Public schools in Ithaca, NY
13 open public schools with an address in Ithaca, operated by 3 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
13
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
5,122
13 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
9.4:1
New York median 11.1:1
Charter schools
1
0 virtual
An overview of Ithaca public schools
The federal directory lists 13 public schools in Ithaca, NY: 7 elementary, 2 middle, 3 high, 1 combined or other. The 13 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 5,122 students, an average of 394 per school. The largest campus is Ithaca Senior High School (1,411 students), and the largest elementary school is South Hill School (363).
Ithaca City School District operates the most schools here (11), plus 2 charter, service, or other agencies. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 9.4:1, lower than the statewide school median of 11.1:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
School choice options include 1 charter school. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 4 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 1 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 2 of 4 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 34% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Ithaca
Elementary schools in Ithaca
7| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Sherman School Ithaca City School District | PK–05 | 347 | 10:1 | |
| Beverly J Martin Elementary School Ithaca City School District | PK–05 | 258 | 8.4:1 | |
| Cayuga Heights Elementary School Ithaca City School District | PK–05 | 270 | 10:1 | |
| Enfield School Ithaca City School District | PK–05 | 165 | 7.2:1 | |
| Fall Creek Elementary School Ithaca City School District | PK–05 | 217 | 10.2:1 | |
| Northeast School Ithaca City School District | KG–05 | 347 | 9.4:1 | |
| South Hill School Ithaca City School District | PK–05 | 363 | 10.4:1 |
Middle schools in Ithaca
2| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boynton Middle School Ithaca City School District | 06–08 | 513 | 9.4:1 | |
| Dewitt Middle School Ithaca City School District | 06–08 | 559 | 9.4:1 |
High schools in Ithaca
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ithaca Senior High School Ithaca City School District | 09–12 | 1,411 | 13.8:1 | |
| Lehman Alternative Community School Ithaca City School District | 06–12 | 265 | 9.1:1 | |
| New Roots Charter School New Roots Charter School · Charter | 06–12 | 98 | 7.1:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Ithaca
1| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES · Special Education School | 01–12 | 309 | 4:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White60.7%
- Hispanic9.4%
- Black7.3%
- Asian9.8%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.3%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
- Multiracial11.4%
Enrollment-weighted across 13 Ithaca schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (5,122 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Ithaca
How many public schools are in Ithaca, NY?
The current NCES directory lists 13 open public schools with a location address in Ithaca: 7 elementary, 2 middle, 3 high, 1 combined or other. Together they reported 5,122 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Ithaca?
Schools with an address in Ithaca belong to 3 education agencies, led by Ithaca City School District (11 schools), New Roots Charter School (1 school), Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES (1 school). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Ithaca?
Ithaca Senior High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Ithaca, with 1,411 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Ithaca?
Yes. 1 of the 13 public schools in Ithaca are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including New Roots Charter School. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Ithaca schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Ithaca public schools is 9.4:1, lower than the New York school median of 11.1:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Ithaca guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby New York cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All New York cities