Oswego 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.

Oswego, New York - 7 schools

An equity score of 45/100 ranks Oswego City School District #471 of 941 districts in New York (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $25,098 per pupil, Oswego City School District ranks #494 of 999 New York districts by per-pupil spending (New York districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,535
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$25,098
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Oswego City School District operates 7 public schools serving 3,535 students, placing it among the smallest districts in New York. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 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 Oswego County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $25,098 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper 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 49.2% local, 38.9% state, and 11.9% 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 45/100, ranked #471 of 941 in New York against a state average of 45, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (9 AP courses district-wide), a 207.7:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 40.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 82.9% White, 9.4% Hispanic or Latino, 1.6% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Leighton Elementary School, with a diversity index of 39.8/100.

Its largest campus is Oswego High School, enrolling 1,079 students (31% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Leighton Elementary School, at 294 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Oswego High School accounts for 30.5% of all Oswego City School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Oswego City School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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

Oswego City School District school enrollment varies 3.7× across entities

Oswego City School District school enrollment ranges from 294 students (lowest) to 1,079 students (highest), a spread of 785 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

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

Oswego City School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 54.5% 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

Oswego City School District student-counselor ratio is 208:1 — 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.

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

Oswego City School District chronic absenteeism rate is 40.5% — 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.

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

Where does the funding come from?

11.9%
Federal
38.9%
State
49.2%
Local

Funding Equity

45
Equity Score
471 / 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 7 schools in Oswego City School District.

White 82.9%
Hispanic or Latino 9.4%
African American 1.6%
Asian 0.8%
Multiracial 5.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 29.7/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Leighton Elementary School 39.8
  2. 2 Fitzhugh Park Elementary School 36.4
  3. 3 Charles E Riley Elementary School 33.6
  4. 4 Kingsford Park Elementary School 28.6
  5. 5 Oswego Middle School 27.8

Programs & Resources

1 / 7
Schools with AP
9 AP courses total
207.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
40.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Oswego City School District

School Enrollment
Oswego High School
1,079
Oswego Middle School
572
Minetto Elementary School
409
Kingsford Park Elementary School
397
Charles E Riley Elementary School
390
Fitzhugh Park Elementary School
319
Leighton Elementary School
294

How Oswego City School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

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

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Hyde Park Central School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Sweet Home Central School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Indian River Central School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Brookhaven-Comsewogue Union Free School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
East Syracuse Minoa Central School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Oswego 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 Oswego 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 Oswego City School District?

Oswego City School District has 7 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 5 combined. Total enrollment is 3,535 students.

How much does Oswego City School District spend per student?

Oswego City School District spends $25,098 per student. The district has an equity score of 45/100, ranking #471 in New York.

What is the demographic composition of Oswego City School District?

Oswego City School District students are 82.9% White, 9.4% Hispanic or Latino, 1.6% African American, 0.8% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Oswego City School District?

Oswego City School District has an equity score of 45/100, ranking #471 out of 941 districts in New York.