Watervliet 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.

Watervliet, New York - 2 schools

An equity score of 42/100 ranks Watervliet City School District #541 of 941 districts in New York (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $21,259 per pupil, Watervliet City School District ranks #782 of 999 New York districts by per-pupil spending (New York districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,403
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$21,259
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Watervliet City School District operates 2 public schools serving 1,403 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 Albany County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $21,259 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 21.2% local, 66.3% state, and 12.5% 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 #541 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 433.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 45.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 39.0% White, 20.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% African American across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Watervliet Junior-Senior High School, enrolling 785 students (54% of the district's total enrollment).

Watervliet Junior-Senior High School accounts for 54.0% of all Watervliet City School District student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Watervliet City School District a distant remainder — means Watervliet 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

Watervliet City School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 66.2% 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.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Watervliet City School District student-counselor ratio is 433:1 — 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.

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

Watervliet City School District chronic absenteeism rate is 45.1% — 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?

12.5%
Federal
66.3%
State
21.2%
Local

Funding Equity

42
Equity Score
541 / 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 2 schools in Watervliet City School District.

White 39.0%
Hispanic or Latino 20.1%
African American 19.0%
Asian 9.5%
Multiracial 12.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

433.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
45.1%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Watervliet City School District

School Enrollment
Watervliet Junior-Senior High School
785
Watervliet Elementary School
670

How Watervliet City School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

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

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
General Brown Central School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Cleveland Hill Union Free School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Salmon River Central School District Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Chenango Forks Central School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Watervliet 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 Watervliet 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 Watervliet City School District?

Watervliet City School District has 2 schools, including 2 combined. Total enrollment is 1,403 students.

How much does Watervliet City School District spend per student?

Watervliet City School District spends $21,259 per student. The district has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #541 in New York.

What is the demographic composition of Watervliet City School District?

Watervliet City School District students are 39.0% White, 20.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% African American, 9.5% Asian, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Watervliet City School District?

Watervliet City School District has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #541 out of 941 districts in New York.