Enrollment
421
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gowanda, NY
Gowanda Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Gowanda Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 361239001005
👥 S:T ratio 68
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 16
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gowanda Elementary School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 90% of New York schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Gowanda · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 7.9:1
- small classes for New York
- 61.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Gowanda 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, Gowanda Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Gowanda, NY.
School address
District: Gowanda Central School District · New York
NCES ID 361239001005 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.9:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
-33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.4%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gowanda Elementary School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gowanda Elementary School
Gowanda Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Gowanda, New York, enrolling 421 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.9:1, Gowanda 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 61.4% lands close to the New York typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 421 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 700 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #438.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (24%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 421 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Gowanda Central School District also operates Gowanda Middle School (334 students) and Gowanda High School (298 students) alongside Gowanda 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 Gowanda Elementary School compares
Gowanda 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 | 61.4% | ▲ 9% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 421 | top 51% | - | - |
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.
421
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% 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
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
49.9%
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
$29,452
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 421 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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 56.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 24.0%
Two or More 13.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.5%
African American 0.7%
Largest group: White at 56.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.0, Gowanda Elementary School is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gowanda Central School District, which includes Gowanda Elementary School.
$29,452
Per student
+12%
vs New York
Avg $26,410
+77%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.2%
State 67.4%
Federal 17.5%
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 Gowanda Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gowanda Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gowanda High School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gowanda Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 334
- Students per teacher
- 8.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 298
- Students per teacher
- 8.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
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 (~421 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gowanda Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Gowanda Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Gowanda Central 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 Gowanda Elementary School
How many students attend Gowanda Elementary School?
Gowanda Elementary School has 421 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gowanda, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gowanda Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gowanda 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 Gowanda Elementary School?
61.4% of students at Gowanda Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gowanda Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Gowanda Elementary School is White at 56.8% of enrollment, in Gowanda, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gowanda Elementary School?
Gowanda Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Gowanda Elementary School rank among public schools in Gowanda?
By Resource Investment Index, Gowanda Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Gowanda, 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 Gowanda on the city page.
Is Gowanda Elementary School a good school?
Gowanda Elementary School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts 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 Gowanda Central School District?
Besides Gowanda Elementary School, Gowanda Central School District also operates Gowanda Middle School (334 students) and Gowanda High School (298 students). See the Gowanda Central 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.