Fern Hill Elementary School

Q: Is Fern Hill Elementary School a good school?

Fern Hill Elementary School ranks 358 th of 1534 Pennsylvania elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Fern Hill Elementary School is a public elementary school in West Chester, Pennsylvania, serving 391 students in grades K-5 and part of the highly-ranked West Chester Area School District.

Fern Hill Elementary consistently outperforms state and district averages on standardized tests, with 61% of students proficient or better in Math and 88% in Science, placing the school in the top 25% of Pennsylvania elementary schools. The school also has a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools, with 32.74% of students identifying as non-White. Additionally, Fern Hill has a low student-teacher ratio of 10.5 students per teacher, which may contribute to its strong academic performance.

While Penn Wood Elementary and Mary C Howse Elementary have higher overall test scores, Fern Hill serves a more diverse student population, including a higher percentage of students from lower-income families. This suggests that Fern Hill is effectively supporting students from various backgrounds, though there may be opportunities to further enhance support for its lower-income and minority student populations.

Detail:

Public K-5

915 Lincoln Ave
West Chester, PA 19380-4513

(484) 266-1600

District: West Chester Area School District

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,961

Student/teacher ratio: 10.5

Number of students: 391

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.3%

Hispanic:

12.5%

Asian:

10.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 24.3%

See top rated Pennsylvania elementary schools

Compare Fern Hill Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Fern Hill Elementary School ranks better than 76.7% of elementary schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks 8^th among 11 ranked elementary schools in the West Chester Area School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 75.71. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Fern Hill Elementary School has the smallest elementary school student body size in the West Chester Area School District. Racial makeup is: White (67.3%), Hispanic (12.5%), Asian (10.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 24.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Fern Hill Elementary School is 10.5, which is the lowest among 11 elementary schools in the West Chester Area School District! (See more...)

Compare Fern Hill Elementary School employs 37 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Fern Hill Elementary School is $17,961, which is the 2^nd highest among 11 elementary schools in the West Chester Area School District.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Fern Hill Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Fern Hill Elementary School 358^th of 1534 Pennsylvania public elementary schools. (See Fern Hill Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

White students:

West Chester Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks West Chester Area School District 71^st of 606 Pennsylvania school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Fern Hill Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Fern Hill Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile
2003	89.18	83^rd	1302	93.6%
2004	87.17	111^th	1308	91.5%
2005	85.68	69^th	1299	94.7%
2006	80.85	210^th	1545	86.4%
2007	78.92	258^th	1555	83.4%
2008	78.07	258^th	1551	83.4%
2009	79.51	214^th	1549	86.2%
2010	79.63	216^th	1579	86.3%
2011	78.88	239^th	1597	85.0%
2012	86.94	25^th	1599	98.4%
2013	82.60	146^th	1519	90.4%
2014	85.46	77^th	1467	94.8%
2015	88.01	88^th	1474	94.0%
2016	87.09	116^th	1554	92.5%
2017	87.74	98^th	1547	93.7%
2018	83.39	208^th	1530	86.4%
2019	80.79	270^th	1544	82.5%
2021	82.15	222^nd	1433	84.5%
2022	83.37	232^nd	1534	84.9%
2023	75.71	358^th	1534	76.7%

See the entire list of Pennsylvania Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Fern Hill Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	61.54	549^th	1414	61.2%

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

Rank History for White students at Fern Hill Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	PA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	74.91	273^rd	1236	77.9%

