Enrollment
451
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Merrick, NY
Chatterton School
Federal NCES profile for Chatterton School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 361911001728
👥 S:T ratio 59
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chatterton School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Merrick · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.3:1
- students per teacher
- 6.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Chatterton School has class sizes near the New York median. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chatterton School ranks #1 of 3 schools in Merrick, NY.
School address
District: Merrick Union Free School District · New York
NCES ID 361911001728 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.3:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
6.2%
vs 56.2% New York avg
-89% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chatterton School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chatterton School
Chatterton School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Merrick, New York, enrolling 451 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of New York schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 6.2% free-meal eligibility runs 89% below the New York average.
With 451 students, its enrollment sits close to the New York median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 357 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #118.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1503 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Merrick Union Free School District spends $32,488 per pupil, 23% above the New York average, a better-resourced district than most.
Merrick Union Free School District also operates Norman J Levy Lakeside School (644 students) and Birch School (588 students) alongside Chatterton 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 Chatterton School compares
Chatterton 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 | 10.3:1 | ▼ 13% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 6.2% | ▼ 89% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 451 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.3:1
Leaner classes than 87% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
451
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
6.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 89% below the New York average of 56.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.3:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 34% in New York - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
8.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$32,488
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
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 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 71.8%
Hispanic or Latino 12.4%
Asian 9.1%
Two or More 3.8%
African American 2.9%
Largest group: White at 71.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.9, Chatterton School is about as mixed as the New York school average of 45.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Merrick Union Free School District, which includes Chatterton School.
$32,488
Per student
+23%
vs New York
Avg $26,410
+96%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 78.6%
State 19.1%
Federal 2.3%
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 Chatterton School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norman J Levy Lakeside School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Birch School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chatterton School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 644
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 588
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
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 (~451 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chatterton School's federal record.
- Compare Chatterton School against another school. Compare schools
- Merrick Union Free 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 Chatterton School
How many students attend Chatterton School?
Chatterton School has 451 students enrolled. It is a public school in Merrick, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chatterton School?
The student-teacher ratio at Chatterton School is 10.3:1, which is 13% lower than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 34% 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 Chatterton School?
6.2% of students at Chatterton School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chatterton School?
The largest demographic group at Chatterton School is White at 71.8% of enrollment, in Merrick, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chatterton School?
Chatterton School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher 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 Chatterton School rank among schools in Merrick?
By Resource Investment Index, Chatterton School ranks #1 of 3 schools in Merrick, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Merrick on the city page.
Is Chatterton School a good school?
Chatterton School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median. 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 Merrick Union Free School District?
Besides Chatterton School, Merrick Union Free School District also operates Norman J Levy Lakeside School (644 students) and Birch School (588 students). See the Merrick Union Free 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.