Clifton-Fine Central School District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Star Lake, New York - 2 schools

An equity score of 81/100 ranks Clifton-Fine Central School District #31 of 941 districts in New York (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $36,632 per pupil, Clifton-Fine Central School District ranks #70 of 999 New York districts by per-pupil spending (New York districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

254
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$36,632
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Clifton-Fine Central School District operates 2 public schools serving 254 students, placing it among the smallest districts in New York. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in St. Lawrence County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $36,632 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 100 of 999 New York districts by per-pupil spending. See how New York compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 37.9% local, 49.6% state, and 12.6% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 81/100, ranked #31 of 941 in New York against a state average of 45, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 2 schools offering Advanced Placement (2 AP courses district-wide), a 122.5:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 46.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 91.7% White, 2.1% Hispanic or Latino, 1.4% Asian across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Clifton-Fine Elementary School, enrolling 133 students (54% of the district's total enrollment).

Clifton-Fine Elementary School accounts for 52.4% of all Clifton-Fine Central School District student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Clifton-Fine Central School District a distant remainder — means Clifton-Fine Central School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Clifton-Fine Central School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 62.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Clifton-Fine Central School District student-counselor ratio is 123:1 — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

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 Values this far below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Clifton-Fine Central School District chronic absenteeism rate is 46.8% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

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 Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

12.6%
Federal
49.6%
State
37.9%
Local

Funding Equity

81
Equity Score
31 / 941
State Rank
45
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 2 schools in Clifton-Fine Central School District.

White 91.7%
Hispanic or Latino 2.1%
African American 0.9%
Asian 1.4%
Multiracial 1.2%
Other 2.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 2
Schools with AP
2 AP courses total
122.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
46.8%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Clifton-Fine Central School District

School Enrollment
Clifton-Fine Elementary School
133
Clifton-Fine Junior-Senior High School
112

How Clifton-Fine Central School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The New York districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Success Academy Charter School-Harlem 4 Similar size Lower spending No revenue-mix data
Tuckahoe Common School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
New American Academy Charter School (the) Similar size Similar spending No revenue-mix data
Hammond Central School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Town of Webb Union Free School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Clifton-Fine Central School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in New York

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Compare Clifton-Fine Central School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs New York City Geographic District #31 →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Clifton-Fine Central School District?

Clifton-Fine Central School District has 2 schools, including 2 combined. Total enrollment is 254 students.

How much does Clifton-Fine Central School District spend per student?

Clifton-Fine Central School District spends $36,632 per student. The district has an equity score of 81/100, ranking #31 in New York.

What is the demographic composition of Clifton-Fine Central School District?

Clifton-Fine Central School District students are 91.7% White, 2.1% Hispanic or Latino, 1.4% Asian, 0.9% African American, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Clifton-Fine Central School District?

Clifton-Fine Central School District has an equity score of 81/100, ranking #31 out of 941 districts in New York.