Schenectady 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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Schenectady, New York - 15 schools

An equity score of 62/100 ranks Schenectady City School District #205 of 931 districts in New York (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $25,644 per pupil, Schenectady City School District ranks #577 of 986 New York districts by per-pupil spending (New York districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

9,053
Total Enrollment
15
Schools
$25,644
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Schenectady City School District operates 15 public schools serving 9,053 students, placing it among the smaller districts in New York. The school portfolio breaks down into 11 combined, 3 middle, 1 high schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Schenectady County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $25,644 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower 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 21.2% local, 58.9% state, and 19.9% 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 #205 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.

a 186.7:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 70.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 24.6% Hispanic or Latino, 24.3% Asian, 23.0% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Howe Elementary School, with a diversity index of 80.5/100.

Its largest campus is Schenectady High School, enrolling 2,885 students (32% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is William C Keane Elementary School, at 279 students, a 10x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Schenectady High School accounts for 31.9% of all Schenectady City School District student enrollment

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

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Schenectady City School District school enrollment varies 10× across entities

Schenectady City School District school enrollment ranges from 279 students (lowest) to 2,885 students (highest), a spread of 2,606 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. 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

Schenectady City School District reports 73.4% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share sits between 62.5% and 75%, above a simple majority but below the highest descriptive band used here. 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Schenectady City School District student-counselor ratio is 187:1 — 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

Schenectady City School District chronic absenteeism rate is 70.8% — 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

Where does the funding come from?

19.9%
Federal
58.9%
State
21.2%
Local

Funding Equity

62
Equity Score
205 / 931
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 15 schools in Schenectady City School District.

White 15.1%
Hispanic or Latino 24.6%
African American 23.0%
Asian 24.3%
Multiracial 11.1%
Other 1.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 78.3/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Howe Elementary School 80.5
  2. 2 Jessie T Zoller Elementary School 80.2
  3. 3 Van Corlaer Elementary School 79.3
  4. 4 Paige Elementary School 79.1
  5. 5 Lincoln Elementary School 79.0

Programs & Resources

186.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
70.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Schenectady City School District

School Enrollment
Schenectady High School
2,885
Oneida Middle School
657
Central Park Middle School
600
Mont Pleasant Middle School
569
Woodlawn Elementary School
502
Paige Elementary School
468
Hamilton Elementary School
440
Jessie T Zoller Elementary School
439
Dr Martin Luther King School Jr Elementary School
424
Howe Elementary School
390
Pleasant Valley Elementary School
351
Yates Elementary School
327
Van Corlaer Elementary School
311
Lincoln Elementary School
306
William C Keane Elementary School
279

How Schenectady City School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

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

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
William Floyd Union Free School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Longwood Central School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
New York City Geographic District # 5 Similar size No spending data No revenue-mix data
Utica City School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Shenendehowa Central School District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Schenectady 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.

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Schenectady 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 Schenectady City School District?

Schenectady City School District has 15 schools, including 1 high, 3 middle, 11 combined. Total enrollment is 9,053 students.

How much does Schenectady City School District spend per student?

Schenectady City School District spends $25,644 per student. The district has an equity score of 62/100, ranking #205 in New York.

What is the demographic composition of Schenectady City School District?

Schenectady City School District students are 24.6% Hispanic or Latino, 24.3% Asian, 23.0% African American, 15.1% White, averaged across 15 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Schenectady City School District?

Schenectady City School District has an equity score of 62/100, ranking #205 out of 931 districts in New York.