Enrollment
1,512
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Rome, NY
Rome Free Academy
Federal NCES profile for Rome Free Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 362490003449
👥 S:T ratio 44
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rome Free Academy earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of New York schools. It is also one of the largest schools in New York.
- #5 of 10
- public schools in Rome · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14:1
- large classes for New York
- 50.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Rome Free Academy has class sizes larger than 80% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rome Free Academy ranks #5 of 10 public schools in Rome, NY.
School address
District: Rome City School District · New York
NCES ID 362490003449 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
108.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.0%
vs 56.2% New York avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rome Free Academy compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rome Free Academy
Rome Free Academy is a higher-need, large high school in Rome, New York, enrolling 1,512 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14:1 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 50.0% lands close to the New York typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New York, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,512 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Among 136 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New York schools statewide, it ranks #103, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 41/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 7 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 252 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 57.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 346 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,512 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Rome City School District also operates Lyndon H Strough Middle School (817 students) and Louis V Denti Elementary School (598 students) alongside Rome Free Academy.
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 Rome Free Academy compares
Rome Free Academy 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 | 14:1 | ▲ 19% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.0% | ▼ 11% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,512 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,512
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% 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
14:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 80% in New York - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
57.9%
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
$21,981
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 252 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
139
in-school suspensions + 207 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 22.9 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 75.8%
Hispanic or Latino 10.3%
African American 9.8%
Asian 1.9%
Two or More 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 75.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.5, Rome Free Academy is less mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rome City School District, which includes Rome Free Academy.
$21,981
Per student
-17%
vs New York
Avg $26,410
+32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.9%
State 60.5%
Federal 13.7%
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 Rome Free Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyndon H Strough Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Louis V Denti Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bellamy Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Gansevoort Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ridge Mills Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rome Free Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 817
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 598
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 544
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 397
- Students per teacher
- 9:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 388
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar high 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 (~1,512 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rome Free Academy's federal record.
- Compare Rome Free Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Rome 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 Rome Free Academy
How many students attend Rome Free Academy?
Rome Free Academy has 1,512 students enrolled. It is a high school in Rome, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rome Free Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Rome Free Academy is 14:1, which is 19% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rome Free Academy?
50.0% of students at Rome Free Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rome Free Academy?
The largest demographic group at Rome Free Academy is White at 75.8% of enrollment, in Rome, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rome Free Academy?
Rome Free Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Rome Free Academy rank among public schools in Rome?
By Resource Investment Index, Rome Free Academy ranks #5 of 10 public schools in Rome, 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 Rome on the city page.
Is Rome Free Academy a good school?
Rome Free Academy earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of New York schools. It is also one of the largest schools in New York. 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 Rome City School District?
Besides Rome Free Academy, Rome City School District also operates Lyndon H Strough Middle School (817 students), Louis V Denti Elementary School (598 students), and Bellamy Elementary School (544 students). See the Rome 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.