Enrollment
1,181
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Watertown, NY
Watertown Senior High School
Federal NCES profile for Watertown Senior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 363012004057
👥 S:T ratio 39
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Watertown Senior High School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of New York schools. It is also one of the largest schools in New York.
- #3 of 9
- public schools in Watertown · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.3:1
- large classes for New York
- 61.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Watertown Senior High School has class sizes larger than 88% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Watertown Senior High School ranks #3 of 9 public schools in Watertown, NY.
School address
District: Watertown City School District · New York
NCES ID 363012004057 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
77.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.5%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Watertown Senior High School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Watertown Senior High School
Watertown Senior High School is a higher-need, large high school in Watertown, New York, enrolling 1,181 students.
Class loads run heavy: 15.3:1 is larger than about 88% of New York schools and 30% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 61.5% 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 95% of state schools at 1,181 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 245 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #131.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Two or More (11%) (diversity index 49/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 236 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Watertown City School District spends $18,592 per pupil, 30% below the New York average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 23.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 264 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,181 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Watertown City School District also operates Harold T Wiley School (614 students) and Case Middle School (586 students) alongside Watertown Senior 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 Watertown Senior High School compares
Watertown Senior 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 | 15.3:1 | ▲ 30% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.5% | ▲ 9% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,181 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,181
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% 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
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 30% above state mean
Top 88% in New York - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
52.8%
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
$18,592
per pupil, district-wide
- below New York avg of $26,410
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 236 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
127
in-school suspensions + 137 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 22.4 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
White 69.8%
Two or More 10.5%
Hispanic or Latino 9.9%
African American 7.8%
Asian 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 69.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.6, Watertown Senior High School is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Watertown City School District, which includes Watertown Senior High School.
$18,592
Per student
-30%
vs New York
Avg $26,410
+12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.0%
State 56.1%
Federal 23.9%
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 Watertown Senior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harold T Wiley School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Case Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Knickerbocker School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sherman School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Watertown Senior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 614
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 586
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 435
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 340
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 323
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
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 (~1,181 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Watertown Senior High School's federal record.
- Compare Watertown Senior High School against another school. Compare schools
- Watertown 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 Watertown Senior High School
How many students attend Watertown Senior High School?
Watertown Senior High School has 1,181 students enrolled. It is a high school in Watertown, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Watertown Senior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Watertown Senior High School is 15.3:1, which is 30% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Watertown Senior High School?
61.5% of students at Watertown Senior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Watertown Senior High School?
The largest demographic group at Watertown Senior High School is White at 69.8% of enrollment, in Watertown, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Watertown Senior High School?
Watertown Senior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Watertown Senior High School rank among public schools in Watertown?
By Resource Investment Index, Watertown Senior High School ranks #3 of 9 public schools in Watertown, 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 Watertown on the city page.
Is Watertown Senior High School a good school?
Watertown Senior High School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of New York schools. 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 Watertown City School District?
Besides Watertown Senior High School, Watertown City School District also operates Harold T Wiley School (614 students), Case Middle School (586 students), and North Elementary School (435 students). See the Watertown 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.