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Best kept secret at Hershey Early Childhood Ctr?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
420
Elementary
DISTRICT 442 · STATE 443
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·DERRY TOWNSHIP SD·NCES 420759000667
Hershey Early Childhood Center
450-Rear Homestead Road, Hershey, PA 17033 · (717) 531-2211 · Dauphin County
GRADES KG–01ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL420 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
This school has no state test results for 2023-24 or 2024-25 to grade, which is common for schools that end before third grade. How grades work
Student : Teacher
11.7:1
36 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.8:1 · STATE 13.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
30%
126 students
DISTRICT 28% · STATE 75%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 199 | 47% |
| Grade 1 | 221 | 53% |
Student demographics
59%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 55% · STATE 59% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Hershey Early Childhood Center→Hershey Primary Elementary School→Hershey Intrmd Elementary School→Hershey Middle School→Hershey High School
Based on grade levels within Derry Township SD. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Schools most like Hershey Early Childhood Center
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hershey Early Childhood Center this school | 420 | 30.0% | N/A |
| Hershey Primary Elementary School Hershey | 427 | 29.0% | 78.0% |
| Hershey Intrmd Elementary School Hershey | 479 | 26.7% | 77.0% |
| Nitrauer School Lancaster | 468 | 34.4% | 77.4% |
| Loomis Elementary School Broomall | 376 | 31.4% | 68.7% |
| Kernsville School Orefield | 512 | 26.0% | 80.4% |
Matched among Pennsylvania elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Hershey Early Childhood Center ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Pennsylvania | In Dauphin County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 420 | #797 of 1,638 | #17 of 40 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 11.7:1 | #337 of 1,528 | #8 of 39 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 58.9% | #344 of 1,531 | #21 of 40 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 30.0% | #1,326 of 1,600 | #32 of 37 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +0.2% | #444 of 450 | #19 of 19 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
420
-17 (-4%) vs 2020
-9% since 2010-11, when it was 462
Student : Teacher
11.7:1
was 12.1:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 420 | 36 | 11.7:1 | 30% (126) |
| 2023-24 | 407 | 34 | 12.0:1 | 31% (126) |
| 2022-23 | 416 | 36.5 | 11.4:1 | 17% (72) |
| 2020-21 | 437 | 36 | 12.1:1 | 23% (102) |
| 2017-18 | 419 | 27.7 | 15.2:1 | 20% (84) |
| 2015-16 | 392 | 25 | 15.7:1 | 16% (64) |
| 2010-11 | 462 | 23 | 20.1:1 | 14% (66) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Hershey Early Childhood Center.
Since 2017-18: students unchanged (419 to 420); teachers up 30% (27.7 to 36).
About Hershey Early Childhood Center
Students in Hershey, Pennsylvania, attend Hershey Early Childhood Center, a medium-sized elementary school. The latest federal count shows 420 students in kindergarten through 1.
Derry Township SD has 5 schools; together they serve 3,118 students.
Hershey Early Childhood Center is 61% White by enrollment. Smaller groups are 13% Asian, 10% Hispanic, 10% multiracial, and 6% Black. The county population is about 63% White, within a few points of the school. Hershey Early Childhood Center's diversity index is 59%, against a US figure of 70%.
The teaching staff at Hershey Early Childhood Center is 36 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the ratio is 11.7:1. The school has fewer students per teacher than the 13.1:1 average for elementary schools in Pennsylvania. About 30% of students, or 126, qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The rate at public schools in Dauphin County averages 59%, higher than here.
Dauphin County has about 289,593 residents, and the median household income is $76,242, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 34% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 9%. In all, Dauphin County has 75 public schools and roughly 72,718 students.
The closest other public school is Hershey Primary Elementary School, less than a tenth of a mile away. Within five miles are at least 8 other public schools.
Hershey Early Childhood Center is coded as Suburb: Large in federal locale data.
Enrollment has fallen by 17 students since 2020-21, to 420.
Discussions about Hershey Early Childhood Center may include school events, clubs, and volunteer needs. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Dauphin County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
289,593
Census ACS
Median income
$76,242
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
34%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
9%
Below federal line
Schools in county
75
72,718 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Derry Township SD
- Hershey High SchoolHigh · 1,050 students
- Hershey Middle SchoolMiddle · 742 students
- Hershey Intrmd Elementary SchoolElementary · 479 students
- Hershey Primary Elementary SchoolElementary · 427 students
Other schools in Hershey
- Hershey High SchoolHigh · 1,050 students
- Hershey Middle SchoolMiddle · 742 students
- Hershey Intrmd Elementary SchoolElementary · 479 students
- Hershey Primary Elementary SchoolElementary · 427 students
- South Hanover Elementary SchoolElementary · 371 students
Nearby schools
- Hershey Primary Elementary School0.1 mi · 427
- Hershey Intrmd Elementary School0.1 mi · 479
- Hershey Middle School0.2 mi · 742
- Hershey High School0.3 mi · 1,050
- South Hanover Elementary School2.2 mi · 371
- Lingle Avenue Elementary School2.7 mi · 547
Frequently asked questions
About Hershey Early Childhood CenterWhat is the total enrollment at Hershey Early Childhood Center?
Hershey Early Childhood Center enrolls approximately 420 students in grades KG-01.
What grades does Hershey Early Childhood Center serve?
Hershey Early Childhood Center serves grades KG-01.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hershey Early Childhood Center?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Hershey Early Childhood Center is approximately 11.7:1 (36 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Hershey Early Childhood Center?
At Hershey Early Childhood Center, the student body is approximately 61% White, 10% Hispanic, 6% Black, 13% Asian, 10% Two or more.
Is Hershey Early Childhood Center public or private?
Hershey Early Childhood Center is a public K-12 school, overseen by Derry Township SD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.