Enrollment
708
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Amherst, NY
Smallwood Drive School
Federal NCES profile for Smallwood Drive School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 360292004378
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Smallwood Drive School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of New York schools.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Amherst · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.1:1
- large classes for New York
- 16.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Smallwood Drive School has class sizes larger than 87% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Smallwood Drive School ranks #1 of 4 schools in Amherst, NY.
School address
District: Amherst Central School District · New York
NCES ID 360292004378 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.8%
vs 56.2% New York avg
-70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Smallwood Drive School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Smallwood Drive School
Smallwood Drive School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Amherst, New York, enrolling 708 students.
Class loads run heavy: 15.1:1 is larger than about 87% of New York schools and 28% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 16.8% free-meal eligibility runs 70% below the New York average.
Enrollment of 708 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 515 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #295.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Two or More (7%) (diversity index 41/100).
14.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Amherst Central School District spends $20,441 per pupil, 23% below the New York average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 24.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Amherst Central School District also operates Amherst Central High School (865 students) and Windermere Blvd School (738 students) alongside Smallwood Drive 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 Smallwood Drive School compares
Smallwood Drive 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 | 15.1:1 | ▲ 28% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.8% | ▼ 70% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 708 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
708
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% below the New York average of 56.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 28% above state mean
Top 87% in New York - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$20,441
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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 75.6%
Two or More 7.1%
Hispanic or Latino 6.5%
African American 5.6%
Asian 4.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 75.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.4, Smallwood Drive School is less mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Amherst Central School District, which includes Smallwood Drive School.
$20,441
Per student
-23%
vs New York
Avg $26,410
+23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.0%
State 26.9%
Federal 24.1%
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 Smallwood Drive School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst Central High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Windermere Blvd School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Amherst Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Smallwood Drive School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 865
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 738
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 646
- Students per teacher
- 9.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
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 (~708 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Smallwood Drive School's federal record.
- Compare Smallwood Drive School against another school. Compare schools
- Amherst 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 Smallwood Drive School
How many students attend Smallwood Drive School?
Smallwood Drive School has 708 students enrolled. It is a public school in Amherst, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Smallwood Drive School?
The student-teacher ratio at Smallwood Drive School is 15.1:1, which is 28% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Smallwood Drive School?
16.8% of students at Smallwood Drive School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Smallwood Drive School?
The largest demographic group at Smallwood Drive School is White at 75.6% of enrollment, in Amherst, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Smallwood Drive School?
Smallwood Drive School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical 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 Smallwood Drive School rank among schools in Amherst?
By Resource Investment Index, Smallwood Drive School ranks #1 of 4 schools in Amherst, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Amherst on the city page.
Is Smallwood Drive School a good school?
Smallwood Drive School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% 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 Amherst Central School District?
Besides Smallwood Drive School, Amherst Central School District also operates Amherst Central High School (865 students), Windermere Blvd School (738 students), and Amherst Middle School (646 students). See the Amherst 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.