Enrollment
496
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Niagara Falls, NY
Cataract Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Cataract Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 362082005954
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cataract Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of New York schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New York schools.
- #1 of 8
- schools in Niagara Falls · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.2:1
- large classes for New York
- 74.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Cataract Elementary School has class sizes larger than 82% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cataract Elementary School ranks #1 of 8 schools in Niagara Falls, NY.
School address
District: Niagara Falls City School District · New York
NCES ID 362082005954 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.0%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cataract Elementary School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cataract Elementary School
Cataract Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Niagara Falls, New York, enrolling 496 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.2:1 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 74.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 496 students, its enrollment sits close to the New York median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 820 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #281.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and African American (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 248 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 72.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Niagara Falls City School District also operates Niagara Falls High School (2,034 students) and Harry F Abate Elementary School (650 students) alongside Cataract Elementary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Cataract Elementary School compares
Cataract Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against New York and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New York | New York avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.2:1 | ▲ 20% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.0% | ▲ 32% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 496 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
496
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% above the New York average of 56.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 82% in New York - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
72.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$21,378
per pupil, district-wide
- below New York avg of $26,410
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 248 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 45.0%
African American 25.4%
Two or More 17.5%
Hispanic or Latino 10.1%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 45.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.2, Cataract Elementary School is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Niagara Falls City School District, which includes Cataract Elementary School.
$21,378
Per student
-19%
vs New York
Avg $26,410
+29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.6%
State 65.5%
Federal 20.9%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Cataract Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niagara Falls High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Harry F Abate Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lasalle Preparatory School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hyde Park School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bloneva Bond Primary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cataract Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,034
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 650
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 539
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 476
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 476
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New York, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~496 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cataract Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Cataract Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Niagara Falls City School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Cataract Elementary School
How many students attend Cataract Elementary School?
Cataract Elementary School has 496 students enrolled. It is a public school in Niagara Falls, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cataract Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cataract Elementary School is 14.2:1, which is 20% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cataract Elementary School?
74.0% of students at Cataract Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cataract Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cataract Elementary School is White at 45.0% of enrollment, in Niagara Falls, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cataract Elementary School?
Cataract Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cataract Elementary School rank among schools in Niagara Falls?
By Resource Investment Index, Cataract Elementary School ranks #1 of 8 schools in Niagara Falls, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Niagara Falls on the city page.
Is Cataract Elementary School a good school?
Cataract Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of New York schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New York schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Niagara Falls City School District?
Besides Cataract Elementary School, Niagara Falls City School District also operates Niagara Falls High School (2,034 students), Harry F Abate Elementary School (650 students), and Lasalle Preparatory School (539 students). See the Niagara Falls City School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.