Enrollment
427
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Amherst, NY
Willow Ridge Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Willow Ridge Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 362850003833
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Willow Ridge Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New York schools.
- #3 of 4
- schools in Amherst · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.9:1
- students per teacher
- 37.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Willow Ridge Elementary School has class sizes near the New York median. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Willow Ridge Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 schools in Amherst, NY.
School address
District: Sweet Home Central School District · New York
NCES ID 362850003833 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.7%
vs 56.2% New York avg
-33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Willow Ridge Elementary School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at Willow Ridge Elementary School
Willow Ridge Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Amherst, New York, enrolling 427 students.
At 11.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the New York median, within a few percentage points of the 11.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 37.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 427 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.
Among 920 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need New York schools statewide, it ranks #715, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and African American (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 427 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Sweet Home Central School District also operates Sweet Home Senior High School (1,105 students) and Sweet Home Middle School (858 students) alongside Willow Ridge Elementary 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 Willow Ridge Elementary School compares
Willow Ridge Elementary 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 | 11.9:1 | ▲ 1% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.7% | ▼ 33% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 427 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.9:1
Leaner classes than 76% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
427
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% 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
11.9:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 58% in New York - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
27.4%
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
$23,573
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 427 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 48.7%
African American 20.6%
Asian 11.9%
Hispanic or Latino 9.8%
Two or More 8.9%
Largest group: White at 48.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.9, Willow Ridge Elementary School is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sweet Home Central School District, which includes Willow Ridge Elementary School.
$23,573
Per student
-11%
vs New York
Avg $26,410
+42%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 59.5%
State 31.4%
Federal 9.1%
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 Willow Ridge Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet Home Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sweet Home Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Maplemere Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Heritage Heights Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Glendale Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Willow Ridge Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,105
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 858
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 488
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 452
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 443
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar other 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 (~427 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Willow Ridge Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Willow Ridge Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Sweet Home Central 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 Willow Ridge Elementary School
How many students attend Willow Ridge Elementary School?
Willow Ridge Elementary School has 427 students enrolled. It is a public school in Amherst, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Willow Ridge Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Willow Ridge Elementary School is 11.9:1, which is 1% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 24% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Willow Ridge Elementary School?
37.7% of students at Willow Ridge Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Willow Ridge Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Willow Ridge Elementary School is White at 48.7% of enrollment, in Amherst, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Willow Ridge Elementary School?
Willow Ridge Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Willow Ridge Elementary School rank among schools in Amherst?
By Resource Investment Index, Willow Ridge Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 schools in Amherst, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Amherst on the city page.
Is Willow Ridge Elementary School a good school?
Willow Ridge Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New York schools. 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 Sweet Home Central School District?
Besides Willow Ridge Elementary School, Sweet Home Central School District also operates Sweet Home Senior High School (1,105 students), Sweet Home Middle School (858 students), and Maplemere Elementary School (488 students). See the Sweet Home Central 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.