Enrollment
323
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Watertown, NY
Sherman School
Federal NCES profile for Sherman School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 363012004055
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sherman School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of New York schools.
- #5 of 6
- elementary schools in Watertown · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14:1
- large classes for New York
- 51.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Sherman School has class sizes larger than 80% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sherman School ranks #5 of 6 elementary schools in Watertown, NY.
School address
District: Watertown City School District · New York
NCES ID 363012004055 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.3%
vs 56.2% New York avg
-9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sherman School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sherman School
Sherman School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Watertown, New York, enrolling 323 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 51.3% lands close to the New York typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 323 puts it in the smaller third of New York schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Among 724 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New York schools statewide, it ranks #628, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 323 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Watertown City School District spends $18,592 per pupil, 30% below the New York average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 23.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Watertown City School District also operates Watertown Senior High School (1,181 students) and Harold T Wiley School (614 students) alongside Sherman 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 Sherman School compares
Sherman 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 | 14:1 | ▲ 19% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.3% | ▼ 9% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 323 | top 71% | - | - |
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.
323
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% 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
43.7%
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
$18,592
per pupil, district-wide
- below New York avg of $26,410
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 323 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.8 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 68.1%
Hispanic or Latino 11.5%
Two or More 10.2%
African American 7.4%
Asian 2.8%
Largest group: White at 68.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.6, Sherman School is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Watertown City School District, which includes Sherman School.
$18,592
Per student
-30%
vs New York
Avg $26,410
+12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.0%
State 56.1%
Federal 23.9%
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 Sherman School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown Senior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Harold T Wiley School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Case Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Knickerbocker School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sherman School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,181
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 614
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 586
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 435
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 340
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
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 (~323 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sherman School's federal record.
- Compare Sherman School against another school. Compare schools
- Watertown 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 Sherman School
How many students attend Sherman School?
Sherman School has 323 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Watertown, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sherman School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sherman School 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 Sherman School?
51.3% of students at Sherman School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sherman School?
The largest demographic group at Sherman School is White at 68.1% of enrollment, in Watertown, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sherman School?
Sherman School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (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 Sherman School rank among elementary schools in Watertown?
By Resource Investment Index, Sherman School ranks #5 of 6 elementary schools in Watertown, 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 Watertown on the city page.
Is Sherman School a good school?
Sherman School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% 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 Watertown City School District?
Besides Sherman School, Watertown City School District also operates Watertown Senior High School (1,181 students), Harold T Wiley School (614 students), and Case Middle School (586 students). See the Watertown 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.