Enrollment
1,385
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Montgomery, NY
Valley Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Valley Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 361968001803
👥 S:T ratio 51
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley Central High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median. It is also one of the largest schools in New York.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Montgomery · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.3:1
- students per teacher
- 33.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Valley Central High School has class sizes near the New York median. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Central High School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Montgomery, NY.
School address
District: Valley Central School District (Montgomery) · New York
NCES ID 361968001803 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
113.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.0%
vs 56.2% New York avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley Central High School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley Central High School
Valley Central High School is a large high school in Montgomery, New York, enrolling 1,385 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.3:1 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New York, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,385 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 4,801 scored New York schools.
Among 198 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New York schools statewide, it ranks #141, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and Hispanic or Latino (34%) (diversity index 63/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 231 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Valley Central School District (Montgomery) also operates Valley Central Middle School (945 students) and Montgomery Elementary School (539 students) alongside Valley Central High 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 Valley Central High School compares
Valley Central High 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 | 12.3:1 | ▲ 4% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.0% | ▼ 41% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,385 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
1,385
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% below the New York average of 56.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 64% in New York - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
30.0%
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
$25,646
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
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 231 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
81
in-school suspensions + 126 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.9 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 50.1%
Hispanic or Latino 33.5%
African American 9.6%
Two or More 5.0%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 50.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.5, Valley Central High School is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Valley Central School District (Montgomery), which includes Valley Central High School.
$25,646
Per student
-3%
vs New York
Avg $26,410
+55%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.0%
State 38.4%
Federal 6.6%
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 Valley Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Central Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Montgomery Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Berea Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Walden Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Coldenham Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 945
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 539
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 497
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 447
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 339
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar high 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 (~1,385 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Valley Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Valley Central School District (Montgomery)'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 Valley Central High School
How many students attend Valley Central High School?
Valley Central High School has 1,385 students enrolled. It is a high school in Montgomery, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley Central High School is 12.3:1, which is 4% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 22% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Valley Central High School?
33.0% of students at Valley Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Valley Central High School is White at 50.1% of enrollment, in Montgomery, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley Central High School?
Valley Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Valley Central High School rank among public schools in Montgomery?
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Central High School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Montgomery, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Montgomery on the city page.
Is Valley Central High School a good school?
Valley Central High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median. It is also one of the largest schools in New York. 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 Valley Central School District (Montgomery)?
Besides Valley Central High School, Valley Central School District (Montgomery) also operates Valley Central Middle School (945 students), Montgomery Elementary School (539 students), and Berea Elementary School (497 students). See the Valley Central School District (Montgomery) district page for the complete list.
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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.