There are different rankings depending on the source. For this post I'll just be using one source from 2005....
Business First on bizjournals.com Why? It is the only place I found online that ranked just Upstate New York school districts.
Top 12 Syracuse area public school districts ranked
- Fayetteville-Manlius (Onondaga)
- Skaneateles (Onondaga)
- Westhill (Onondaga)
- Jamesville-DeWitt (Onondaga)
- West Genesee (Onondaga)
- Cazenovia (Madison)
- Marcellus (Onondaga)
- Baldwinsville (Onondaga)
- Onondaga (Onondaga)
- Chittenango (Madison)
- Fabius-Pompey (Onondaga)
- Liverpool (Onondaga)
ALL OF UPSTATE NEW YORK
The following are Business First's academic rankings of all 441 upstate school districts. Each is listed with its county in parentheses:
1. Pittsford (Monroe)
2. Fayetteville-Manlius (Onondaga)
3. Brighton (Monroe)
4. Skaneateles (Onondaga)
5. New Hartford (Oneida)
6. Williamsville (Erie)
7. North Colonie (Albany)
8. Westhill (Onondaga)
9. Clarence (Erie)
10. Niskayuna (Schenectady)
11. Honeoye Falls-Lima (Monroe)
12. Naples (Ontario)
13. Jamesville-DeWitt (Onondaga)
14. West Genesee (Onondaga)
15. Guilderland (Albany)
16. Cazenovia (Madison)
17. Amherst (Erie)
18. Bethlehem (Albany)
19. West Irondequoit (Monroe)
20. Fairport (Monroe)
21. Orchard Park (Erie)
22. Bemus Point (Chautauqua)
23. Marcellus (Onondaga)
24. Voorheesville (Albany)
25. Victor (Ontario)
26. Clinton (Oneida)
27. Vestal (Broome)
28. Geneseo (Livingston)
29. Potsdam (St. Lawrence)
30. Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (Saratoga)
31. Alfred-Almond (Allegany)
32. Iroquois (Erie)
33. Shenendehowa (Saratoga)
34. Ithaca (Tompkins)
35. Weedsport (Cayuga)
36. Maine-Endwell (Broome)
37. Alden (Erie)
38. Romulus (Seneca)
39. East Aurora (Erie)
40. Cambridge (Washington)
41. Hamilton (Madison)
42. Frontier (Erie)
43. Penfield (Monroe)
44. Canandaigua (Ontario)
45. Saratoga Springs (Saratoga)
46. Lansing (Tompkins)
47. Schuylerville (Saratoga)
48. Webster (Monroe)
49. Trumansburg (Tompkins)
50. New York Mills (Oneida)
51. Lowville Academy (Lewis)
52. Baldwinsville (Onondaga)
53. Barker (Niagara)
54. Wilson (Niagara)
55. South Colonie (Albany)
56. Onondaga (Onondaga)
57. Queensbury (Warren)
58. Eden (Erie)
59. Chazy (Clinton)
60. Chittenango (Madison)
61. Livonia (Livingston)
62. Lancaster (Erie)
63. East Bloomfield (Ontario)
64. Scotia-Glenville (Schenectady)
65. Grand Island (Erie)
66. Hamburg (Erie)
67. Schodack (Rensselaer)
68. Holland (Erie)
69. Glens Falls (Warren)
70. Salem (Washington)
71. Whitesboro (Oneida)
72. Fredonia (Chautauqua)
73. East Greenbush (Rensselaer)
74. Oneonta (Otsego)
75. Westfield (Chautauqua)
76. Morris (Otsego)
77. Owego-Apalachin (Tioga)
78. Spencerport (Monroe)
79. Lewiston-Porter (Niagara)
80. Sweet Home (Erie)
81. Gates-Chili (Monroe)
82. South Jefferson (Jefferson)
83. LeRoy (Genesee)
84. Elba (Genesee)
85. Starpoint (Niagara)
86. Southwestern (Chautauqua)
87. Ellicottville (Cattaraugus)
88. Akron (Erie)
