Total enrollment
24,616
+1,252 (+5%) vs SY 2020-21
Butler County
Pennsylvania · Public K-12
The schools list below covers the full public K-12 directory for Butler County: 39 schools, 24,616 students, Seneca Valley SD as the largest district. The level mix is 20 elementary, 9 middle, and 10 high schools.
4-year change in Butler County
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
39
+2 (+5%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Butler County ranks
Among counties| Measure | This county | In Pennsylvania | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 60.9% | #7 of 62 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 24,616 | #20 of 64 | #409 of 2,745 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 39 | #21 of 64 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 13.3:1 | #41 of 64 | #1,024 of 2,655 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 36.7% | #61 of 63 | #2,224 of 2,526 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 17.0% | #44 of 64 | #2,268 of 2,707 |
Counties need at least 3 schools and 1,000 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Butler County school rankings
Residents
197,254
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
39
10 districts
Enrollment
24,616
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$89,843
Above Pennsylvania avg
Free/reduced lunch
36.7%
Below Pennsylvania avg
Elementary
20
10,161 students
Middle
9
6,113 students
High
10
8,342 students
Combined / other
0
schools
LARGEST DISTRICT
Seneca Valley SD
7,439 students · 10 districts in Butler County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Butler County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
39.4%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
4.9%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
4.4%
civilian labor
Median age
43
19.3% under 18
Test scores in Butler County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 36 schools ranked. Pennsylvania state average: 51.1%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Freeport Area SHS· 92.4%
- Mars Area SHS· 79.8%
- Slippery Rock Area HS· 79.6%
- Freeport Area MS· 73.4%
- Northwest El Sch· 72.7%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Summit Township El Sch· 39.4%
- Broad Street El Sch· 39.8%
- Karns City Jr/Sr HS· 43.8%
- Emily Brittain El Sch· 45.2%
- Karns City Area El Sch· 51.5%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seneca Valley HS | Harmony | High | 09-12 | 2,282 | · |
| Butler Area SHS | Butler | High | 09-12 | 1,956 | · |
| Butler Area IHS | Butler | Middle | 06-08 | 1,291 | · |
| Ryan Gloyer MS | Harmony | Middle | 07-08 | 1,157 | · |
| Mars Area SHS | Mars | High | 09-12 | 1,044 | · |
| Mars Area El Sch | Mars | Elementary | 02-04 | 880 | · |
| Ehrman Crest El Sch | Cranberry Township | Elementary | KG-04 | 837 | · |
| Haine El Sch | Cranberry Twp | Elementary | KG-04 | 791 | · |
| Connoquenessing Valley El Sch | Zelienople | Elementary | KG-04 | 714 | · |
| Knoch HS | Saxonburg | High | 09-12 | 704 | · |
| Karns City Area El Sch | Chicora | Elementary | KG-06 | 645 | · |
| Ehrman Crest MS | Cranberry Township | Middle | 05-06 | 642 | · |
| Karns City Jr/Sr HS | Karns City | High | 07-12 | 642 | · |
| Mars Area Centennial Sch | Mars | Middle | 05-06 | 627 | · |
| Slippery Rock Area HS | Slippery Rock | High | 09-12 | 627 | · |
| Center Township El Sch | Butler | Elementary | KG-05 | 584 | · |
| Dassa McKinney El Sch | West Sunbury | Elementary | KG-06 | 581 | · |
| Buffalo El Sch | Sarver | Elementary | KG-05 | 564 | · |
| Mars Area MS | Mars | Middle | 07-08 | 563 | · |
| Knoch Primary Sch | Saxonburg | Elementary | KG-03 | 536 | · |
| Haine MS | Cranberry Twp | Middle | 05-06 | 522 | · |
| Freeport Area SHS | Freeport | High | 09-12 | 512 | · |
| Moniteau JSHS | West Sunbury | High | 07-12 | 511 | · |
| Mars Area Primary Ctr | Mars | Elementary | KG-01 | 506 | · |
| McQuistion El Sch | Butler | Elementary | KG-05 | 498 | · |
| Rowan El Sch | Cranberry Twp | Elementary | KG-04 | 494 | · |
| Knoch MS | Saxonburg | Middle | 06-08 | 479 | · |
| Slippery Rock Area El Sch | Slippery Rock | Elementary | KG-05 | 453 | · |
| Freeport Area MS | Sarver | Middle | 06-08 | 428 | · |
| Northwest El Sch | Butler | Elementary | KG-05 | 404 | · |
| Slippery Rock Area MS | Slippery Rock | Middle | 06-08 | 404 | · |
| Moraine El Sch | Prospect | Elementary | KG-05 | 349 | · |
| Knoch Intermediate El Sch | Saxonburg | Elementary | 04-05 | 296 | · |
| Connoquenessing El Sch | Renfrew | Elementary | KG-05 | 287 | · |
| Summit Township El Sch | Butler | Elementary | KG-05 | 259 | · |
| Emily Brittain El Sch | Butler | Elementary | KG-05 | 255 | · |
| Broad Street El Sch | Butler | Elementary | KG-05 | 228 | · |
| Western Secure Treatment Unit | Emlenton | High | 09-12 | 38 | · |
| Butler County Area Vocational Technical School | Butler | High | 09-12 | 26 | · |
Cities in Butler County
About Butler County
Across the mid-sized Pennsylvania county of Butler County of about 197,254 residents, the public-school footprint covers 39 schools and about 24,616 students.
For perspective, census numbers show median household income runs near $89,843, about 39% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. That income level is 26% noticeably above the Pennsylvania median.
In terms of grade levels, Butler County consists of 20 elementary schools (10,161 students), 9 middle schools (6,113), and 10 high schools (8,342).
Seneca Valley SD dominates the local landscape, accounting for roughly 7,439 students on its own.
Over the past 4-year window. Across the same 4-year window, public-school enrollment increased 5%: 23,364 students in SY 2020-21 versus 24,616 in SY 2024-25. Over that span, Butler County added 2 schools, going from 37 to 39.
On this page, the community for Butler County discusses enrollment trends, district policy changes, and bus-route updates. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.
Frequently asked questions
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data