William Penn Shs

William Penn SHS serves 1,611 students in grades 9-12 in York, Pennsylvania, with a student-teacher ratio of 16.3:1 across 99 full-time equivalent teachers. This large public high school operates in York's small city environment, drawing from a diverse community where median household income sits at $65,915 and 31% of residents hold bachelor's degrees or higher. Academically, the school faces significant challenges with room for substantial growth.

Currently ranked in the 7th percentile among Pennsylvania high schools, William Penn SHS shows 39% of students achieving proficiency in English Language Arts, while mathematics presents a particular area needing focused attention with 12% proficiency rates. These performance levels reflect the complex socioeconomic factors affecting the school community, including a local poverty rate of 17.3%. Despite academic hurdles, the school's substantial size allows for potentially diverse programming and resources, though the data suggests considerable work remains in supporting student achievement across core subjects.

The school's central location at 101 W College Ave places it within York's urban core, serving families in a community where median home values average $190,200 and the broader ZIP code population reaches over 40,000 residents.

While current test scores at William Penn Shs are below average, the school shows strong growth metrics — meaning students are making above-average progress year over year. This upward trajectory can be a positive indicator for families who value a school's ability to help students improve, even if absolute scores haven't caught up yet.