Is Seneca High School a good school?

Seneca High School ranks 87 th of 686 Pennsylvania high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Seneca High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 388 students attended Seneca High School.

What is the racial makeup of Seneca High School?

Students at Seneca High School are 94% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic, 1% African American.

What schools feed into Seneca High School?

Seneca High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Wattsburg Area Elementary Center Middle : Wattsburg Area Middle School

Seneca High School

Summary:

Seneca High School is a public high school in Erie, Pennsylvania, serving 389 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Wattsburg Area School District. This high-performing school consistently ranks among the top schools in the state, with strong academic achievement, excellent support for diverse student populations, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Seneca High School stands out for its exceptional academic performance, with 11th-grade students scoring significantly higher than the state average on Keystone Exams in Algebra I, Biology, and Literature. The school's strong academic results have earned it a ranking in the top 1 out of 634 Pennsylvania high schools in 2021-2022. Seneca High School also excels in supporting various student subgroups, ranking 48 out of 664 Pennsylvania high schools for low socioeconomic status students and performing well for both female and male students. The school's consistently high graduation rates, ranging from 87.0% to 93.5%, and low dropout rates, between 0.4% and 1.6%, further demonstrate its commitment to student success.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Union City High School and Erie High School, Seneca High School's 11th-grade students have significantly outperformed their peers on Keystone Exams. Additionally, despite having a relatively low percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients, Seneca High School has been able to provide excellent educational opportunities for its low-socioeconomic status students, ranking 48 out of 664 Pennsylvania high schools in this category. The school's consistent improvement over the years, as evidenced by its increasing statewide ranking and SchoolDigger star rating, suggests a dedication to enhancing the quality of education for all its students.

Detail:

Public 9-12

10770 Wattsburg Rd
Erie, PA 16442-6422

(814) 824-3400

District: Wattsburg Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
87^th of 686 Pennsylvania High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,518

Feeder schools for Seneca High School:

Elementary:	Wattsburg Area Elementary Center
Middle:	Wattsburg Area Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.1

Number of students: 388

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.6%

Two or more races:

3.1%

Hispanic:

2.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 50.5%

See top rated Pennsylvania high schools

Compare Seneca High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Seneca High School ranks better than 87.3% of high schools in Pennsylvania. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 84.3. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Seneca High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

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 (93.6%), two or more races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 50.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Seneca High School is 10.1. (See more...)

Compare Seneca High School employs 38.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Seneca High School is $18,518.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Seneca High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Seneca High School 87^th of 686 Pennsylvania public high schools. (See Seneca High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

White students:

Wattsburg Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Wattsburg Area School District 76^th of 610 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Seneca High School.

What do you think?

Your rating for Seneca High School?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Seneca High School

Compare

Rank History for all students at Seneca High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	65.72	207^th	583	64.5%
2004	62.25	252^nd	590	57.3%
2005	47.00	387^th	593	34.7%
2006	50.75	364^th	604	39.7%
2007	63.18	261^st	615	57.6%
2008	58.80	299^th	621	51.9%
2009	75.35	132^nd	632	79.1%
2010	58.32	318^th	649	51.0%
2011	57.14	345^th	660	47.7%
2012	63.65	271^st	664	59.2%
2013	57.44	278^th	591	53.0%
2014	50.93	346^th	580	40.3%
2015	60.60	339^th	680	50.1%
2016	50.84	426^th	677	37.1%
2017	56.21	373^rd	663	43.7%
2018	38.69	492^nd	673	26.9%
2019	61.59	327^th	693	52.8%
2022	97.25	1^st	634	99.8%
2024	84.30	87^th	686	87.3%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Seneca High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	87.90	48^th	664	92.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at Seneca High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	81.96	94^th	665	85.9%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Seneca High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	56.44	179^th	513	65.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Seneca High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	85.07	82^nd	662	87.6%

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

Rank History for White students at Seneca High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	75.23	130^th	595	78.2%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4.5)

50%

Reviews:

by a student
Friday, April 16, 2010

this is one of the best schools i have been to yet i went to favirview and mcdowell and this school is so much better than the ones ive been to. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Seneca High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	678	2	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	681
1989	661	1	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	663
1990	648	1	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	650
1991	641	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	641
1992	626	5	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	635
1993	616	8	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	627
1994	615	7	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	625
1995	596	8	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	605
1996	596	8	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	605
1997	613	3	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	618
1998	605	4	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	611
1999	584	5	1	1	1	n/a	n/a	592
2000	602	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	602
2001	590	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	590
2002	584	0	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	588
2003	584	0	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	588
2004	559	0	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	562
2005	542	0	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	545
2006	544	0	3	5	0	n/a	n/a	552
2007	521	0	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	525
2008	530	1	2	0	1	n/a	n/a	534
2009	545	3	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	548
2010	548	5	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	554
2011	531	4	0	5	0	0	9	549
2012	515	3	0	4	3	0	8	533
2013	505	2	1	5	3	0	11	527
2014	480	1	1	11	2	0	9	504
2015	470	2	2	11	1	0	11	497
2016	431	2	0	9	0	0	16	458
2017	417	3	0	6	1	0	18	445
2018	432	2	0	5	0	0	18	457
2019	412	1	0	3	0	0	12	428
2020	417	2	0	7	0	0	13	439
2021	390	2	0	10	0	0	10	412
2022	388	3	0	8	1	0	10	410
2023	366	4	0	8	1	0	10	389
2024	363	4	0	8	1	0	12	388

