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Public elementary school · Niagara Falls City School District · Niagara Falls, New York

Cataract Elementary School

Cataract Elementary School rates 5.4, right at the middle of Niagara Falls City School District's elementary schools, whose rated median is 5.4.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
5.4this school

5.4 on a one-to-ten scale; the Niagara Falls City School District median is 5.4.

#3,646 of 4,744 schools in New York · Niagara Falls City School District: 7 elementary schools rated, median 5.4

The brief

A Niagara Falls City School District elementary school where students score 31 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 3,646 of 4,744 schools in New York and 6 of 11 in Niagara Falls City School District.

Cataract Elementary School is listed in Niagara Falls City School District, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math26%31 points below the New York average of 57%2025 NYSED
Reading23%31 points below the New York average of 54%2025 NYSED
Proficiency has improved 8 points since 2023, reaching 25% in 2025, across a 3-year record (2023–2025).2025 NYSED; 58 test records from NY state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
8.3
50% of the rating
Academics
2.0
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
3.4
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 6 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 27% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 22% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 NYSED · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 NYSED · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 14304; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Cataract Elementary School and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$64,756
Median home value
$151,500
Median rent
$901/mo
College educated
25.4%
Homeownership
73.4%
Poverty rate
12.4%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 14304; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
51
Somewhat Walkable
Transit Score
27
Some Transit
Bike Score
46
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
2,975/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Niagara Falls. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Niagara Falls), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
72.3%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 7.6Compare →
  2. 6.8Compare →
  3. 6.3Compare →
  4. 6.2Compare →
  5. 5.9Compare →
  6. Cataract Elementary Schoolthis school
    5.4
  7. 5.4Compare →
  8. 1.7Compare →
  9. 1.5Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and five rate higher than Cataract Elementary School.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Cataract Elementary School serve?

Cataract Elementary School serves students in grades Pre-K through 6th.

How many students attend Cataract Elementary School?

Cataract Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 534 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Cataract Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Cataract Elementary School is 14.1:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Cataract Elementary School rank in NY?

Cataract Elementary School ranks #3,646 of 4,744 schools in NY.

What is Cataract Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?

Cataract Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.4 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Cataract Elementary School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Cataract Elementary School has 27% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 22% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Cataract Elementary School a charter school?

No, Cataract Elementary School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Cataract Elementary School a Title I school?

No, Cataract Elementary School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Cataract Elementary School?

72.3% of students at Cataract Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Pre-K – 6th
Enrollment
534
Student-teacher ratio
14.1:1
Teachers (FTE)
38
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Niagara County
Rank in district
#6 of 11
Schools in district
11
District spending per student
$23,705
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
28.9%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 14304)
28,965
Area average commute
19.3 min
Area median age
42.9

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, New York State Education Dept., and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.