Enrollment
500
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · New Windsor, NY
Vails Gate Steam Academy
Federal NCES profile for Vails Gate Steam Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 362070002915
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vails Gate Steam Academy earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median.
- #2 of 4
- elementary schools in New Windsor · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 10.4:1
- students per teacher
- 66.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Vails Gate Steam Academy has class sizes near the New York median. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vails Gate Steam Academy ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in New Windsor, NY.
School address
District: Newburgh City School District · New York
NCES ID 362070002915 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.4:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.7%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vails Gate Steam Academy compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vails Gate Steam Academy
Vails Gate Steam Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in New Windsor, New York, enrolling 500 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of New York schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 66.7% lands close to the New York typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 500 students, its enrollment sits close to the New York median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 720 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #351.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (69%) and African American (17%) (diversity index 49/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Newburgh City School District also operates Newburgh Free Academy (3,550 students) and Meadow Hill Global Explorations Magnet School (982 students) alongside Vails Gate Steam 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 Vails Gate Steam Academy compares
Vails Gate Steam 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 | 10.4:1 | ▼ 12% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.7% | ▲ 19% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 500 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.4:1
Leaner classes than 87% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
500
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
10.4:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 35% in New York - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
48.2%
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
$26,565
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
4
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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
Hispanic or Latino 69.0%
African American 16.6%
White 9.2%
Two or More 3.6%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 69.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.6, Vails Gate Steam Academy is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Newburgh City School District, which includes Vails Gate Steam Academy.
$26,565
Per student
+1%
vs New York
Avg $26,410
+60%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.8%
State 55.5%
Federal 10.7%
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 Vails Gate Steam Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newburgh Free Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Meadow Hill Global Explorations Magnet School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Temple Hill School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Heritage Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gams High Tech Magnet School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vails Gate Steam Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,550
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 982
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 890
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 802
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 788
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
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 (~500 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vails Gate Steam Academy's federal record.
- Compare Vails Gate Steam Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Newburgh 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 Vails Gate Steam Academy
How many students attend Vails Gate Steam Academy?
Vails Gate Steam Academy has 500 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in New Windsor, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vails Gate Steam Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Vails Gate Steam Academy is 10.4:1, which is 12% lower than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 34% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Vails Gate Steam Academy?
66.7% of students at Vails Gate Steam Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vails Gate Steam Academy?
The largest demographic group at Vails Gate Steam Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 69.0% of enrollment, in New Windsor, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vails Gate Steam Academy?
Vails Gate Steam Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Vails Gate Steam Academy rank among elementary schools in New Windsor?
By Resource Investment Index, Vails Gate Steam Academy ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in New Windsor, 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 New Windsor on the city page.
Is Vails Gate Steam Academy a good school?
Vails Gate Steam Academy earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median. 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 Newburgh City School District?
Besides Vails Gate Steam Academy, Newburgh City School District also operates Newburgh Free Academy (3,550 students), Meadow Hill Global Explorations Magnet School (982 students), and Temple Hill School (890 students). See the Newburgh 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.