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 Seneca High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	681	38.0	17.9	n/a
1989	663	38.2	17.3	n/a
1990	650	39.4	16.4	0
1991	641	42.2	15.1	n/a
1992	635	39.6	16.0	n/a
1993	627	35.0	17.9	n/a
1994	625	34.0	18.4	n/a
1995	605	30.5	19.8	n/a
1996	605	30.5	19.8	n/a
1997	618	31.5	19.6	n/a
1998	611	30.5	20.0	n/a
1999	592	30.0	19.7	n/a
2000	602	32.5	18.5	17.8
2001	590	32.5	18.2	15.1
2002	588	29.3	20.1	15.8
2003	588	29.3	20.1	15.8
2004	562	29.0	19.4	15.1
2005	545	30.0	18.2	17.1
2006	552	30.8	17.9	22.8
2007	525	33.7	15.6	25.1
2008	534	31.3	17.1	23.2
2009	548	34.5	15.9	23.4
2010	554	34.4	16.0	28.2
2011	549	34.8	15.7	31.9
2012	533	34.4	15.4	35.3
2013	527	34.2	15.4	36.4
2014	504	33.6	14.9	31.7
2015	497	34.0	14.6	29.8
2016	458	32.0	14.3	33.2
2017	445	32.3	13.7	32.8
2018	457	31.4	14.5	30.4
2019	428	31.0	13.7	32
2020	439	29.0	15.1	32.6
2021	412	31.8	12.9	25
2022	410	30.8	13.2	25.4
2023	389	29.8	13.0	28.3
2024	388	38.3	10.1	50.5

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 Seneca High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	681	38.0	17.9	n/a
1989	663	38.2	17.3	n/a
1990	650	39.4	16.4	0
1991	641	42.2	15.1	n/a
1992	635	39.6	16.0	n/a
1993	627	35.0	17.9	n/a
1994	625	34.0	18.4	n/a
1995	605	30.5	19.8	n/a
1996	605	30.5	19.8	n/a
1997	618	31.5	19.6	n/a
1998	611	30.5	20.0	n/a
1999	592	30.0	19.7	n/a
2000	602	32.5	18.5	17.8
2001	590	32.5	18.2	15.1
2002	588	29.3	20.1	15.8
2003	588	29.3	20.1	15.8
2004	562	29.0	19.4	15.1
2005	545	30.0	18.2	17.1
2006	552	30.8	17.9	22.8
2007	525	33.7	15.6	25.1
2008	534	31.3	17.1	23.2
2009	548	34.5	15.9	23.4
2010	554	34.4	16.0	28.2
2011	549	34.8	15.7	31.9
2012	533	34.4	15.4	35.3
2013	527	34.2	15.4	36.4
2014	504	33.6	14.9	31.7
2015	497	34.0	14.6	29.8
2016	458	32.0	14.3	33.2
2017	445	32.3	13.7	32.8
2018	457	31.4	14.5	30.4
2019	428	31.0	13.7	32
2020	439	29.0	15.1	32.6
2021	412	31.8	12.9	25
2022	410	30.8	13.2	25.4
2023	389	29.8	13.0	28.3
2024	388	38.3	10.1	50.5

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 Seneca High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$512 (3.9%)	$12,783 (96.1%)	$13,295
2020	$220 (1.3%)	$16,498 (98.7%)	$16,718
2021	$1,092 (5.7%)	$17,916 (94.3%)	$19,008
2022	$1,961 (10.6%)	$16,557 (89.4%)	$18,518

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Seneca 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 327^th of 693 High schools	Ranks 1^st of 634 High schools	47%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade Algebra I (Seneca High School)	67.4	92.2	24.8%
11th Grade Algebra I (Pennsylvania)	63.3	34.1	29.2%
11th Grade Biology (Seneca High School)	65.6	100	34.4%
11th Grade Biology (Pennsylvania)	63.2	58.2	5%
11th Grade Literature (Seneca High School)	72.1	100	27.9%
11th Grade Literature (Pennsylvania)	71.5	35.1	36.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	428	389	9.1%
African American	1	4	300%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	3	8	166.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	412	366	11.2%
Two or More Races	12	10	16.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	32%	28.3%	3.7%

