Is Waterfront Elementary School a good school?

Waterfront Elementary School ranks in the bottom 12.2% of New York elementary schools.

How many students attend Waterfront Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 771 students attended Waterfront Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Waterfront Elementary School?

Students at Waterfront Elementary School are 43% African American, 29% Asian, 17% Hispanic, 9% White, 3% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Waterfront Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Waterfront Elementary School usually go on to attend: High : Buffalo Academy For The Visual & Performing Arts High : Hutchinson Central Technical High School High : International Preparatory School (The) High : Leonardo Da Vinci High School High : Math Science Technology Preparatory School At 197 High : Middle Early College High School High : South Park High School

Waterfront Elementary School

Summary:

Waterfront Elementary School is a public school in Buffalo, NY, serving grades PK-8 with a total enrollment of 761 students. The school is part of the Buffalo City School District, which is ranked 821 out of 865 districts in New York and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Waterfront Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of New York elementary schools over the past decade, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most years.

Waterfront Elementary School significantly underperforms the state and district averages across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math were well below the state and district averages, often by 20-30 percentage points. The school also struggles to support the academic achievement of its diverse student population, with the school's rankings for subgroups like Asian, African American, Hispanic, and English Language Learner students in the bottom 25-50% of New York elementary schools. Additionally, Waterfront Elementary School has an extremely high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 77.89% to 93.43% over the past few years, indicating a high concentration of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

Despite the higher spending per student ($13,763 in 2022-2023) and lower student-teacher ratio compared to the state average, Waterfront Elementary School has not shown any consistent improvement in its academic performance over the past decade. The nearby schools in the Buffalo City School District, such as Marva J Daniel Futures Preparatory School, Frank A Sedita School #30, and Herman Badillo Bilingual Academy, also struggle with low academic performance and high percentages of students from low-income backgrounds. In contrast, the nearby charter schools, such as Elmwood Village Charter School Days Park and Reach Academy Charter School, generally outperform Waterfront Elementary School and the other district schools in academic proficiency, despite serving similar student populations.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

95 Fourth St
Buffalo, NY 14202-2697

(716) 816-3900

District: Buffalo City School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
2146^th of 2,445 New York Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,763

Students who attend Waterfront Elementary School usually attend:

High:	Buffalo Academy For The Visual & Performing Arts
	Hutchinson Central Technical High School
	International Preparatory School (The)
	Leonardo Da Vinci High School
	More...
	Math Science Technology Preparatory School At 197
	Middle Early College High School
	South Park High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.2

Number of students: 771

Racial breakdown:

African American:

42.9%

Asian:

28.7%

Hispanic:

16.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 95.3%

See top rated New York elementary schools

Compare Waterfront Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Waterfront Elementary School ranks worse than 87.8% of elementary schools in New York. It also ranks 9^th among 37 ranked elementary schools in the Buffalo City School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.12. (See more...)

Compare Details Waterfront Elementary School ranks worse than 78.1% of middle schools in New York. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 26.59. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Waterfront Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (42.9%), Asian (28.7%), Hispanic (16.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 95.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Waterfront Elementary School is 11.2. 25 elementary schools in the Buffalo City School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Waterfront Elementary School employs 68.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Waterfront Elementary School is $13,763. 26 elementary schools in the Buffalo City School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Waterfront Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Waterfront Elementary School 2146^th of 2445 New York public elementary schools. (See Waterfront Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

