Enrollment
427
Elementary
DISTRICT 453 · STATE 443
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SWEET HOME CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 362850003833
WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
480 WILLOW RIDGE DR, AMHERST, NY 14228 · (716) 250-1575 · Erie County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL427 STUDENTS
C
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 25% of New York public elementary schools
- C+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- DBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded New York public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
12.0:1
36 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.4:1 · STATE 12.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
31%
133 students
DISTRICT 39% · STATE 58%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 35 | 8% |
| Kindergarten | 75 | 18% |
| Grade 1 | 65 | 15% |
| Grade 2 | 58 | 14% |
| Grade 3 | 62 | 15% |
| Grade 4 | 70 | 16% |
| Grade 5 | 62 | 15% |
This year's kindergarten class (75) is 21% larger than its 5th grade class (62).
Student demographics
69%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 66% · STATE 72% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Based on grade levels within SWEET HOME CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
QUIET COMMUNITY
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START A DISCUSSIONTest scores
NYS Assessments 2024-25 . % Proficient (Level 3 + Level 4)English Language Arts
43.0%
NY avg 58.3% . +9.0pp since 2023
Math
45.0%
NY avg 57.4% . +4.0pp since 2023
What this means: On the NYS Assessments, New York's statewide test, about 43 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 45 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all New York schools, those numbers are about 58 and 57. Reading and writing scores are up about 9 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 4 points.
NYS Assessments results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 43.0% | 45.0% |
| 2023-24 | 34.0% | 41.0% |
% Proficient (Level 3 + Level 4), all students and all tested grades.
Source: NYS Assessments. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
UNDERPERFORMING
Bottom 10% of NY schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
43.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
63.5%
based on NY schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-20.0pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 44% of students here test proficient in math and reading, below the roughly 64% typical for New York schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations compares each school with others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school lands here when its results trail those comparable schools, which is not the same as having low scores. A higher-scoring school can still fall in this tier if similar schools score higher still.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL's state test result (43.5% proficient) is higher than 0 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL this school | 427 | 31.1% | 43.5% |
| HERITAGE HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AMHERST | 452 | 33.4% | 44.2% |
| GLENDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TONAWANDA | 443 | 32.5% | 43.9% |
| COMMUNITY ROOTS CHARTER SCHOOL BROOKLYN | 473 | 31.5% | 75.5% |
| MONTESSORI MAGNET SCHOOL ALBANY | 322 | 32.0% | 62.0% |
| PS 32 SAMUEL MILLS SPROLE BROOKLYN | 481 | 34.9% | 70.0% |
Matched among New York elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In New York | In Erie County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 43.5% | #1,460 of 2,335 | #58 of 115 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 45.0% | #1,660 of 2,342 ▲ 1 | #67 of 115 ▲ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 43.0% | #1,682 of 2,343 ▼ 89 | #68 of 115 ▼ 1 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 427 | #1,225 of 2,585 | #73 of 123 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.0:1 | #1,289 of 2,338 | #85 of 119 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 68.8% | #269 of 2,388 | #21 of 119 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 31.1% | #1,944 of 2,534 | #83 of 122 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +30.2% | #85 of 606 | #3 of 43 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
427
+60 (+16%) vs 2020
-19% since 1990-91, when it was 526
Student : Teacher
12.0:1
was 10.8:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 427 | 35.5 | 12.0:1 | 31% (133) |
| 2023-24 | 394 | 36 | 10.9:1 | 33% (130) |
| 2022-23 | 358 | 36 | 9.9:1 | 38% (136) |
| 2020-21 | 367 | 34 | 10.8:1 | 38% (138) |
| 2017-18 | 328 | 24 | 13.7:1 | 43% (142) |
| 2015-16 | 323 | 22 | 14.7:1 | 33% (107) |
| 2010-11 | 325 | 28 | 11.6:1 | 29% (95) |
| 2000-01 | 461 | 34 | 13.6:1 | 18% (84) |
| 1990-91 | 526 | 32 | 16.4:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
About WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is a medium-sized elementary school in SWEET HOME CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, located in AMHERST, New York. Students in pre-K through 5 attend, and enrollment is 427 students.
Across its 6 schools, SWEET HOME CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT enrolls 3,773 students. WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one of those schools.
By race and ethnicity, the largest group at WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is White (49%). Other students are 21% Black, 12% Asian, 10% Hispanic, and 9% multiracial. That is lower than the 74% White share among all Erie County residents. WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL has a diversity index of 69%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
Teachers at the school number 35.5 full-time equivalents, and the ratio is 12.0:1. The 12.8:1 average for elementary schools in New York is higher than this school's figure. Roughly 31% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. For comparison, public schools in Erie County average 51%.
Measured against New York public elementary schools, WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL receives a C. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
Compared with New York schools that have similar shares of low-income students, WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL scores 20.0 points lower than predicted. Its average proficiency rate on state tests is 43.5%; the prediction is 63.5%.
County data help place the school in context: in Erie County, median household income is about $72,839, roughly 38% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 9%. The public schools of Erie County number 226 and enroll about 122,519.
SWEET HOME SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.6 miles away. Counting only straight-line distance, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles. Of 9 schools in the immediate area with test results, WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ranks 9th on average proficiency.
In the federal locale system, WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is coded Suburb: Large, for schools in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.
The 2024-25 enrollment of 427 was 16% higher than in 2020-21, when it was 367. Over the same period, the student-to-teacher ratio rose to 12.0:1, from 10.8:1.
If you have questions about science fairs, picture day, and bus routes at WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, you can post them here. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Erie County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
950,622
Census ACS
Median income
$72,839
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
38%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
9%
Below federal line
Schools in county
226
122,519 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in SWEET HOME CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
- SWEET HOME SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,105 students
- SWEET HOME MIDDLE SCHOOLMiddle · 858 students
- MAPLEMERE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 488 students
- HERITAGE HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 452 students
- GLENDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 443 students
Other schools in AMHERST
- SWEET HOME SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,105 students
- AMHERST CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 865 students
- SWEET HOME MIDDLE SCHOOLMiddle · 858 students
- WINDERMERE BLVD SCHOOLElementary · 738 students
- SMALLWOOD DRIVE SCHOOLElementary · 708 students
- AMHERST MIDDLE SCHOOLMiddle · 646 students
Other Willow Ridge Elementary schools
One other US public school is named Willow Ridge Elementary. WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is the 2nd largest of the 2.
- Willow Ridge Elementary SchoolGRAND LEDGE, MI · 542 students
Nearby schools
- SWEET HOME SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL0.6 mi · 1,105
- GLENDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL1.0 mi · 443
- HERITAGE HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL1.1 mi · 452
- SWEET HOME MIDDLE SCHOOL1.5 mi · 858
- KENMORE EAST SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL2.1 mi · 1,052
- HEIM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL2.3 mi · 661
Frequently asked questions
About WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLHow many students attend WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL enrolls approximately 427 students in grades PK-05.
What age range does WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL serve?
WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL serves students from grade PK through grade 05.
How many teachers does WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL have?
WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL employs 36 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 12.0:1.
What is the student diversity at WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
Student demographics at WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL are roughly 49% White, 10% Hispanic, 21% Black, 12% Asian, 9% Two or more.
What district is WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL in?
WILLOW RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is part of SWEET HOME CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.