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

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Enrollment information for Fern Hill Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	338	76	15	17	0	n/a	n/a	446
1989	347	75	11	20	0	n/a	n/a	453
1990	367	75	8	17	0	n/a	n/a	467
1991	373	80	12	22	0	n/a	n/a	487
1992	429	66	12	12	0	n/a	n/a	519
1993	420	54	17	17	0	n/a	n/a	508
1994	426	64	13	20	0	n/a	n/a	523
1995	484	75	9	12	0	n/a	n/a	580
1996	484	75	9	12	0	n/a	n/a	580
1997	506	82	12	13	1	n/a	n/a	614
1998	523	86	12	12	2	n/a	n/a	635
1999	469	63	12	7	1	n/a	n/a	552
2000	447	54	15	8	0	n/a	n/a	524
2001	435	51	17	13	1	n/a	n/a	517
2002	374	43	15	18	1	n/a	n/a	451
2003	374	43	15	18	1	n/a	n/a	451
2004	392	36	22	19	0	n/a	n/a	469
2005	413	34	25	23	0	n/a	n/a	495
2006	401	39	24	22	0	n/a	n/a	486
2007	378	39	31	24	0	n/a	n/a	472
2008	360	38	27	20	0	n/a	n/a	445
2009	358	26	29	20	0	n/a	n/a	433
2010	366	35	29	32	0	n/a	n/a	462
2011	359	37	30	34	1	0	0	461
2012	370	30	30	40	2	0	0	472
2013	344	24	28	37	1	0	0	434
2014	374	38	26	50	1	0	6	495
2015	364	34	26	51	1	0	8	484
2016	389	26	27	60	1	0	7	510
2017	390	30	25	75	0	0	12	532
2018	414	30	27	71	0	0	15	557
2019	396	19	23	85	0	0	15	538
2020	398	22	25	86	0	0	17	548
2021	402	26	23	97	0	0	18	566
2022	260	18	49	50	0	0	22	399
2023	263	19	40	49	0	0	20	391

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 Fern Hill Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	446	24.0	18.5	n/a
1989	453	29.7	15.2	n/a
1990	467	29.7	15.7	0
1991	487	30.5	15.9	n/a
1992	519	32.1	16.1	n/a
1993	508	23.3	21.8	n/a
1994	523	25.6	20.4	n/a
1995	580	26.3	22.1	n/a
1996	580	26.3	22.1	n/a
1997	614	30.4	20.2	n/a
1998	635	31.6	20.1	n/a
1999	552	30.6	18.0	n/a
2000	524	29.6	17.7	6.9
2001	517	28.3	18.3	7.7
2002	451	27.0	16.7	7.8
2003	451	27.0	16.7	7.8
2004	469	35.1	13.4	5.8
2005	495	36.7	13.5	7.1
2006	486	30.3	16.0	8.6
2007	472	29.9	15.8	11.7
2008	445	39.8	11.2	11
2009	433	32.9	13.1	10.6
2010	462	31.8	14.5	12.1
2011	461	31.3	14.7	16.1
2012	472	31.3	15.0	16.5
2013	434	34.0	12.7	14.7
2014	495	33.1	14.9	20.4
2015	484	35.0	13.8	19
2016	510	35.0	14.5	19
2017	532	36.1	14.7	20.5
2018	557	39.1	14.2	23
2019	538	38.1	14.0	23.8
2020	548	40.0	13.6	23.2
2021	566	41.0	13.7	22.4
2022	399	37.9	10.5	20.8
2023	391	37.0	10.5	24.3

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 Fern Hill Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	446	24.0	18.5	n/a
1989	453	29.7	15.2	n/a
1990	467	29.7	15.7	0
1991	487	30.5	15.9	n/a
1992	519	32.1	16.1	n/a
1993	508	23.3	21.8	n/a
1994	523	25.6	20.4	n/a
1995	580	26.3	22.1	n/a
1996	580	26.3	22.1	n/a
1997	614	30.4	20.2	n/a
1998	635	31.6	20.1	n/a
1999	552	30.6	18.0	n/a
2000	524	29.6	17.7	6.9
2001	517	28.3	18.3	7.7
2002	451	27.0	16.7	7.8
2003	451	27.0	16.7	7.8
2004	469	35.1	13.4	5.8
2005	495	36.7	13.5	7.1
2006	486	30.3	16.0	8.6
2007	472	29.9	15.8	11.7
2008	445	39.8	11.2	11
2009	433	32.9	13.1	10.6
2010	462	31.8	14.5	12.1
2011	461	31.3	14.7	16.1
2012	472	31.3	15.0	16.5
2013	434	34.0	12.7	14.7
2014	495	33.1	14.9	20.4
2015	484	35.0	13.8	19
2016	510	35.0	14.5	19
2017	532	36.1	14.7	20.5
2018	557	39.1	14.2	23
2019	538	38.1	14.0	23.8
2020	548	40.0	13.6	23.2
2021	566	41.0	13.7	22.4
2022	399	37.9	10.5	20.8
2023	391	37.0	10.5	24.3