Schools Near Seneca High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Keystone Exams Algebra I (2024)	Keystone Exams Biology (2024)	Keystone Exams Literature (2024)	PSSA Math (2024)				PSSA Science (2024)		PSSA English Language Arts (2024)				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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Keystone Exams Algebra I 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Biology 11th Grade	Keystone Exams Literature 11th Grade	PSSA Math 6th 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 6th Grade	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
Seneca High School	Public	9-12	10770 Wattsburg Rd	Erie	16442	Erie County	Wattsburg Area School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 824-3400	388	38	10.1	50.5%	363 (93.6%)	4 (1.0%)	8 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.1%)	84.3	87^th of 686 public high schools	87.3%					(n/a)	68.6	57.3	86.8											$18,518	$1,961	$16,557
Harbor Creek Senior High School	Public	9-12	6375 Buffalo Rd	Harborcreek	16421	Erie County	Harbor Creek School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 897-2100	682	44	15.5	43.4%	617 (90.5%)	14 (2.1%)	25 (3.7%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (3.2%)	80.4	110^th of 686 public high schools	84.0%		72.8	182^nd of 674 public high schools	73.0%	72	60.3	67.4	72.3											$16,961	$440	$16,520
Fort LeBoeuf Senior High School	Public	9-12	931 N High St	Waterford	16441	Erie County	Fort LeBoeuf School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 796-2616	679	48	14.1	54.2%	647 (95.3%)	4 (0.6%)	12 (1.8%)	6 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.5%)	88.2	55^th of 686 public high schools	92.0%		88.3	53^rd of 674 public high schools	92.1%	2	68.2	69.9	81.7											$16,986	$1,439	$15,546
Iroquois Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	4301 Main Street	Erie	16511	Erie County	Iroquois School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 899-7643	547	39	14.0	100.2%	458 (83.7%)	22 (4.0%)	22 (4.0%)	5 (0.9%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.8%)	67.5	227^th of 686 public high schools	66.9%		77	137^th of 674 public high schools	79.7%	90	40.3	64.5	70.5		20.6	33.8	27.0	53.1	53.1		44.8	50.0	47.3	$20,152	$1,228	$18,924
Northwest PA Collegiate Academy	Public, Magnet	9-12	2825 State St	Erie	16508	Erie County	Erie City School District	No	Yes	No	No	(814) 874-6300	748	54	13.8	99.6%	431 (57.6%)	151 (20.2%)	69 (9.2%)	48 (6.4%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (6.1%)	92.2	39^th of 686 public high schools	94.3%		84.9	81^st of 674 public high schools	88.0%	42	66.2	78.2	88.6											$14,516	$3,367	$11,149
Erie High School	Public	9-12	3325 Cherry St	Erie	16508	Erie County	Erie City School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 874-6200	2,417	179	13.5	100.0%	838 (34.7%)	1,048 (43.4%)	332 (13.7%)	96 (4.0%)	2 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	99 (4.1%)	3.1	663^rd of 686 public high schools	3.4%		6.3	622^nd of 674 public high schools	7.7%	41	4.2	9.2	13.1											$10,225	$3,104	$7,121
Erie County Technical School	Public	9-12	8500 Oliver Road	Erie	16509	Erie County	Erie County Technical School	No	No	No	No	(814) 464-8600	3	20	.1		3 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Perseus House Charter School of Excellence	Public, Charter	6-12	1511 Peach Street	Erie	16501	Erie County	Perseus House Charter School of Excellence	Yes	No	No	Yes	(814) 480-5914	601	37	16.1	81.5%	145 (24.1%)	241 (40.1%)	130 (21.6%)	44 (7.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (6.7%)	2.1	675^th of 686 public high schools	1.6%		2.9	670^th of 674 public high schools	0.6%	5	1.8	3.8	12.3	7.4	0.0	4.9	3.1	26.9	26.9	22.2	6.8	12.2	11.8	$17,530	$3,772	$13,758
Union City High School	Public	9-12	105 Concord Street	Union City	16438	Erie County	Union City Area School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 438-7673	302	32	9.4	97.0%	287 (95.0%)	4 (1.3%)	8 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	46.9	415^th of 686 public high schools	39.5%		43.3	436^th of 674 public high schools	35.3%	21	39.0	42.7	59.8											$19,651	$871	$18,780
North East High School	Public	9-12	1901 Freeport Rd	North East	16428	Erie County	North East School District	No	No	No	No	(814) 725-8671	543	67	8.0	52.9%	496 (91.3%)	9 (1.7%)	17 (3.1%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.3%)	71	199^th of 686 public high schools	71.0%		73.1	179^th of 674 public high schools	73.4%	20	60.2	55.3	66.7											$15,953	$788	$15,165

Seneca High School

Seneca High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Wattsburg Area School District:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Seneca High School

Rank History for all students at Seneca High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Seneca High School

Rank History for Female students at Seneca High School

Rank History for Disabled students at Seneca High School

Rank History for Male students at Seneca High School

Rank History for White students at Seneca High School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Seneca High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Seneca High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Seneca High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Seneca High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Seneca High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Seneca High School

Frequently Asked Questions about Seneca High School

Rate Seneca High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Sign up for updates!