Enrollment
963
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cheektowaga, NY
Union East Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Union East Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 360723000511
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Union East Elementary School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of New York schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New York schools.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Cheektowaga · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.5:1
- large classes for New York
- 63.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Union East Elementary School has class sizes larger than 89% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Union East Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 schools in Cheektowaga, NY.
School address
District: Cheektowaga Central School District · New York
NCES ID 360723000511 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
62.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.8%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Union East Elementary School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Union East Elementary School
Union East Elementary School is a higher-need, large combined-grade school in Cheektowaga, New York, enrolling 963 students.
Class loads run heavy: 15.5:1 is larger than about 89% of New York schools and 31% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 63.8% 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 91% of state schools at 963 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 4,801 New York schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 377 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New York schools statewide, it ranks #286, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (29%) and White (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 75/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Cheektowaga Central School District also operates Cheektowaga High School (682 students) and Cheektowaga Middle School (677 students) alongside Union East 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 Union East Elementary School compares
Union East 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 | 15.5:1 | ▲ 31% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.8% | ▲ 14% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 963 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
963
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 31% above state mean
Top 89% in New York - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
45.7%
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
$21,579
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 + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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
African American 28.6%
White 27.8%
Asian 27.3%
Hispanic or Latino 8.6%
Two or More 7.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 28.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 75.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 75.4, Union East Elementary School is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cheektowaga Central School District, which includes Union East Elementary School.
$21,579
Per student
-18%
vs New York
Avg $26,410
+30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.3%
State 40.8%
Federal 11.9%
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 Union East Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheektowaga High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cheektowaga Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Union East Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 682
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 677
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
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 (~963 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Union East Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Union East Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Cheektowaga 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 Union East Elementary School
How many students attend Union East Elementary School?
Union East Elementary School has 963 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cheektowaga, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Union East Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Union East Elementary School is 15.5:1, which is 31% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Union East Elementary School?
63.8% of students at Union East Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Union East Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Union East Elementary School is African American at 28.6% of enrollment, in Cheektowaga, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 75.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Union East Elementary School?
Union East Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower 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 Union East Elementary School rank among schools in Cheektowaga?
By Resource Investment Index, Union East Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 schools in Cheektowaga, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Cheektowaga on the city page.
Is Union East Elementary School a good school?
Union East Elementary School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of New York schools. It is also more 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 Cheektowaga Central School District?
Besides Union East Elementary School, Cheektowaga Central School District also operates Cheektowaga High School (682 students) and Cheektowaga Middle School (677 students). See the Cheektowaga 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.