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 Fern Hill Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$462 (3.2%)	$14,064 (96.8%)	$14,526
2020	$420 (2.9%)	$14,154 (97.1%)	$14,574
2021	$635 (4.4%)	$13,958 (95.6%)	$14,594
2022	$691 (3.8%)	$17,270 (96.2%)	$17,961

Data source: Pennsylvania Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Fern Hill 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 270^th of 1544 Elementary schools	Ranks 358^th of 1534 Elementary schools	5.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Fern Hill Elementary School)	78.8	62.9	15.9%
3rd Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	56	51.7	4.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Fern Hill Elementary School)	80	66.7	13.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	61.9	54	7.9%
4th Grade Math (Fern Hill Elementary School)	51.9	60	8.1%
4th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	46.2	46.5	0.3%
4th Grade Science (Fern Hill Elementary School)	92.4	88	4.4%
4th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)	77.8	74.1	3.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Fern Hill Elementary School)	76.9	72.6	4.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	63.6	51.8	11.8%
5th Grade Math (Fern Hill Elementary School)	72	59.7	12.3%
5th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)	43	42.7	0.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Fern Hill Elementary School)	84.8	64.5	20.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)	58.5	53.6	4.9%
All Grades Math (Fern Hill Elementary School)	67.8	61	6.8%
All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
All Grades Science (Fern Hill Elementary School)	92.4	88	4.4%
All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)	68	65.6	2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Fern Hill Elementary School)	80.8	67.5	13.3%
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	538	391	27.3%
African American	19	19
American Indian	0	0
Asian	23	40	73.9%
Hispanic	85	49	42.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	396	263	33.6%
Two or More Races	15	20	33.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	23.8%	24.3%	0.5%

