Enrollment
148
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Rockaway Park, NY
Waterside School for Leadership
Federal NCES profile for Waterside School for Leadership, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 360012306127
👥 S:T ratio 72
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Waterside School for Leadership earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of New York schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in New York.
- #4 of 9
- public schools in Rockaway Park · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 7:1
- small classes for New York
- 76.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Waterside School for Leadership has class sizes smaller than 94% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Waterside School for Leadership ranks #4 of 9 public schools in Rockaway Park, NY.
School address
District: New York City Geographic District #27 · New York
NCES ID 360012306127 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
-41% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.6%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waterside School for Leadership compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Waterside School for Leadership
Waterside School for Leadership is a high-poverty, small middle school in Rockaway Park, New York, enrolling 148 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7:1, Waterside School for Leadership is leaner than roughly 94% of New York schools and 41% under the state's 11.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.6% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 95% of New York schools, with 148 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 163 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #77.
Its student body is led by African American (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (39%) (diversity index 59/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 62.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
New York City Geographic District #27 also operates John Adams High School (2,400 students) and Richmond Hill High School (1,841 students) alongside Waterside School for Leadership.
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 Waterside School for Leadership compares
Waterside School for Leadership 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 | 7:1 | ▼ 41% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.6% | ▲ 36% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 148 | top 95% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7:1
Leaner classes than 97% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
148
Bigger than 14% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% 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
7:1
students per teacher
- 41% below state mean
Top 6% in New York - lower ratio than 94% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
62.2%
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.
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 50.7%
Hispanic or Latino 38.5%
White 4.7%
Asian 2.7%
Two or More 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%
Largest group: African American at 50.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.1, Waterside School for Leadership is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
How Waterside School for Leadership Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Adams High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Richmond Hill High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ms 137 America's School of Heroes | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jhs 210 Elizabeth Blackwell | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Scholars' Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Waterside School for Leadership's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,400
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,841
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,610
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 1,459
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,184
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar middle 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 (~148 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Waterside School for Leadership's federal record.
- Compare Waterside School for Leadership against another school. Compare schools
- New York City Geographic District #27'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 Waterside School for Leadership
How many students attend Waterside School for Leadership?
Waterside School for Leadership has 148 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Rockaway Park, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waterside School for Leadership?
The student-teacher ratio at Waterside School for Leadership is 7:1, which is 41% lower than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 55% 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 Waterside School for Leadership?
76.6% of students at Waterside School for Leadership are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Waterside School for Leadership?
The largest demographic group at Waterside School for Leadership is African American at 50.7% of enrollment, in Rockaway Park, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waterside School for Leadership?
Waterside School for Leadership has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical 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 Waterside School for Leadership rank among public schools in Rockaway Park?
By Resource Investment Index, Waterside School for Leadership ranks #4 of 9 public schools in Rockaway Park, 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 Rockaway Park on the city page.
Is Waterside School for Leadership a good school?
Waterside School for Leadership earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of New York schools. It is also one of the smallest 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 New York City Geographic District #27?
Besides Waterside School for Leadership, New York City Geographic District #27 also operates John Adams High School (2,400 students), Richmond Hill High School (1,841 students), and Ms 137 America's School of Heroes (1,610 students). See the New York City Geographic District #27 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.