An equity score of 80/100 ranks Gowanda Central School District #32 of 931 districts in New York (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $28,374 per pupil, Gowanda Central School District ranks #385 of 986 New York districts by per-pupil spending (New York districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,119
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$28,374
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Gowanda Central School District operates 3 public schools serving 1,119 students, placing it among the smallest districts in New York. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 elementary, 1 high 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 Cattaraugus County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $28,374 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 986 New York districts by per-pupil spending. See how New York compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 15.2% local, 67.4% state, and 17.5% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 80/100, ranked #32 of 931 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 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (6 AP courses district-wide), a 245.7:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 51.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 60.5% White, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Gowanda Elementary School, with a diversity index of 60.0/100.
Its largest campus is Gowanda Elementary School, enrolling 421 students (40% of the district's total enrollment).
Gowanda Elementary School accounts for 37.6% of all Gowanda Central School District student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Gowanda Central School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: combined. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.
Gowanda Central School District reports 54.8% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.
Gowanda Central School District student-counselor ratio is 246:1 — 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.
Gowanda Central School District chronic absenteeism rate is 51.5% — 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.
Comparisons are relative to Gowanda 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
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
How many schools are in Gowanda Central School District?
Gowanda Central School District has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 elementary, 1 high. Total enrollment is 1,119 students.
How much does Gowanda Central School District spend per student?
Gowanda Central School District spends $28,374 per student. The district has an equity score of 80/100, ranking #32 in New York.
What is the demographic composition of Gowanda Central School District?
Gowanda Central School District students are 60.5% White, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Gowanda Central School District?
Gowanda Central School District has an equity score of 80/100, ranking #32 out of 931 districts in New York.