Schools Near Fern Hill 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
Fern Hill Elementary School	Public	K-5	915 Lincoln Ave	West Chester	19380	Chester County	West Chester Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(484) 266-1600	391	37	10.5	24.3%	263 (67.3%)	19 (4.9%)	49 (12.5%)	40 (10.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.1%)	75.7	358^th of 1534 public elementary schools	76.7%		83.4	232^nd of 1534 public elementary schools	84.9%	126	62.9	60.0	59.7	61.0	88.0	88.0	66.7	72.6	64.5	67.5	$17,961	$691	$17,270
Glen Acres Elementary School	Public	K-5	1150 Delancey Pl	West Chester	19382	Chester County	West Chester Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(484) 266-1700	485	35	13.8	23.9%	351 (72.4%)	31 (6.4%)	45 (9.3%)	25 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (6.8%)	69.8	495^th of 1534 public elementary schools	67.7%		84.1	222^nd of 1534 public elementary schools	85.5%	273	54.1	67.1	53.2	57.8	94.5	94.5	51.8	72.6	60.8	61.3	$18,203	$583	$17,620
Greystone Elementary School	Public	K-5	1195 Aram Ave	West Chester	19380	Chester County	West Chester Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(484) 266-2300	536	39	13.8	25.0%	367 (68.5%)	21 (3.9%)	87 (16.2%)	29 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (6.0%)	69.4	509^th of 1534 public elementary schools	66.8%					(n/a)	61.5	64.4	40.6	56.2	83.2	83.2	54.0	77.2	62.0	65.6	$15,778	$304	$15,474
Hillsdale Elementary School	Public	K-5	725 W Market St	West Chester	19382	Chester County	West Chester Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(484) 266-2000	545	43	12.5	18.2%	419 (76.9%)	13 (2.4%)	71 (13.0%)	7 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (6.4%)	84.8	196^th of 1534 public elementary schools	87.2%		83.9	223^rd of 1534 public elementary schools	85.5%	27	70.1	73.0	68.2	70.6	89.0	89.0	73.6	75.0	76.5	75.0	$16,452	$590	$15,862
East Goshen Elementary School	Public	K-5	800 N Chester Rd	West Chester	19380	Chester County	West Chester Area School District	No	No	No	No	(484) 266-1500	510	36	14.0	18.4%	396 (77.6%)	19 (3.7%)	47 (9.2%)	21 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.3%)	87.1	156^th of 1534 public elementary schools	89.8%		86.5	171^st of 1534 public elementary schools	88.9%	15	75.6	75.0	59.5	70.1	93.0	93.0	76.7	79.5	83.5	79.7	$16,523	$307	$16,215
East Bradford Elementary School	Public	K-5	820 Frank Rd	West Chester	19380	Chester County	West Chester Area School District	No	No	No	No	(484) 266-2100	470	36	13.1	16.0%	382 (81.3%)	15 (3.2%)	42 (8.9%)	9 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.7%)	86.4	168^th of 1534 public elementary schools	89.0%		84.6	208^th of 1534 public elementary schools	86.4%	40	68.5	82.4	63.1	70.6	92.7	92.7	73.6	84.0	77.7	78.3	$16,945	$315	$16,630
Sarah W Starkweather Elementary School	Public	K-5	1050 Wilmington Pike	West Chester	19382	Chester County	West Chester Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(484) 266-2200	578	42	13.7	18.2%	447 (77.3%)	32 (5.5%)	48 (8.3%)	16 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (6.1%)	72.9	432^nd of 1534 public elementary schools	71.8%		77.9	329^th of 1534 public elementary schools	78.6%	103	49.4	62.1	53.4	55.7	88.2	88.2	62.5	70.2	73.3	68.6	$16,974	$521	$16,453
Westtown-Thornbury Elementary School	Public	K-5	750 Westbourne Road	West Chester	19382	Chester County	West Chester Area School District	No	No	No	No	(484) 266-1800	545	38	14.5	14.7%	427 (78.3%)	26 (4.8%)	38 (7.0%)	14 (2.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (7.0%)	85.6	182^nd of 1534 public elementary schools	88.1%		84.6	209^th of 1534 public elementary schools	86.4%	27	77.9	67.0	58.3	67.8	89.6	89.6	83.2	74.2	82.4	79.8	$14,637	$318	$14,318
Penn Wood Elementary School	Public	K-5	1470 Johnny's Way	West Chester	19382	Chester County	West Chester Area School District	No	No	No	No	(484) 266-1900	463	33	13.9	14.7%	374 (80.8%)	13 (2.8%)	16 (3.5%)	31 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.3%)	84.4	205^th of 1534 public elementary schools	86.6%		75.8	367^th of 1534 public elementary schools	76.1%	162	76.2	69.6	71.4	72.6	88.4	88.4	73.9	66.2	76.2	72.5	$15,428	$320	$15,108
Mary C Howse Elementary School	Public	K-5	641 W Boot Rd	West Chester	19380	Chester County	West Chester Area School District	No	No	No	No	(484) 266-1300	493	34	14.7	7.7%	224 (45.4%)	18 (3.7%)	30 (6.1%)	192 (38.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.9%)	89.5	105^th of 1534 public elementary schools	93.2%		85.9	183^rd of 1534 public elementary schools	88.1%	78	76.0	65.6	81.1	73.5	94.6	94.6	81.6	83.7	86.5	84.0	$16,230	$376	$15,854

Frequently Asked Questions about Fern Hill Elementary School

Is Fern Hill Elementary School a good school?

Fern Hill Elementary School ranks 358^th of 1534 Pennsylvania elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Fern Hill Elementary School?

Students at Fern Hill Elementary School are 67% White, 13% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 5% Two or more races, 5% African American.

How many students attend Fern Hill Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 391 students attended Fern Hill Elementary School.

What district is Fern Hill Elementary School in?

West Chester Area School District

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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.