Public schools in New Castle, PA
18 open public schools with an address in New Castle, operated by 7 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
18
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
8,564
18 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
14.8:1
Pennsylvania median 13:1
Charter schools
0
0 virtual
An overview of New Castle public schools
The federal directory lists 18 public schools in New Castle, PA: 7 elementary, 4 middle, 7 high. The 18 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 8,564 students, an average of 476 per school. The largest campus is New Castle SHS (740 students), and the largest elementary school is Harry W Lockley Early Learning Center (736).
New Castle Area SD operates the most schools here (4), and 6 regular districts have at least one New Castle campus, plus 1 charter, service, or other agency. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 14.8:1, higher than the statewide school median of 13:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
Among 7 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 6 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 7 of 7 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
School districts and agencies serving New Castle
New Castle Area SD
Public school district
4 schools in New Castle
Laurel SD
Public school district
3 schools in New Castle
Mohawk Area SD
Public school district
3 schools in New Castle
Union Area SD
Public school district
3 schools in New Castle
Neshannock Township SD
Public school district
2 schools in New Castle
Shenango Area SD
Public school district
2 schools in New Castle
Lawrence County Career and Technical Center
Specialized public school district
1 school in New Castle
Elementary schools in New Castle
7| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harry W Lockley Early Learning Center New Castle Area SD | KG–02 | 736 | 14.1:1 | |
| Laurel El Sch Laurel SD | KG–06 | 503 | 16.2:1 | |
| Mohawk El Sch Mohawk Area SD | KG–05 | 709 | 15.8:1 | |
| Neshannock Memorial El Sch Neshannock Township SD | KG–06 | 688 | 15.3:1 | |
| Shenango El Sch Shenango Area SD | KG–06 | 485 | 12.7:1 | |
| Union Memorial El Sch Union Area SD | PK–05 | 320 | 11.2:1 | |
| Washington Intrmd Sch New Castle Area SD | 03–05 | 707 | 14.6:1 |
Middle schools in New Castle
4| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel MS Laurel SD | 07–08 | 160 | 24.4:1 | |
| Mohawk JHS Mohawk Area SD | 06–08 | 329 | 15.1:1 | |
| New Castle JHS New Castle Area SD | 06–08 | 689 | 16.4:1 | |
| Union Area MS Union Area SD | 06–08 | 174 | 14.9:1 |
High schools in New Castle
7| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel HS Laurel SD | 09–12 | 313 | 10.8:1 | |
| Lawrence County Career and Technical Center Lawrence County Career and Technical Center · Career and Technical School | 09–12 | 418 | 13.3:1 | |
| Mohawk SHS Mohawk Area SD | 09–12 | 406 | 13:1 | |
| Neshannock JSHS Neshannock Township SD | 07–12 | 545 | 16.6:1 | |
| New Castle SHS New Castle Area SD | 09–12 | 740 | 15.4:1 | |
| Shenango HS Shenango Area SD | 07–12 | 449 | 12.8:1 | |
| Union Area HS Union Area SD | 09–12 | 193 | 11.6:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White77.1%
- Hispanic3.6%
- Black8.5%
- Asian0.2%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.1%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.2%
- Multiracial10.3%
Enrollment-weighted across 18 New Castle schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (8,564 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in New Castle
How many public schools are in New Castle, PA?
The current NCES directory lists 18 open public schools with a location address in New Castle: 7 elementary, 4 middle, 7 high. Together they reported 8,564 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve New Castle?
Schools with an address in New Castle belong to 7 education agencies, led by New Castle Area SD (4 schools), Laurel SD (3 schools), Mohawk Area SD (3 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in New Castle?
New Castle SHS reported the largest high-school enrollment in New Castle, with 740 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in New Castle?
No school with an address in New Castle is identified as a charter school in the current NCES directory. Families may still have charter or virtual options elsewhere in Pennsylvania.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in New Castle schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across New Castle public schools is 14.8:1, higher than the Pennsylvania school median of 13:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in New Castle guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Pennsylvania cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Pennsylvania cities