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William Smith Ingham HouseWilliam Smith Ingham House · Photo: Doncram · CC BY-SA 4.0
B
Schools in Cato · Cato-Meridian Central School District, Weedsport Central School District

Cato’s public schools outscore 57% of New York districts

The grade covers the two public school districts serving Cato, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within New York, not nationally.

K–12Where will my kid go?

From New York state tests taken in spring 2022, when 89% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading proficiency
45%
▼ 4 pts vs NY 49%
2021–22
Math proficiency
48%
▲ 2 pts vs NY 46%
2021–22
Graduate on time
90–94%
▲ 3–7 pts vs NY 87%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$23.3K
▼ 33% vs NY $34.6K
FY2024 · Cato-Meridian Central
Students per teacher
11.1
NY 11.2
Schools in town
0
1,544 students on the public path
In brief

Cato’s schools, in brief

Better than its incomes would predict

Among the 1157 New York towns with household incomes within a quarter of Cato’s, its schools beat 71%, higher than their 57% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓

Above the state in math, below in reading

Reading proficiency is 45% and math 48% across both districts in spring 2022, against 49% and 46% statewide; 90–94% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 87%. Test scores ↓

Spending and class size

Cato-Meridian Central spends $23,310 per student and Weedsport Central $25,389, against $34,607 across New York (FY2024). Neither counts toward the grade. Districts ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Cato’s grade

B− Test scoresB− Graduation

B: better than 57% of New York school districts. Graduation is above the New York average; test scores are below it.

New York school districts we grade (1,013)Better than 57%
Lower resultsHigher results
New York towns with similar household incomes (1157)Better than 71%
Towns in Cayuga County (23)Better than 61%
C+B+A fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 728 test results and a graduating class of 64 could put Cato anywhere from C+ to B+. The tests are from spring 2022, when 89% of Cato’s students in the tested grades sat them (743 in math, 713 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Cato, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
PK–62 schoolsDepends on your addressC to C+
7–122 schoolsDepends on your addressC+ to B−

Cato runs its own schools through grade 12 (Cato-Meridian Central School District). From grade PK, students attend the Weedsport Central School District, shared with Brutus, Sennett and Weedsport. Its school is in Cato. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

Two districts serve Cato

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

Cato-Meridian Central School DistrictGrades PK–12 · 2 schools · 846 students, down 5% since 2020–21 · 11.3 per teacher (NY 11.2)
$23,310NY $34,607 · FY2024
B−
Weedsport Central School DistrictGrades PK–12 · 2 schools · 698 students, down 7% since 2020–21 · 10.9 per teacher (NY 11.2)
$25,389NY $34,607 · FY2024
B
Test scores · 2021–22

Below the state in reading

Reading · PK–12, Cato-Meridian Central School District43%
State average 48.9% · 396 students tested
Math · PK–12, Cato-Meridian Central School District43%
State average 46.5% · 426 students tested
Reading · PK–12, Weedsport Central School District47%
State average 48.9% · 317 students tested
Math · PK–12, Weedsport Central School District55%
State average 46.5% · 317 students tested

Cato vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the New York towns that share Cato’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
CatoBCato-Meridian Central PK–12 · Weedsport Central PK–12
BrutusBWeedsport Central
LysanderB+Baldwinsville Central
ConquestB−Port Byron Central PK–12 · Cato-Meridian Central PK–12
IraB−Cato-Meridian Central
ElbridgeB−Jordan-Elbridge Central

2 of the 5 neighbors share Cato-Meridian Central with Cato for grades PK–12, so their letters differ mainly through the lower grades.

Every school in Cato

4 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with New York’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

Also serving Catoin other towns
Cato-Meridian Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–6
C+
463 students11:1Rate it →
Weedsport Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Weedsport
C
324 students14:1Rate it →
Weedsport Junior-Senior High School
High · Grades 6–12 · Weedsport
B−
374 students9:1Rate it →
Cato-Meridian Junior-Senior High School
High · Grades 7–12
C+
383 students11:1Rate it →

Questions about Cato’s schools

Are Cato’s schools good?

They sit near the middle of New York: the public schools Cato children attend outscore 57% of New York’s school districts on tests and graduation, a B Schools grade. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 71%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Cato in?

Two districts: Cato-Meridian Central School District runs grades PK–12, and Weedsport Central School District runs grades PK–12, shared with Brutus, Sennett and Weedsport.

What is Cato’s graduation rate?

90–94% of the class of 2023 in Cato-Meridian Central School District graduated in four years, against 87% across New York.

How much does Cato spend per student?

$23,310 in Cato-Meridian Central School District and $25,389 in Weedsport Central School District (FY2024), against $34,607 across New York. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Cato families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Cato → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within New York. Stars are from neighbors.