomen Valley High School, and Wissahickon Senior High School, Norristown Area High School's performance is significantly lower. These schools, all within a 7-mile radius, have much higher academic achievement, graduation rates, and lower percentages of students from low-income families. The district's alternative high school, Roosevelt Campus of the Norristown Area High School, also has even lower academic performance, suggesting the district may be struggling to provide adequate support and resources for its most vulnerable students.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 1900 Eagle Dr
       Norristown, PA  19403-2700


(610) 630-5090

District: Norristown Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
617th of 686 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $18,862 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  17.5 Help
Number of students:  2,273

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
52.3%
African American:
28.3%
White:
11.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100.1% Help


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 Compare Norristown Area High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Norristown Area High School ranks worse than 89.9% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.11. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Norristown Area High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (52.3%), African American (28.3%), White (11%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 100.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Norristown Area High School is 17.5. (See more...)
Help
Compare Norristown Area High School employs 129.6 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Norristown Area High School is $18,862.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Norristown Area High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Norristown Area High School 617th of 686 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Norristown Area High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Norristown Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Norristown Area School District 500th of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Norristown Area High School?

Rank History for Norristown Area High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Norristown Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 36.35 440th 583 24.5%
2004 33.21 457th 590 22.5%
2005 25.33 504th 593 15.0%
2006 18.84 540th 604 10.6%
2007 30.36 504th 615 18.0%
2008 20.54 544th 621 12.4%
2009 12.27 573rd 632 9.3%
2010 14.09 588th 649 9.4%
2011 20.52 574th 660 13.0%
2012 33.57 515th 664 22.4%
2013 31.76 477th 591 19.3%
2014 26.51 483rd 580 16.7%
2015 40.25 486th 680 28.5%
2016 43.75 475th 677 29.8%
2017 40.94 472nd 663 28.8%
2018 39.21 488th 673 27.5%
2019 39.11 489th 693 29.4%
2021 17.75 473rd 537 11.9%
2022 17.81 537th 634 15.3%
2023 16.34 571st 674 15.3%
2024 8.11 617th 686 10.1%
See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Norristown Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 20.93 101st 129 21.7%
2024 6.33 147th 150 2.0%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Norristown Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 35.04 56th 85 34.1%
2024 23.50 76th 84 9.5%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 20.07 547th 652 16.1%
2024 10.84 602nd 664 9.3%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Norristown Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 8.43 593rd 665 10.8%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Norristown Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 24.14 396th 502 21.1%
2024 19.73 439th 513 14.4%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Norristown Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 7.84 603rd 662 8.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Norristown Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 33.61 166th 260 36.2%
2024 30.16 199th 284 29.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Norristown Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 24.80 199th 252 21.0%
2024 14.17 247th 274 9.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Norristown Area High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 22.32 490th 577 15.1%
2024 13.00 540th 595 9.2%
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.

Norristown Area High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2.7)
17%

33%

0%

0%

50%

  

Reviews:
by a student
Monday, November 1, 2021

Open Quote As a student that is a senior here at NAHS and have been here since 9th grad I can agree that NAHS is definitely one of the worst schools Close Quote


by a student
Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Open Quote Overall, this school sucks. Whole school is dirty besides the main office. All staff does is complain about our school having a bad rep but do nothing about it. Something is always broken whether it’s a stairwell window or mirror or water fountain. Educational material is over a decade old and money is spent on stuff that kids just break anyway like the TVs in the cafeteria that show school propaganda. Fights are very frequent. Pep rallies are boring and uninspired. Nobody respects anybody. Nothing good has or ever will come from this school Close Quote


by a parent
Thursday, August 16, 2012

Open Quote I dont care what anyone says negative about NAHS. This high school is the most diversified, unified high school in the area. Both of my sons went to this high school with no problems. I have interacted with the teachers, counselors, principles, board of directors and I am very impressed!!! Norristown always gets a bad rap, with suburban districts, police, media, etc. Nothing goes on any differently in this school than in any other school. The only difference is when something negative happens in this district, it gets publicized and over dramatized. When something negative happens in other school districts, it is kept hush hush, unless of course there is a shooting spree. My father went to Norristown High, I went to Norristown High, my two sons went to Norristown High (by the way, one went to college is now a staff seargant in the US Army and my younger son is working and going to college for mass communication),. THANK YOU NAHS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!!!! Close Quote



Enrollment information for Norristown Area High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 1060 489 65 25 0 n/a n/a 0 1639
1989 985 519 54 21 3 n/a n/a 0 1582
1990 948 519 66 26 1 n/a n/a 0 1560
1991 900 524 59 27 5 n/a n/a 0 1515
1992 916 480 58 33 2 n/a n/a 0 1489
1993 898 504 54 47 0 n/a n/a 0 1503
1994 950 538 53 57 4 n/a n/a 0 1602
1995 918 506 60 68 3 n/a n/a 0 1555
1996 918 506 60 68 3 n/a n/a 0 1555
1997 919 576 76 68 3 n/a n/a 0 1642
1998 881 587 73 77 1 n/a n/a 0 1619
1999 890 635 64 80 1 n/a n/a 0 1670
2000 863 655 58 109 1 n/a n/a 0 1686
2001 865 664 60 122 1 n/a n/a 0 1712
2002 828 776 52 134 0 n/a n/a 0 1790
2003 828 776 52 134 0 n/a n/a 0 1790
2004 840 871 47 146 0 n/a n/a 0 1904
2005 792 921 41 175 0 n/a n/a 0 1929
2006 758 940 42 222 2 n/a n/a 0 1964
2007 710 866 40 236 0 n/a n/a 0 1852
2008 658 887 40 280 4 n/a n/a 9 1878
2009 631 949 42 289 3 n/a n/a 12 1926
2010 630 913 34 319 2 n/a n/a 14 1912
2011 615 874 31 331 2 0 18 0 1871
2012 593 824 33 333 2 0 24 0 1809
2013 562 782 30 341 2 0 22 0 1739
2014 509 803 31 396 1 0 30 0 1770
2015 435 770 28 425 2 0 27 0 1687
2016 376 738 31 470 3 0 40 0 1658
2017 340 711 33 545 2 0 55 0 1686
2018 301 699 34 605 0 0 75 0 1714
2019 275 656 36 699 2 0 104 0 1772
2020 298 609 32 760 1 0 134 0 1834
2021 305 631 30 892 1 0 145 0 2004
2022 306 702 29 1030 1 0 161 0 2229
2023 288 678 26 1169 3 0 145 0 2309
2024 251 643 27 1189 2 1 160 0 2273

