Can I use Jefferson County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Jefferson County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Jefferson County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Jefferson County?

Start with the 39 listed public schools and 12 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Jefferson County Schools & Education

Name: Jefferson County, New York Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Jefferson County, New York

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

58/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

84.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

84.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 85.3%

Per-Pupil Spending

$12,261

National avg $13,239

State avg $14,719

School Score

58/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 63/100

State Score Position

#45

of 62 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Jefferson County

Measured School Summary

Jefferson County has midrange measured school signals (score: 58/100) with a graduation rate of 84.0%, which warrants review in official state and district records.

Funding Context

With $12,261 per pupil, Jefferson County has adequate funding that generally covers core educational needs and some supplemental services.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 8% below the New York average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 1.3 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 17% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Jefferson County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

39 public schools and 12 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

58/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #45 of 62 New York counties with school score data.

Completion

84.0%

1.3 pts below the state average

Funding context

$12,261

$2,458 below the state average

School coverage

12 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Jefferson County has 39 public schools across 12 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Jefferson County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Mixed school landscape

Jefferson County has enough school-level records to compare the local mix, but no single county metric should be treated as the answer. Use district shape, grade span, and data coverage together.

State position

#45

of 62 New York counties with school score data. The county score is 5 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

WATERTOWN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

3,908 students

Elementary 5Middle 2High 1Other 0

8 listed schools in this county slice.

INDIAN RIVER CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

3,403 students

Elementary 6Middle 1High 1Other 0

8 listed schools in this county slice.

CARTHAGE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

2,900 students

Elementary 3Middle 1High 1Other 0

5 listed schools in this county slice.

SOUTH JEFFERSON CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

1,827 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

INDIAN RIVER CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT is the largest listed district slice, with 8 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Jefferson County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Jefferson County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Education Overview

About Schools in Jefferson County, New York

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

A Robust School System for 16,000 Students

Jefferson County features a large network of 39 public schools managed by 12 districts. This system supports 16,761 students, with a significant concentration of 21 elementary schools providing the foundational education for the region.

Watertown and Indian River Lead the Way

Watertown City School District and Indian River Central are the largest entities, together serving over 7,300 students. There are no charter schools in Jefferson County, as the 12 traditional districts manage all public enrollment.

City, Suburb, and Rural Diversity

Jefferson County offers a unique mix of 26 rural, eight city, and five suburban school settings. Watertown Senior High School is the largest campus with 1,083 students, creating a more traditional large-school experience for older students.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Jefferson County

Reported Enrollment

16,761

39 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary21

Middle6

High7

Other5

12 School Districts in Jefferson County

WATERTOWN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

INDIAN RIVER CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

CARTHAGE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

5 schools

2,900 students

SOUTH JEFFERSON CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

4 schools

1,827 students

GENERAL BROWN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

3 schools

1,386 students

THOUSAND ISLANDS CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

4 schools

874 students

BELLEVILLE-HENDERSON CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

1 school

502 students

LA FARGEVILLE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

1 school

496 students

ALEXANDRIA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

2 schools

460 students

SACKETS HARBOR CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

1 school

410 students

39 Public Schools in Jefferson County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

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Showing 20 of 39 matching schools

Public schools in Jefferson County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
WATERTOWN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	WATERTOWN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT	WATERTOWN, 13601City: Small	9–12	High	1,083
CARTHAGE MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	CARTHAGE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	CARTHAGE, 13619Rural: Fringe	5–8	Middle	899
CARTHAGE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL	Record	CARTHAGE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	CARTHAGE, 13619Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	815
INDIAN RIVER HIGH SCHOOL	Record	INDIAN RIVER CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	PHILADELPHIA, 13673Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	781
INDIAN RIVER MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	INDIAN RIVER CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	PHILADELPHIA, 13673Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	672
GENERAL BROWN JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL	Record	GENERAL BROWN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	DEXTER, 13634Rural: Fringe	7–12	High	661
CASE MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	WATERTOWN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT	WATERTOWN, 13601City: Small	7–8	Middle	626
HAROLD T WILEY SCHOOL	Record	WATERTOWN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT	WATERTOWN, 13601City: Small	5–6	Middle	574
SOUTH JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL	Record	SOUTH JEFFERSON CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	ADAMS, 13605Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	553
CALCIUM PRIMARY SCHOOL	Record	INDIAN RIVER CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	CALCIUM, 13616Rural: Fringe	PK–3	Primary	545
INDIAN RIVER INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL	Record	INDIAN RIVER CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	PHILADELPHIA, 13673Rural: Fringe	4–5	Primary	544
MAYNARD P WILSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	SOUTH JEFFERSON CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	ADAMS CENTER, 13606Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	520
BELLEVILLE HENDERSON CENTRAL SCHOOL	Record	BELLEVILLE-HENDERSON CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	ADAMS, 13605Rural: Distant	PK–12	Other	502
LA FARGEVILLE CENTRAL SCHOOL	Record	LA FARGEVILLE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	LA FARGEVILLE, 13656Rural: Distant	PK–12	Other	496
BLACK RIVER SCHOOL	Record	CARTHAGE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	BLACK RIVER, 13612Suburb: Small	KG–4	Primary	460
NORTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	WATERTOWN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT	WATERTOWN, 13601City: Small	KG–4	Primary	455
CLARKE MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	SOUTH JEFFERSON CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	ADAMS, 13605Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	435
SACKETS HARBOR CENTRAL SCHOOL	Record	SACKETS HARBOR CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	SACKETS HARBOR, 13685Rural: Fringe	PK–12	Other	410
BROWNVILLE SCHOOL	Record	GENERAL BROWN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	BROWNVILLE, 13615Suburb: Small	3–6	Primary	409
CARTHAGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	CARTHAGE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	CARTHAGE, 13619Suburb: Small	KG–4	Primary	378

