West Chester Area School District
West Chester Area School District is a public school district based in Exton, Pennsylvania, serving 12,042 students in 17 schools. By enrollment it ranks #12 of the 382 Pennsylvania districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 97% of them. Its schools average 708 students each, more than the Pennsylvania median of 560. Its superintendent is David Christopher. It spends about $16,327 per student on day-to-day operations, about the state median. It has roughly 12.7 students per teacher.
How West Chester Area compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | West Chester Area | Pennsylvania median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $16,327 | $15,764 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $10,914 | $10,126 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $253.3 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $264.0 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 949 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 1,544 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 12.7 | 13.4 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 309 | 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 →David Christopher
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Penn School DistrictLansdale | 12,911 | 17 | $18,564 | 13.6 | #8 |
| Bethlehem Area School DistrictBethlehem | 12,769 | 22 | $15,963 | 12.9 | #9 |
| Central Dauphin School DistrictHarrisburg | 12,517 | 19 | $13,889 | 13.9 | #10 |
| Upper Darby School DistrictUpper Darby | 12,356 | 13 | $13,933 | 13.7 | #11 |
| West Chester Area School DistrictExton · this district | 12,042 | 17 | $16,327 | 12.7 | #12 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Dieguito Union HighEncinitas, CA | 12,055 | $12,624 | 24.1 |
| Highlands CountySebring, FL | 12,040 | $10,202 | 18.4 |
| Oldham CountyBuckner, KY | 12,038 | $10,894 | 16.8 |
| Lakeville Area SchoolsLakeville, MN | 12,025 | $13,697 | 16.9 |
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-west-chester-area-school-district