Summary:
Perseus House Charter School of Excellence is a public charter high school located in Erie, Pennsylvania, serving grades 6-12 with a total enrollment of 610 students. The school has a diverse student population, with a racial makeup of 25.08% White, 42.62% African American, 21.8% Hispanic, 3.77% Asian, and 6.72% two or more races.
Despite its diverse student body, Perseus House Charter School of Excellence consistently ranks among the lowest-performing high schools in Pennsylvania, with academic performance significantly below state averages across various standardized tests. The school's graduation rates range from 50% to 69.6%, much lower than the state average, and its dropout rates have been high, ranging from 3.2% to 6.7%. Perseus House also ranks among the lowest-performing schools in the state for various student subgroups, including African American, Hispanic, White, English Language Learners, Low Socioeconomic Status, and Disabled students. Interestingly, the nearby public high schools, such as General McLane High School, Fort LeBoeuf Senior High School, Fairview High School, and Seneca High School, significantly outperform Perseus House across various academic metrics, graduation rates, and student subgroup performance.
Despite the low academic performance, Perseus House Charter School of Excellence has relatively high per-student spending, ranging from $15,825 to $17,530 in recent years, which is comparable to or higher than the spending at the nearby high-performing public schools. The school also has a higher student-teacher ratio of 16.7, compared to the ratios of the nearby high-performing public schools, which range from 10.8 to 15.3. These factors suggest that factors beyond just funding and staffing may be contributing to the school's underperformance.
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