Building 21 Allentown

415 Students

High School 9th - 12th

School Overview

Building 21 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is a non-traditional, innovative public high school that operates as part of the Allentown School District. Designed as a personalized learning environment, the school focuses on competency-based education rather than the traditional seat-time model. This means that students progress through their curriculum by demonstrating mastery of skills and content, allowing for a more flexible pace that caters to individual student needs, interests, and academic readiness.

The school’s culture emphasizes student agency, collaboration, and real-world application. By moving away from standardized testing and rigid lecture-based instruction, Building 21 encourages students to engage in project-based learning and interdisciplinary studies. The environment is designed to be inclusive and supportive, aiming to prepare students not just for college, but for careers and civic engagement in a rapidly changing world by fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills within a close-knit, community-focused setting.

415

Total Students

26.0

Full-Time Teachers

16.0

Student/Teacher Ratio

N/A

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Building 21 Allentown
Demographic	Student Count
White	13
Hispanic	337
Black	39
Asian	4
Two or More	21
Pacific Islander	1

Hispanic
337 (81.2%)
Black
39 (9.4%)
Two or More
21 (5.1%)
White
13 (3.1%)
Asian
4 (1.0%)
Pacific Islander
1 (0.2%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	High School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	Supplemental Virtual
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Allentown City SD
Phone:	(484)765-4400
Grade Range:	9th - 12th
Total Students:	415
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	26.0
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	16.0
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	0
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	0

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Grade 9 119

Grade 10 115

Grade 11 101

Grade 12 80