CATO-MERIDIAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

CATO-MERIDIAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one of the reasonably sized K-5 schools in CATO, New York, one of the schools within CATO-MERIDIAN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, with 463 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 6.

CATO-MERIDIAN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT runs 2 schools in total, collectively educating 846 students. CATO-MERIDIAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one of those campuses.

Looking at the student body, CATO-MERIDIAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL lists that nearly all students (93%) are White. Other groups include 4% multiracial, 2% Black.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 40 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 11.5:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 12.8:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. About 43% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

After controlling for student poverty, CATO-MERIDIAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 59.4%; this one delivers 43.7%.

In the surrounding community, ACS estimates for Cayuga County put median household earnings sit near $67,904, roughly 25% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. CATO-MERIDIAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one of 22 public schools in Cayuga County (combined enrollment of about 8,576 students).

The closest other public school is CATO-MERIDIAN JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, roughly 0.3 miles away. Within ten miles, there are 8 other public schools, a sparser pattern than typical urban areas. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts CATO-MERIDIAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL at 7th of 9; the average score across the group is 50.5%.

Geographically, the school is in an outlying area.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at CATO-MERIDIAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL has increased 19%, going from 390 students in 2018 to 463 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 13.3:1 in 2018 to 11.5:1 today.

Inside the community feed, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.