Enrollment
270
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ithaca, NY
Cayuga Heights Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Cayuga Heights Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 361557004687
👥 S:T ratio 68
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cayuga Heights Elementary School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of New York schools.
- #12 of 13
- public schools in Ithaca · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 7.9:1
- small classes for New York
- 32.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Cayuga Heights Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 90% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cayuga Heights Elementary School ranks #12 of 13 public schools in Ithaca, NY.
School address
District: Ithaca City School District · New York
NCES ID 361557004687 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.9:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
-33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.3%
vs 56.2% New York avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cayuga Heights Elementary School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cayuga Heights Elementary School
Cayuga Heights Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Ithaca, New York, enrolling 270 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.9:1, Cayuga Heights Elementary School is leaner than roughly 90% of New York schools and 33% under the state's 11.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 270 puts it in the smaller third of New York schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 4,801 scored New York schools.
Among 530 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New York schools statewide, it ranks #455, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and Two or More (12%) (diversity index 56/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Ithaca City School District also operates Ithaca Senior High School (1,411 students) and Dewitt Middle School (559 students) alongside Cayuga Heights 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 Cayuga Heights Elementary School compares
Cayuga Heights 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 | 7.9:1 | ▼ 33% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.3% | ▼ 43% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 270 | top 81% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.9:1
Leaner classes than 95% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
270
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% below the New York average of 56.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
7.9:1
students per teacher
- 33% below state mean
Top 10% in New York - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
46.7%
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
$26,808
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 63.8%
Two or More 12.3%
Asian 9.0%
Hispanic or Latino 8.6%
African American 6.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 63.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.9, Cayuga Heights Elementary School is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ithaca City School District, which includes Cayuga Heights Elementary School.
$26,808
Per student
+2%
vs New York
Avg $26,410
+62%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 64.6%
State 25.4%
Federal 10.0%
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 Cayuga Heights Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ithaca Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dewitt Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Boynton Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Hill School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Belle Sherman School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cayuga Heights Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,411
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 559
- Students per teacher
- 8.9:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 513
- Students per teacher
- 8.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 363
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 347
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary 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 (~270 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cayuga Heights Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Cayuga Heights Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Ithaca 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 Cayuga Heights Elementary School
How many students attend Cayuga Heights Elementary School?
Cayuga Heights Elementary School has 270 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ithaca, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cayuga Heights Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cayuga Heights Elementary School is 7.9:1, which is 33% lower than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 50% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cayuga Heights Elementary School?
32.3% of students at Cayuga Heights Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cayuga Heights Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cayuga Heights Elementary School is White at 63.8% of enrollment, in Ithaca, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cayuga Heights Elementary School?
Cayuga Heights Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cayuga Heights Elementary School rank among public schools in Ithaca?
By Resource Investment Index, Cayuga Heights Elementary School ranks #12 of 13 public schools in Ithaca, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Ithaca on the city page.
Is Cayuga Heights Elementary School a good school?
Cayuga Heights Elementary School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of 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 Ithaca City School District?
Besides Cayuga Heights Elementary School, Ithaca City School District also operates Ithaca Senior High School (1,411 students), Dewitt Middle School (559 students), and Boynton Middle School (513 students). See the Ithaca 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.