SchoolDigger ranks Waterfront Elementary School 1174^th of 1504 New York public middle schools. (See Waterfront Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Buffalo City School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Buffalo City School District 821^st of 865 New York school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Waterfront Elementary School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2006	9.08	2095^th	2206	5.0%
2007	4.83	2157^th	2219	2.8%
2008	4.52	2170^th	2227	2.6%
2009	1.12	2243^rd	2257	0.6%
2010	3.27	2241^st	2263	1.0%
2011	3.46	2250^th	2286	1.6%
2012	4.50	2255^th	2320	2.8%
2013	13.35	2140^th	2325	8.0%
2014	11.57	2182^nd	2345	7.0%
2015	13.67	2135^th	2352	9.2%
2016	14.34	2138^th	2366	9.6%
2017	14.86	2145^th	2386	10.1%
2018	21.29	2012^th	2395	16.0%
2019	20.22	1989^th	2413	17.6%
2021	5.63	2134^th	2201	3.0%
2022	28.79	1805^th	2434	25.8%
2023	27.31	1831^st	2439	24.9%
2024	17.12	2146^th	2445	12.2%

See the entire list of New York Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school English Language Learner students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	41.17	528^th	938	43.7%
2019	55.80	255^th	860	70.3%
2022	52.90	350^th	1027	65.9%
2023	56.78	282^nd	1001	71.8%
2024	40.99	563^rd	1066	47.2%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	47.40	833^rd	1941	57.1%
2019	34.40	1176^th	1859	36.7%
2022	38.09	1193^rd	2031	41.3%
2023	30.36	1429^th	2016	29.1%
2024	31.85	1466^th	2110	30.5%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	29.65	1573^rd	2045	23.1%
2019	30.88	1453^rd	2032	28.5%
2022	48.77	946^th	2099	54.9%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Homeless students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	25.03	634^th	766	17.2%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	19.75	2026^th	2338	13.3%
2019	22.60	1930^th	2357	18.1%
2022	24.88	1903^rd	2401	20.7%
2023	22.71	1969^th	2403	18.1%
2024	17.10	2167^th	2413	10.2%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	25.17	1891^st	2340	19.2%
2019	18.96	2011^th	2358	14.7%
2022	34.44	1616^th	2400	32.7%
2023	35.75	1555^th	2400	35.2%
2024	19.29	2092^nd	2411	13.2%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school Asian students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	5.30	578^th	601	3.8%
2019	17.33	490^th	548	10.6%
2022	22.22	570^th	671	15.1%
2023	11.66	551^st	605	8.9%
2024	10.82	611^th	662	7.7%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	31.06	699^th	948	26.3%
2019	29.71	632^nd	891	29.1%
2022	37.96	565^th	936	39.6%
2023	42.87	471^st	857	45.0%
2024	25.82	733^rd	927	20.9%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	44.49	755^th	1392	45.8%
2019	23.60	1090^th	1315	17.1%
2022	40.99	869^th	1503	42.2%
2023	31.67	1028^th	1429	28.1%
2024	21.10	1335^th	1531	12.8%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	8.69	1342^nd	1399	4.1%
2023	3.38	1318^th	1337	1.4%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: NY State Education Department, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Waterfront Elementary School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile
2006	16.06	925^th	1095	15.5%
2007	14.16	971^st	1123	13.5%
2008	10.73	1066^th	1185	10.0%
2009	7.25	1155^th	1224	5.6%
2010	9.33	1129^th	1243	9.2%
2011	6.54	1244^th	1295	3.9%
2012	6.38	1267^th	1337	5.2%
2013	14.09	1224^th	1373	10.9%
2014	13.09	1291^st	1401	7.9%
2015	18.59	1179^th	1407	16.2%
2016	21.93	1164^th	1429	18.5%
2017	21.50	1211^th	1455	16.8%
2018	27.28	1086^th	1438	24.5%
2019	20.37	1204^th	1439	16.3%
2022	25.06	1177^th	1479	20.4%
2023	30.41	1086^th	1500	27.6%
2024	26.59	1174^th	1504	21.9%

