Big Beaver El Sch

Big Beaver El Sch is a tight-knit K-5 school in Darlington, Pennsylvania, run under Big Beaver Falls Area SD. The school instructs 301 students in grades K through 5. That puts it 32% below the typical public school in Pennsylvania, which averages around 443 students.

Big Beaver Falls Area SD runs 4 schools in total, collectively educating 1,613 students. Big Beaver El Sch is one of those campuses.

In terms of who attends, Big Beaver El Sch reports that 64% of the student body identifies as White. Beyond that, the school records 17% multiracial, 11% Black, 7% Hispanic. That is considerably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 87%.

Looking at school resources, The school lists 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 11.3:1. The state averages around 13.1:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 104% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Beaver County (around 55%), the school's rate is north of typical.

With demographic context factored in, Big Beaver El Sch sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 32.9%; this one delivers 48.3%.

Across the wider county, community-level numbers for Beaver County indicate median household income runs about $71,089, roughly 29% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Big Beaver El Sch is one of 52 public schools in Beaver County (combined enrollment of about 31,222 students).

The closest other public school is Blackhawk Intermediate Sch, roughly 2.5 miles away. Within five miles, there are 7 other public schools. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Big Beaver El Sch ranks 3rd on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 46.6%.

The school occupies a rural site.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked down 5%: 316 students in 2018 compared to 301 in 2025. The White share of enrollment fell from 73% to 64% over that span. Class-load math has fell: from 13.5:1 in 2018 to 11.3:1 in 2025.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Members of the school community can share what they know.