Bethlehem Area School District
Bethlehem Area School District is a public school district based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, serving 12,769 students in 22 schools. By enrollment it ranks #9 of the 382 Pennsylvania districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 98% of them. Its schools average 580 students each, about the same as the Pennsylvania median of 560. Its superintendent is Renato Lajara. It spends about $15,963 per student on day-to-day operations, about the state median. It has roughly 12.9 students per teacher.
How Bethlehem Area compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Bethlehem Area | Pennsylvania median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $15,963 | $15,764 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $10,199 | $10,126 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $288.4 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $305.1 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 991 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 1,980 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 12.9 | 13.4 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 241 | 328 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The Pennsylvania median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
Leadership
Moves tracker →Renato Lajara
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education, EdNA, checked 2026-10-19. Report a change
In the news
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Peer districts in Pennsylvania
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazleton Area School DistrictHazle Twp | 13,141 | 11 | $12,031 | 16.8 | #6 |
| Downingtown Area School DistrictDowningtown | 13,074 | 16 | $15,394 | 13.5 | #7 |
| North Penn School DistrictLansdale | 12,911 | 17 | $18,564 | 13.6 | #8 |
| Bethlehem Area School DistrictBethlehem · this district | 12,769 | 22 | $15,963 | 12.9 | #9 |
| Central Dauphin School DistrictHarrisburg | 12,517 | 19 | $13,889 | 13.9 | #10 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dayton CityDayton, OH | 12,785 | $18,792 | 17.1 |
| Union City School DistrictUnion City, NJ | 12,764 | $21,096 | 15.1 |
| Burleson ISDBurleson, TX | 12,759 | $9,449 | 15.3 |
| Battle Ground School DistrictBattle Ground, WA | 12,754 | $14,515 | 18.1 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-pa-bethlehem-area-school-district