See the entire list of New York Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school English Language Learner students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	43.46	235^th	503	53.3%
2019	52.45	142^nd	473	70.0%
2022	53.24	186^th	581	68.0%
2023	53.77	169^th	591	71.4%
2024	61.92	117^th	615	81.0%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	60.66	278^th	1170	76.2%
2019	29.40	894^th	1139	21.5%
2022	38.46	752^nd	1283	41.4%
2023	27.98	1024^th	1307	21.7%
2024	30.93	942^nd	1303	27.7%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	34.19	853^rd	1245	31.5%
2019	30.54	911^th	1241	26.6%
2022	34.22	876^th	1306	32.9%
2023	25.75	1054^th	1288	18.2%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Homeless students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	19.97	539^th	594	9.3%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	28.57	1041^st	1353	23.1%
2019	21.18	1162^nd	1370	15.2%
2022	22.97	1203^rd	1454	17.3%
2023	27.37	1140^th	1463	22.1%
2024	22.77	1238^th	1465	15.5%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	27.45	1039^th	1352	23.2%
2019	20.26	1166^th	1366	14.6%
2022	28.86	1085^th	1455	25.4%
2023	35.13	980^th	1464	33.1%
2024	33.80	1015^th	1464	30.7%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school Asian students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	7.63	354^th	374	5.3%
2019	12.32	341^st	369	7.6%
2022	18.70	333^rd	381	12.6%
2023	16.22	342^nd	388	11.9%
2024	17.60	353^rd	396	10.9%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	35.46	434^th	663	34.5%
2019	30.99	460^th	653	29.6%
2022	33.90	478^th	706	32.3%
2023	37.91	439^th	696	36.9%
2024	33.62	492^nd	705	30.2%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	52.28	362^nd	810	55.3%
2019	23.43	687^th	826	16.8%
2022	29.89	687^th	914	24.8%
2023	45.68	482^nd	943	48.9%
2024	32.51	668^th	953	29.9%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Waterfront Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	25.99	610^th	763	20.1%
2019	23.49	589^th	716	17.7%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: NY State Education Department, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: NY State Education Department

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, February 3, 2020

Teachers are suspension happy and would rather get rid of students than problem solve, offer no solutions. The assistant principal there, Miss Dias, is highly combative and argumentative, will make already tense situations worse with her attitude, absolutely ridiculous behavior for a principal to display. Also, racial epithets being thrown around are not considered a serious offense so race relations at this school are not good. Would not recommend. Close Quote

by a parent on FaceBook
Saturday, July 9, 2016

"Overall this is school has to be the most pathetic school, with dimwitted, unprofessional, inept, incompetent instructors/staff members ever'!!!.....I as a parent strongly advises any other parent not send or transfer their child/children to this underachieving, poor test score school here in buffalo, I highly recommend all parents to do their school rating research first before choosing this elementary school'!!!. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Waterfront Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	434	377	7	70	1	n/a	n/a	0	889
1990	459	374	2	69	1	n/a	n/a	0	905
1991	437	371	7	66	2	n/a	n/a	60	943
1992	432	393	6	68	5	n/a	n/a	0	904
1993	435	416	9	49	7	n/a	n/a	0	916
1994	419	423	8	56	5	n/a	n/a	0	911
1995	387	412	5	69	1	n/a	n/a	0	874
1996	387	412	5	69	1	n/a	n/a	0	874
1997	389	415	3	63	1	n/a	n/a	0	871
1998	379	428	2	82	1	n/a	n/a	0	892
1999	370	446	3	94	1	n/a	n/a	0	914
2000	342	436	4	82	2	n/a	n/a	4	870
2001	302	472	4	88	1	n/a	n/a	0	867
2002	286	521	14	110	9	n/a	n/a	0	940
2003	286	521	14	110	9	n/a	n/a	0	940
2004	266	497	21	91	9	n/a	n/a	0	884
2005	227	463	15	89	6	n/a	n/a	0	800
2006	196	472	22	108	6	n/a	n/a	0	804
2007	179	528	26	118	12	n/a	n/a	0	863
2008	159	499	42	137	13	n/a	n/a	0	850
2009	143	502	51	156	12	n/a	n/a	2	866
2010	133	478	75	169	11	n/a	n/a	9	875
2011	119	468	121	177	11	0	19	0	915
2012	109	445	128	161	11	0	20	0	874
2013	105	402	146	183	12	0	25	0	873
2014	122	373	155	183	11	0	23	0	867
2015	136	338	174	192	10	0	30	0	880
2016	115	358	178	182	7	0	26	0	866
2017	103	362	189	159	9	0	33	0	855
2018	103	371	176	169	9	0	32	0	860
2019	92	368	169	162	7	1	33	0	832
2020	82	378	183	164	6	2	22	0	837
2021	83	346	190	147	4	3	19	0	792
2022	69	343	202	132	3	2	18	0	769
2023	76	330	196	135	1	1	21	1	761
2024	68	331	221	128	2	1	20	0	771

