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Rensselaer, New York - 2 schools
An equity score of 44/100 ranks Rensselaer City School District #508 of 941 districts in New York (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $21,807 per pupil, Rensselaer City School District ranks #740 of 999 New York districts by per-pupil spending (New York districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,062
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$21,807
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Rensselaer City School District operates 2 public schools serving 1,062 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 Rensselaer County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $21,807 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 30.3% local, 52.3% state, and 17.4% 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 44/100, ranked #508 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.
a 359:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 39.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 42.5% White, 15.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian across the district's schools.
Van Rensselaer Elementary School accounts for 45.9% of all Rensselaer City School District student enrollment
That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Rensselaer City School District a distant remainder — means Rensselaer 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.
Rensselaer City School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 67.7% 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). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. 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.
Rensselaer City School District student-counselor ratio is 359:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Rensselaer City School District chronic absenteeism rate is 39.6% — 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.
Comparisons are relative to Rensselaer 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.
How many schools are in Rensselaer City School District?
Rensselaer City School District has 2 schools, including 2 combined. Total enrollment is 1,062 students.
How much does Rensselaer City School District spend per student?
Rensselaer City School District spends $21,807 per student. The district has an equity score of 44/100, ranking #508 in New York.
What is the demographic composition of Rensselaer City School District?
Rensselaer City School District students are 42.5% White, 15.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 13.4% African American, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Rensselaer City School District?
Rensselaer City School District has an equity score of 44/100, ranking #508 out of 941 districts in New York.