Fern Hill Elementary School

Summary:

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

Fern Hill Elementary consistently ranks among the top 25% of Pennsylvania elementary schools, with strong academic performance that exceeds state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates in math, science, and English language arts were 63.4%, 85.7%, and 77.9%, respectively, compared to the state averages of 40.4%, 65.8%, and 53%. The school's student population is predominantly White, and it has a relatively low percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds at 24.3%. Fern Hill spends significantly more per student ($17,961 in 2021-2022) compared to the state average, which likely contributes to its strong academic performance and low student-to-teacher ratio of 10.5 students per teacher.

Fern Hill Elementary's performance is generally on par with or exceeds that of other nearby elementary schools in the West Chester Area School District, such as Penn Wood, Mary C. Howse, and Exton Elementary. This consistent high performance across the district suggests a strong commitment to education and effective resource allocation within the West Chester Area School District.


Detail:

Public K-5

 915 Lincoln Ave
       West Chester, PA  19380-4513


(484) 266-1600

District: West Chester Area School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
262nd of 1,526 Pennsylvania Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $17,961 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  10.5 Help
Number of students:  391

Racial breakdown:

White:
67.3%
Hispanic:
12.5%
Asian:
10.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  24.3% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Fern Hill Elementary School ranks better than 82.8% of elementary schools in Pennsylvania. It also ranks 7th among 11 ranked elementary schools in the West Chester Area School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 81. (See more...)
Student Body
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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...)
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Compare Details 24.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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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...)
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Compare Fern Hill Elementary School employs 37 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Fern Hill Elementary School is $17,961, which is the 2nd highest among 11 elementary schools in the West Chester Area School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Fern Hill Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Fern Hill Elementary School 262nd of 1526 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:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


West Chester Area School District:

SchoolDigger ranks West Chester Area School District 60th of 610 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 SchoolDigger Rating
2003 89.18 83rd 1302 93.6%
2004 87.17 111th 1308 91.5%
2005 85.68 69th 1299 94.7%
2006 80.85 210th 1545 86.4%
2007 78.92 258th 1555 83.4%
2008 78.07 258th 1551 83.4%
2009 79.51 214th 1549 86.2%
2010 79.63 216th 1579 86.3%
2011 78.88 239th 1597 85.0%
2012 86.94 25th 1599 98.4%
2013 82.60 146th 1519 90.4%
2014 85.46 77th 1467 94.8%
2015 88.01 88th 1474 94.0%
2016 87.09 116th 1554 92.5%
2017 87.74 98th 1547 93.7%
2018 83.39 208th 1530 86.4%
2019 80.79 270th 1544 82.5%
2021 82.15 222nd 1433 84.5%
2022 83.37 232nd 1534 84.9%
2023 75.71 358th 1534 76.7%
2024 81.00 262nd 1526 82.8%
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 549th 1414 61.2%
2024 64.95 492nd 1432 65.6%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Fern Hill Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 79.60 268th 1488 82.0%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Fern Hill Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools PA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 78.87 286th 1495 80.9%
See the entire list of Best Pennsylvania Elementary Schools for Male 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 273rd 1236 77.9%
2024 83.59 142nd 1229 88.4%
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.

Fern Hill Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






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 Not Specified Total
1988 338 76 15 17 0 n/a n/a 0 446
1989 347 75 11 20 0 n/a n/a 0 453
1990 367 75 8 17 0 n/a n/a 0 467
1991 373 80 12 22 0 n/a n/a 0 487
1992 429 66 12 12 0 n/a n/a 0 519
1993 420 54 17 17 0 n/a n/a 0 508
1994 426 64 13 20 0 n/a n/a 0 523
1995 484 75 9 12 0 n/a n/a 0 580
1996 484 75 9 12 0 n/a n/a 0 580
1997 506 82 12 13 1 n/a n/a 0 614
1998 523 86 12 12 2 n/a n/a 0 635
1999 469 63 12 7 1 n/a n/a 0 552
2000 447 54 15 8 0 n/a n/a 0 524
2001 435 51 17 13 1 n/a n/a 0 517
2002 374 43 15 18 1 n/a n/a 0 451
2003 374 43 15 18 1 n/a n/a 0 451
2004 392 36 22 19 0 n/a n/a 0 469
2005 413 34 25 23 0 n/a n/a 0 495
2006 401 39 24 22 0 n/a n/a 0 486
2007 378 39 31 24 0 n/a n/a 0 472
2008 360 38 27 20 0 n/a n/a 0 445
2009 358 26 29 20 0 n/a n/a 0 433
2010 366 35 29 32 0 n/a n/a 0 462
2011 359 37 30 34 1 0 0 0 461
2012 370 30 30 40 2 0 0 0 472
2013 344 24 28 37 1 0 0 0 434
2014 374 38 26 50 1 0 6 0 495
2015 364 34 26 51 1 0 8 0 484
2016 389 26 27 60 1 0 7 0 510
2017 390 30 25 75 0 0 12 0 532
2018 414 30 27 71 0 0 15 0 557
2019 396 19 23 85 0 0 15 0 538
2020 398 22 25 86 0 0 17 0 548
2021 402 26 23 97 0 0 18 0 566
2022 260 18 49 50 0 0 22 0 399
2023 263 19 40 49 0 0 20 0 391

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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Compare
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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Compare
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

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal 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 270th of 1544 Elementary schoolsRanks 358th 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)78.862.9
 15.9%
   3rd Grade Math (Pennsylvania)5651.7
 4.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Fern Hill Elementary School)8066.7
 13.3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)61.954
 7.9%
4th Grade Math (Fern Hill Elementary School)51.960
 8.1%
   4th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)46.246.5
 0.3%
4th Grade Science (Fern Hill Elementary School)92.488
 4.4%
   4th Grade Science (Pennsylvania)77.874.1
 3.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Fern Hill Elementary School)76.972.6
 4.3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)63.651.8
 11.8%
5th Grade Math (Fern Hill Elementary School)7259.7
 12.3%
   5th Grade Math (Pennsylvania)4342.7
 0.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Fern Hill Elementary School)84.864.5
 20.3%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)58.553.6
 4.9%
All Grades Math (Fern Hill Elementary School)67.861
 6.8%
   All Grades Math (Pennsylvania)42.439.3
 3.1%
All Grades Science (Fern Hill Elementary School)92.488
 4.4%
   All Grades Science (Pennsylvania)6865.6
 2.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Fern Hill Elementary School)80.867.5
 13.3%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Pennsylvania)60.953.8
 7.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students538391
 27.3%
African American1919
American Indian00
Asian2340
 73.9%
Hispanic8549
 42.4%
Pacific Islander00
White396263
 33.6%
Two or More Races1520
 33.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients23.8%24.3%
 0.5%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Fern Hill Elementary School

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

Fern Hill Elementary School ranks 262nd of 1526 Pennsylvania elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

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


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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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