Utica 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.

Utica, New York - 13 schools

An equity score of 42/100 ranks Utica City School District #532 of 941 districts in New York (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $18,903 per pupil, Utica City School District ranks #896 of 999 New York districts by per-pupil spending (New York districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

9,386
Total Enrollment
13
Schools
$18,903
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Utica City School District operates 13 public schools serving 9,386 students, placing it among the smaller districts in New York. The school portfolio breaks down into 10 elementary, 2 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 Oneida County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $18,903 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 14.1% local, 75.3% state, and 10.6% 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 42/100, ranked #532 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 13 schools offering Advanced Placement (5 AP courses district-wide), a 1144:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 58.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 24.9% African American, 24.8% White, 23.1% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Senator James H Donovan Middle School, with a diversity index of 77.9/100.

Its largest campus is Thomas R Proctor High School, enrolling 2,820 students (31% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Martin Luther King Jr Elementary School, at 303 students, a 9x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Thomas R Proctor High School accounts for 30.0% of all Utica City School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Utica 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

Utica City School District school enrollment varies 9.3× across entities

Utica City School District school enrollment ranges from 303 students (lowest) to 2,820 students (highest), a spread of 2,517 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 NCES Common Core of Data

Utica City School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 77.1% 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 — including this one — 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

Utica City School District student-counselor ratio is 1144:1 — 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

Utica City School District chronic absenteeism rate is 58.2% — 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 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

10.6%
Federal
75.3%
State
14.1%
Local

Funding Equity

42
Equity Score
532 / 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 13 schools in Utica City School District.

White 24.8%
Hispanic or Latino 23.1%
African American 24.9%
Asian 19.7%
Multiracial 7.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 75.4/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Senator James H Donovan Middle School 77.9
  2. 2 Thomas R Proctor High School 77.6
  3. 3 John F Kennedy Middle School 77.3
  4. 4 Christopher Columbus Elementary School 76.4
  5. 5 General Herkimer Elementary School 76.2

Programs & Resources

1 / 13
Schools with AP
5 AP courses total
1144:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
58.2%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Utica City School District

School Enrollment
Thomas R Proctor High School
2,820
Senator James H Donovan Middle School
749
John F Kennedy Middle School
687
General Herkimer Elementary School
634
Christopher Columbus Elementary School
618
Watson Williams Elementary School
590
Kernan Elementary School
585
Roscoe Conkling Elementary School
503
Albany Elementary School
478
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School
390
Hugh R Jones Elementary School
371
John F Hughes Elementary School
347
Martin Luther King Jr Elementary School
303

How Utica City School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

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

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
New York City Geographic District # 5 Similar size No spending data No revenue-mix data
Shenendehowa Central School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Middle Country Central School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
William Floyd Union Free School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
New York City Geographic District # 1 Similar size No spending data No revenue-mix data

Comparisons are relative to Utica 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 Utica 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 Utica City School District?

Utica City School District has 13 schools, including 1 high, 2 middle, 10 elementary. Total enrollment is 9,386 students.

How much does Utica City School District spend per student?

Utica City School District spends $18,903 per student. The district has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #532 in New York.

What is the demographic composition of Utica City School District?

Utica City School District students are 24.9% African American, 24.8% White, 23.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, averaged across 13 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Utica City School District?

Utica City School District has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #532 out of 941 districts in New York.