Little Falls City 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.

Little Falls, New York - 3 schools

An equity score of 62/100 ranks Little Falls City School District #214 of 941 districts in New York (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $24,573 per pupil, Little Falls City School District ranks #525 of 999 New York districts by per-pupil spending (New York districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,078
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$24,573
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Little Falls City School District operates 3 public schools serving 1,078 students, placing it among the smallest districts in New York. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle 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 Herkimer County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $24,573 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half 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 26.9% local, 52.5% state, and 20.6% 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 62/100, ranked #214 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 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (9 AP courses district-wide), a 564:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 35.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 90.5% White, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Little Falls High School, with a diversity index of 19.2/100.

Its largest campus is Benton Hall Academy, enrolling 441 students (44% of the district's total enrollment).

Benton Hall Academy accounts for 40.9% of all Little Falls City School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Little Falls City 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

Little Falls City School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 54.7% 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

Little Falls City School District student-counselor ratio is 564:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

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 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 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Little Falls City School District chronic absenteeism rate is 35.8% — 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.

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

Where does the funding come from?

20.6%
Federal
52.5%
State
26.9%
Local

Funding Equity

62
Equity Score
214 / 941
State Rank
45
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Little Falls City School District.

White 90.5%
Hispanic or Latino 4.0%
Multiracial 4.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 17.8/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Little Falls City School District's schools, below the New York average of 45.5.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Little Falls High School 19.2
  2. 2 Benton Hall Academy 17.4
  3. 3 Little Falls Middle School 16.8

Programs & Resources

1 / 3
Schools with AP
9 AP courses total
564:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
35.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Little Falls City School District

School Enrollment
Benton Hall Academy
441
Little Falls High School
331
Little Falls Middle School
233

How Little Falls City School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

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

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Sullivan West Central School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Bellmore Union Free School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Saranac Lake Central School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Brooklyn Prospect Charter School - Csd 15.2 Similar size Similar spending No revenue-mix data
Elmira Heights Central School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Little Falls City 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.

Compare Little Falls City 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 Little Falls City School District?

Little Falls City School District has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,078 students.

How much does Little Falls City School District spend per student?

Little Falls City School District spends $24,573 per student. The district has an equity score of 62/100, ranking #214 in New York.

What is the demographic composition of Little Falls City School District?

Little Falls City School District students are 90.5% White, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% African American, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Little Falls City School District?

Little Falls City School District has an equity score of 62/100, ranking #214 out of 941 districts in New York.