Enrollment
365
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chatham, NY
Mary E Dardess Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Mary E Dardess Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 360711000502
👥 S:T ratio 60
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mary E Dardess Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most New York schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Chatham · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.1:1
- students per teacher
- 40.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Mary E Dardess Elementary School has class sizes near the New York median. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mary E Dardess Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Chatham, NY.
School address
District: Chatham Central School District · New York
NCES ID 360711000502 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.1:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.6%
vs 56.2% New York avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mary E Dardess Elementary School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mary E Dardess Elementary School
Mary E Dardess Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Chatham, New York, enrolling 365 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of New York schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 40.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 365 students, its enrollment sits close to the New York median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 4,801 scored New York schools.
Among 868 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New York schools statewide, it ranks #627, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 365 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Chatham Central School District also operates Chatham High School (316 students) and Chatham Middle School (226 students) alongside Mary E Dardess 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 Mary E Dardess Elementary School compares
Mary E Dardess 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 | 10.1:1 | ▼ 14% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.6% | ▼ 28% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 365 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.1:1
Leaner classes than 88% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
365
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% below 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
10.1:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 31% in New York - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.5%
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
$31,503
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 365 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 88.8%
Hispanic or Latino 8.5%
African American 1.1%
Two or More 1.1%
Asian 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 88.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.4, Mary E Dardess Elementary School is less mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chatham Central School District, which includes Mary E Dardess Elementary School.
$31,503
Per student
+19%
vs New York
Avg $26,410
+90%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 67.6%
State 26.7%
Federal 5.8%
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 Mary E Dardess Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chatham High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chatham Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mary E Dardess Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 316
- Students per teacher
- 9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 226
- Students per teacher
- 7.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 (~365 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mary E Dardess Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Mary E Dardess Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Chatham 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 Mary E Dardess Elementary School
How many students attend Mary E Dardess Elementary School?
Mary E Dardess Elementary School has 365 students enrolled. It is a public school in Chatham, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mary E Dardess Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mary E Dardess Elementary School is 10.1:1, which is 14% lower than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 36% 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 Mary E Dardess Elementary School?
40.6% of students at Mary E Dardess Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mary E Dardess Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Mary E Dardess Elementary School is White at 88.8% of enrollment, in Chatham, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mary E Dardess Elementary School?
Mary E Dardess Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical 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 Mary E Dardess Elementary School rank among public schools in Chatham?
By Resource Investment Index, Mary E Dardess Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Chatham, 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 Chatham on the city page.
Is Mary E Dardess Elementary School a good school?
Mary E Dardess Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median. It is also less 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 Chatham Central School District?
Besides Mary E Dardess Elementary School, Chatham Central School District also operates Chatham High School (316 students) and Chatham Middle School (226 students). See the Chatham 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.