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 Norristown Area High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1639 111.0 14.7 n/a
1989 1582 112.5 14.0 n/a
1990 1560 127.0 12.2 0
1991 1515 113.5 13.3 n/a
1992 1489 106.5 13.9 n/a
1993 1503 96.8 15.5 n/a
1994 1602 104.0 15.4 n/a
1995 1555 106.0 14.7 n/a
1996 1555 106.0 14.7 n/a
1997 1642 108.1 15.2 n/a
1998 1619 103.1 15.7 n/a
1999 1670 107.0 15.6 n/a
2000 1686 108.0 15.6 37
2001 1712 110.6 15.5 36.1
2002 1790 119.1 15.0 38.5
2003 1790 119.1 15.0 38.5
2004 1904 126.5 15.1 32.5
2005 1929 125.9 15.3 35.8
2006 1964 123.9 15.9 43.9
2007 1852 130.7 14.2 47.3
2008 1878 138.0 13.6 53.7
2009 1926 138.2 13.9 51.5
2010 1912 138.4 13.8 53.3
2011 1871 140.2 13.3 60.3
2012 1809 128.3 14.0 58.8
2013 1739 124.0 14.0 62.6
2014 1770 126.7 13.9 61.6
2015 1687 133.0 12.6 71.3
2016 1658 122.0 13.5 74.8
2017 1686 120.2 14.0 85.9
2018 1714 111.2 15.4 83.9
2019 1772 108.7 16.3 79.7
2020 1834 113.7 16.1 76
2021 2004 118.3 16.9 72
2022 2229 118.3 18.8 79.2
2023 2309 120.0 19.2 83.1
2024 2273 129.6 17.5 100.1

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 Norristown Area High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1639 111.0 14.7 n/a
1989 1582 112.5 14.0 n/a
1990 1560 127.0 12.2 0
1991 1515 113.5 13.3 n/a
1992 1489 106.5 13.9 n/a
1993 1503 96.8 15.5 n/a
1994 1602 104.0 15.4 n/a
1995 1555 106.0 14.7 n/a
1996 1555 106.0 14.7 n/a
1997 1642 108.1 15.2 n/a
1998 1619 103.1 15.7 n/a
1999 1670 107.0 15.6 n/a
2000 1686 108.0 15.6 37
2001 1712 110.6 15.5 36.1
2002 1790 119.1 15.0 38.5
2003 1790 119.1 15.0 38.5
2004 1904 126.5 15.1 32.5
2005 1929 125.9 15.3 35.8
2006 1964 123.9 15.9 43.9
2007 1852 130.7 14.2 47.3
2008 1878 138.0 13.6 53.7
2009 1926 138.2 13.9 51.5
2010 1912 138.4 13.8 53.3
2011 1871 140.2 13.3 60.3
2012 1809 128.3 14.0 58.8
2013 1739 124.0 14.0 62.6
2014 1770 126.7 13.9 61.6
2015 1687 133.0 12.6 71.3
2016 1658 122.0 13.5 74.8
2017 1686 120.2 14.0 85.9
2018 1714 111.2 15.4 83.9
2019 1772 108.7 16.3 79.7
2020 1834 113.7 16.1 76
2021 2004 118.3 16.9 72
2022 2229 118.3 18.8 79.2
2023 2309 120.0 19.2 83.1
2024 2273 129.6 17.5 100.1

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 Norristown Area High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,307 (6.0%) $20,366 (94.0%) $21,672
2020 $1,047 (5.1%) $19,288 (94.9%) $20,335
2021 $1,450 (8.4%) $15,796 (91.6%) $17,246
2022 $1,706 (9.0%) $17,156 (91.0%) $18,862

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Norristown 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 489th of 693 High schoolsRanks 571st of 674 High schools
 14.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Norristown Area High School)51.618.1
 33.5%
   11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)63.334.1
 29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Norristown Area High School)47.518.1
 29.4%
   11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)63.250.7
 12.5%
11th Grade Literature (Norristown Area High School)66.441.1
 25.3%
   11th Grade Literature (Pennsylvania)71.565.3
 6.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students17722309
 30.3%
African American656678
 3.4%
American Indian23
 50%
Asian3626
 27.8%
Hispanic6991169
 67.2%
Pacific Islander00
White275288
 4.7%
Two or More Races104145
 39.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients79.7%83.1%
 3.4%


Schools Near Norristown Area High School









Frequently Asked Questions about Norristown Area High School

Norristown Area High School ranks in the bottom 10.1% of Pennsylvania high schools.

Students at Norristown Area High School are 52% Hispanic, 28% African American, 11% White, 7% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

In the 2023-24 school year, 2,273 students attended Norristown Area High 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.





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