Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Amherst

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
A−

Amherst Central School District

Public school districtGrades PK–12

Amherst’s School Grade A− better than 82% of New York school districts

Students
2,957
Schools
4
Spent per student
$22,571
NY $34,607
Students per teacher
11:1
Free or reduced lunch
33%
Debt
$34.8M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Amherst Central School District

  • Its letter, A−: results better than 78% of New York districts
  • Math proficiency 15 pts above the state
  • Reading proficiency 12 pts above the state
  • Graduation rate 6 pts above the state
  • Spends 35% less per student than the NY average
  • 11 students per teacher
  • Debt of $34.8M, about $11,757 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

A−: better than 78% of the 1,013 New York school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math well above the state, 2021–22
A−
GraduationFour-year graduation well above the state, class of 2023
B+

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Amherst. Grade by grade →

K–49 elementary schoolsWilliamsville Central School District
5–85 middle schoolsWilliamsville Central School District
9–124 high schoolsWilliamsville Central School District

Test scores vs. NY

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency61%
State average 46.5% · 1,288 students tested
Reading / language arts61%
State average 48.9% · 1,208 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)93%
State average 87.2% · 227 in the class

84% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$22,571 per student · 35% below NY
Spending
Classroom instruction 66%Support & administration 32%Other 2%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 56%State 39%Federal 6%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
2,931’20
2,927’21
2,900’22
2,972’23
2,957’24

About steady since 2020–21.

Students
White 61%Black 15%Asian 11%Hispanic 7%Two or more races 6%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%

Schools in the district

4 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with New York’s other public schools.

Windermere BLVD School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Amherst
C+
738 students11:1
Smallwood Drive School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Amherst
B
708 students14:1
Amherst Middle School
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Amherst
C+
646 students9:1
Amherst Central High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Amherst
A
865 students11:1

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

Starpoint Central School DistrictPendleton, Wheatfield
$21,215per student
Buffalo City School DistrictBuffalo
$31,111per student
Cheektowaga Central School DistrictCheektowaga
$22,770per student
Clarence Central School DistrictClarence
$20,086per student

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within New York.