WATERTOWN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

WATERTOWN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

WATERTOWN, 13601 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,083 students

CARTHAGE MIDDLE SCHOOL

CARTHAGE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

CARTHAGE, 13619 / Rural: Fringe

Record5–8Middle899 students

CARTHAGE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

CARTHAGE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

CARTHAGE, 13619 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High815 students

INDIAN RIVER HIGH SCHOOL

INDIAN RIVER CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

PHILADELPHIA, 13673 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High781 students

INDIAN RIVER MIDDLE SCHOOL

INDIAN RIVER CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

PHILADELPHIA, 13673 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle672 students

GENERAL BROWN JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

GENERAL BROWN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

DEXTER, 13634 / Rural: Fringe

Record7–12High661 students

CASE MIDDLE SCHOOL

WATERTOWN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

WATERTOWN, 13601 / City: Small

Record7–8Middle626 students

HAROLD T WILEY SCHOOL

WATERTOWN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

WATERTOWN, 13601 / City: Small

Record5–6Middle574 students

SOUTH JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL

SOUTH JEFFERSON CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

ADAMS, 13605 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High553 students

CALCIUM PRIMARY SCHOOL

INDIAN RIVER CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

CALCIUM, 13616 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–3Primary545 students

INDIAN RIVER INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL

INDIAN RIVER CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

PHILADELPHIA, 13673 / Rural: Fringe

Record4–5Primary544 students

MAYNARD P WILSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SOUTH JEFFERSON CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

ADAMS CENTER, 13606 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary520 students

BELLEVILLE HENDERSON CENTRAL SCHOOL

BELLEVILLE-HENDERSON CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

ADAMS, 13605 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–12Other502 students

LA FARGEVILLE CENTRAL SCHOOL

LA FARGEVILLE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

LA FARGEVILLE, 13656 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–12Other496 students

BLACK RIVER SCHOOL

CARTHAGE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

BLACK RIVER, 13612 / Suburb: Small

RecordKG–4Primary460 students

NORTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

WATERTOWN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

WATERTOWN, 13601 / City: Small

RecordKG–4Primary455 students

CLARKE MIDDLE SCHOOL

SOUTH JEFFERSON CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

ADAMS, 13605 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle435 students

SACKETS HARBOR CENTRAL SCHOOL

SACKETS HARBOR CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

SACKETS HARBOR, 13685 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–12Other410 students

BROWNVILLE SCHOOL

GENERAL BROWN CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

BROWNVILLE, 13615 / Suburb: Small

Record3–6Primary409 students

CARTHAGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

CARTHAGE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

CARTHAGE, 13619 / Suburb: Small

RecordKG–4Primary378 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$12,261

State avg $14,719

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Jefferson County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which New York counties have the highest graduation rates?

Putnam County (93.4%), Genesee County (92.5%), and Schuyler County (91.8%) currently lead New York among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in New York?

Across New York counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $14,719. The highest current county values are Hamilton County ($26,327), New York County ($21,940), and Putnam County ($19,993). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Jefferson County?

Jefferson County has a school score of 58/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Jefferson County?

The high school graduation rate in Jefferson County is 84.0%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Jefferson County spend per student?

Jefferson County spends $12,261 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Jefferson County, New York — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Jefferson County, New York?

What are the major school districts in Jefferson County, New York?

What is the school experience like in Jefferson County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Onondaga County

New York

-0 pts

58/100

School score

Chautauqua County

New York

+0 pts

58/100

School score

Oneida County

New York

-0 pts

58/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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