Enrollment
153
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 363012005921
Starbuck Elementary School — Watertown, NY
Federal NCES profile for Starbuck Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 36/100.
👥 Class size 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 69
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Watertown City School District · New York
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 11.7:1 New York avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.8%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Starbuck Elementary School compares with New York and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Starbuck Elementary School reports 153 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 13.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 21% above the New York state mean of 11.7:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 11% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 70.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 26% above the New York average and 37% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 153 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 83.7% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Watertown City School District spends $20,203 per pupil district-wide, below the New York average of $29,727 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 20.0% from local sources (property taxes), 56.1% from the state, and 23.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Starbuck Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against New York state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs New York | New York avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.2:1 | ▲ 21% | 11.7:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.8% | ▲ 26% | 56.2% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 153 | top 5% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
70.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 26% 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
14.2:1
students per teacher
— 21% above state mean
Top 84% in New York — lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
83.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$20,203
per pupil, district-wide
— below New York avg of $29,727
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 153 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 153 Top 5% in New York — larger than 95% of 4,812 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 13.0
Students per teacher 14.2:1 +21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 70.8% +26% vs state
NCES ID 363012005921
Student demographics
White 58.8%
Two or More 18.3%
African American 11.8%
Hispanic or Latino 11.1%
Largest group: White at 58.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 153:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 83.7%
In-school suspensions 2
Out-of-school suspensions 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Watertown City School District, which includes Starbuck Elementary School.
$20,203
Per student
-32%
vs New York
Avg $29,727
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,181
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Enrollment
- 614
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Enrollment
- 586
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Enrollment
- 435
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Enrollment
- 340
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
Similar elementary schools in Watertown
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Harold T Wiley School
Standard public school
614 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
North Elementary School
Standard public school
435 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Knickerbocker School
Standard public school
340 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Sherman School
Standard public school
323 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Ohio Street School
Standard public school
308 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Starbuck Elementary School
How many students attend Starbuck Elementary School?
Starbuck Elementary School has 153 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in WATERTOWN, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Starbuck Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Starbuck Elementary School is 14.2:1, which is 21% higher than the New York average of 11.7:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Starbuck Elementary School?
70.8% of students at Starbuck Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Starbuck Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Starbuck Elementary School is White at 58.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in WATERTOWN, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Starbuck Elementary School?
Starbuck Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.