Enrollment
281
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 362694003670
Waterman Elementary School — Skaneateles, NY
Federal NCES profile for Waterman Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 42/100.
👥 Class size 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 49
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: Skaneateles Central 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)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 11.7:1 New York avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
9.0%
vs 56.2% New York avg
-84% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waterman 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
Waterman Elementary School reports 281 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 22.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 12% 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 18% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 9.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 84% below the New York average and 83% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 20.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Skaneateles Central School District spends $33,777 per pupil district-wide, above the New York average of $29,727 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 74.0% from local sources (property taxes), 20.8% from the state, and 5.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (D), calculated from 3 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 Waterman 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 | 13.1:1 | ▲ 12% | 11.7:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 9.0% | ▼ 84% | 56.2% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 281 | top 21% | — | — |
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
9.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 84% 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
13.1:1
students per teacher
— 12% above state mean
Top 74% in New York — lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
20.6%
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
$33,777
per pupil, district-wide
— above New York avg of $29,727
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting 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 + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 281 Top 21% in New York — larger than 79% of 4,812 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 22.0
Students per teacher 13.1:1 +12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 9.0% -84% vs state
NCES ID 362694003670
Student demographics
White 94.7%
Hispanic or Latino 2.8%
Two or More 2.1%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 94.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 20.6%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Skaneateles Central School District, which includes Waterman Elementary School.
$33,777
Per student
+14%
vs New York
Avg $29,727
+73%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 74.0%
State 20.8%
Federal 5.2%
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
- 410
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Enrollment
- 266
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Enrollment
- 255
- Students per teacher
- 9.4:1
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 Waterman Elementary School
How many students attend Waterman Elementary School?
Waterman Elementary School has 281 students enrolled. It is a other school in SKANEATELES, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waterman Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Waterman Elementary School is 13.1:1, which is 12% higher than the New York average of 11.7:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Waterman Elementary School?
9.0% of students at Waterman Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Waterman Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Waterman Elementary School is White at 94.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in SKANEATELES, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waterman Elementary School?
Waterman Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (D) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.