CATO-MERIDIAN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT operates 2 public schools serving 884 students, placing it among the smaller districts in New York. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 846 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Cayuga County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $24,494 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 24.1% local, 63.8% state, and 12.1% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $132,191 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 42/100, ranked #526 of 941 in New York against a state average of 45 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 2 schools offering Advanced Placement (3 AP courses district-wide), a 153.7:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 35.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 92.8% White, 1.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1.4% African American across the district's schools.
Cato-Meridian Elementary School accounts for 54.7% of all CATO-MERIDIAN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means CATO-MERIDIAN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: other. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
CATO-MERIDIAN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT student-counselor ratio is 154:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
CATO-MERIDIAN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT chronic absenteeism rate is 35.5% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
How many schools are in CATO-MERIDIAN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT?
CATO-MERIDIAN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT has 2 schools, including 2 other. Total enrollment is 884 students.
How much does CATO-MERIDIAN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT spend per student?
CATO-MERIDIAN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT spends $24,494 per student. The district has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #526 in New York.
What is the average teacher salary in CATO-MERIDIAN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT?
The average teacher salary in CATO-MERIDIAN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT is $132,191 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near CATO-MERIDIAN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Cayuga County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of CATO-MERIDIAN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT?
CATO-MERIDIAN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT students are 92.8% White, 1.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1.4% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for CATO-MERIDIAN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT?
CATO-MERIDIAN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #526 out of 941 districts in New York. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.