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Waterfront Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	889	49.4	17.9	n/a
1990	905	51.9	17.4	n/a
1991	943	52.7	17.8	n/a
1992	904	53.9	16.7	n/a
1993	916	52.0	17.6	n/a
1994	911	50.0	18.2	50.6
1995	874	52.0	16.8	42.1
1996	874	52.0	16.8	42.1
1997	871	52.5	16.6	60
1998	892	48.0	18.6	60.1
1999	914	52.0	17.6	61.7
2000	870	54.3	16.0	73.3
2001	867	53.6	16.2	74
2002	940	56.5	16.6	78.8
2003	940	56.5	16.6	78.8
2004	884	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	800	54.8	14.6	83.9
2006	804	56.0	14.4	85.3
2007	863	56.0	15.4	80.5
2008	850	56.0	15.2	84.7
2009	866	54.0	16.0	88.5
2010	875	58.5	14.9	90
2011	915	58.5	15.6	88
2012	874	61.0	14.3	95.1
2013	873	65.0	13.4	86.1
2014	867	60.0	14.4	n/a
2015	880	54.0	16.2	12.4
2016	866	59.0	14.6	77.9
2017	855	61.8	13.8	72.2
2018	860	60.6	14.1	82.1
2019	832	59.0	14.0	82.7
2020	837	71.0	11.7	87.8
2021	792	59.6	13.2	86.5
2022	769	67.5	11.3	77.9
2023	761	68.0	11.1	93.4
2024	771	68.4	11.2	95.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Waterfront Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	889	49.4	17.9	n/a
1990	905	51.9	17.4	n/a
1991	943	52.7	17.8	n/a
1992	904	53.9	16.7	n/a
1993	916	52.0	17.6	n/a
1994	911	50.0	18.2	50.6
1995	874	52.0	16.8	42.1
1996	874	52.0	16.8	42.1
1997	871	52.5	16.6	60
1998	892	48.0	18.6	60.1
1999	914	52.0	17.6	61.7
2000	870	54.3	16.0	73.3
2001	867	53.6	16.2	74
2002	940	56.5	16.6	78.8
2003	940	56.5	16.6	78.8
2004	884	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	800	54.8	14.6	83.9
2006	804	56.0	14.4	85.3
2007	863	56.0	15.4	80.5
2008	850	56.0	15.2	84.7
2009	866	54.0	16.0	88.5
2010	875	58.5	14.9	90
2011	915	58.5	15.6	88
2012	874	61.0	14.3	95.1
2013	873	65.0	13.4	86.1
2014	867	60.0	14.4	n/a
2015	880	54.0	16.2	12.4
2016	866	59.0	14.6	77.9
2017	855	61.8	13.8	72.2
2018	860	60.6	14.1	82.1
2019	832	59.0	14.0	82.7
2020	837	71.0	11.7	87.8
2021	792	59.6	13.2	86.5
2022	769	67.5	11.3	77.9
2023	761	68.0	11.1	93.4
2024	771	68.4	11.2	95.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Immunization Rates