Enrollment
388
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Hempstead, NY
David Paterson School
Federal NCES profile for David Paterson School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 361413001151
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
David Paterson School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of New York schools.
- #3 of 5
- elementary schools in Hempstead · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.2:1
- large classes for New York
- 58.4%
- free-lunch eligible
David Paterson School has class sizes larger than 92% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, David Paterson School ranks #3 of 5 elementary schools in Hempstead, NY.
School address
District: Hempstead Union Free School District · New York
NCES ID 361413001151 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+37% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.4%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How David Paterson School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at David Paterson School
David Paterson School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Hempstead, New York, enrolling 388 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.2:1 is larger than about 92% of New York schools and 37% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.4% lands close to the New York typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 388 students, its enrollment sits close to the New York median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 4,801 New York schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 723 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New York schools statewide, it ranks #652, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (67%) and African American (32%) (diversity index 45/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 79.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Hempstead Union Free School District spends $32,011 per pupil, 21% above the New York average, a better-resourced district than most.
Hempstead Union Free School District also operates Hempstead High School (1,879 students) and Alverta B Gray Schultz Middle School (748 students) alongside David Paterson 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 David Paterson School compares
David Paterson 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 | 16.2:1 | ▲ 37% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.4% | ▲ 4% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 388 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
388
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% 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
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 37% above state mean
Top 92% in New York - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
79.9%
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
$32,011
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 + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 67.0%
African American 32.2%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 67.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.7, David Paterson School is about as mixed as the New York school average of 45.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hempstead Union Free School District, which includes David Paterson School.
$32,011
Per student
+21%
vs New York
Avg $26,410
+93%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.4%
State 59.6%
Federal 12.1%
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 David Paterson School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hempstead High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alverta B Gray Schultz Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rhodes Academy of Humanities and the Arts | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Prospect Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Barack Obama Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to David Paterson School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,879
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 748
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 631
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 441
- Students per teacher
- 36.8:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 439
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
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 (~388 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on David Paterson School's federal record.
- Compare David Paterson School against another school. Compare schools
- Hempstead 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 David Paterson School
How many students attend David Paterson School?
David Paterson School has 388 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Hempstead, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at David Paterson School?
The student-teacher ratio at David Paterson School is 16.2:1, which is 37% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at David Paterson School?
58.4% of students at David Paterson School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of David Paterson School?
The largest demographic group at David Paterson School is Hispanic or Latino at 67.0% of enrollment, in Hempstead, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for David Paterson School?
David Paterson School has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (lower 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 David Paterson School rank among elementary schools in Hempstead?
By Resource Investment Index, David Paterson School ranks #3 of 5 elementary schools in Hempstead, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Hempstead on the city page.
Is David Paterson School a good school?
David Paterson School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Hempstead Union Free School District?
Besides David Paterson School, Hempstead Union Free School District also operates Hempstead High School (1,879 students), Alverta B Gray Schultz Middle School (748 students), and Rhodes Academy of Humanities and the Arts (631 students). See the Hempstead 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.