89. Gananda (Wayne)
90. West Seneca (Erie)
91. Williamson (Wayne)
92. Cooperstown (Otsego)
93. Hilton (Monroe)
94. Madrid-Waddington (St. Lawrence)
95. Stillwater (Saratoga)
96. Chenango Valley (Broome)
97. Averill Park (Rensselaer)
98. Thousand Islands (Jefferson)
99. Sauquoit Valley (Oneida)
100. South Glens Falls (Saratoga)
101. Newfane (Niagara)
102. Silver Creek (Chautauqua)
103. Lockport (Niagara)
104. Horseheads (Chemung)
105. Bainbridge-Guilford (Chenango)
106. La Fargeville (Jefferson)
107. Wayne (Wayne)
108. North Warren (Warren)
109. Manchester-Shortsville (Ontario)
110. Johnson City (Broome)
111. Niagara-Wheatfield (Niagara)
112. Gilbertsville-Mount Upton (Otsego)
113. Warrensburg (Warren)
114. Pavilion (Genesee)
115. Honeoye (Ontario)
116. Bath (Steuben)
117. Greene (Chenango)
118. Schroon Lake (Essex)
119. Caledonia-Mumford (Livingston)
120. Brockport (Monroe)
121. Penn Yan (Yates)
122. Sherrill (Oneida)
123. Canajoharie (Montgomery)
124. Union-Endicott (Broome)
125. North Tonawanda (Niagara)
126. West Canada Valley (Herkimer)
127. York (Livingston)
128. Laurens (Otsego)
129. Depew (Erie)
130. Geneva (Ontario)
131. Frewsburg (Chautauqua)
132. Kinderhook (Columbia)
133. West Valley (Cattaraugus)
134. General Brown (Jefferson)
135. Homer (Cortland)
136. Schalmont (Schenectady)
137. Churchville-Chili (Monroe)
138. Pembroke (Genesee)
139. Ballston Spa (Saratoga)
140. Chatham (Columbia)
141. Batavia (Genesee)
142. Greenwich (Washington)
143. Stockbridge Valley (Madison)
144. Kenmore-Tonawanda (Erie)
145. Brunswick (Rensselaer)
146. Duanesburg (Schenectady)
147. Johnstown (Fulton)
148. Byron-Bergen (Genesee)
149. Albion (Orleans)
150. Cheektowaga-Maryvale (Erie)
151. Seneca Falls (Seneca)
152. Susquehanna Valley (Broome)
153. Beaver River (Lewis)
154. Fabius-Pompey (Onondaga)
155. Evans-Brant (Erie)
156. Fort Edward (Washington)
157. Parishville-Hopkinton (St. Lawrence)
158. Chenango Forks (Broome)
159. Holland Patent (Oneida)
160. Oakfield-Alabama (Genesee)
161. Wheatland-Chili (Monroe)
162. Palmyra-Macedon (Wayne)
163. Chautauqua Lake (Chautauqua)
164. Springville-Griffith Institute (Erie)
165. Dalton-Nunda (Livingston)
166. Charlotte Valley (Delaware)
167. Sackets Harbor (Jefferson)
168. Kendall (Orleans)
169. Alexander (Genesee)
170. Rush-Henrietta (Monroe)
171. Lake George (Warren)
172. Gorham-Middlesex (Ontario)
173. Liverpool (Onondaga)
174. Sherman (Chautauqua)
175. Phelps-Clifton Springs (Ontario)
176. Canton (St. Lawrence)
177. Berne-Knox-Westerlo (Albany)
178. Avon (Livingston)
179. Oneida (Madison)
180. Portville (Cattaraugus)
181. Lyndonville (Orleans)
182. Yorkshire-Pioneer (Cattaraugus)
183. Medina (Orleans)
184. Copenhagen (Lewis)
185. Bolton (Warren)
186. Saranac Lake (Franklin)
187. Lake Placid (Essex)
188. Falconer (Chautauqua)
189. Cuba-Rushford (Allegany)
190. Cherry Valley-Springfield (Otsego)
191. East Rochester (Monroe)
192. Southern Cayuga (Cayuga)
193. Lyme (Jefferson)
194. Fillmore (Allegany)
195. Tully (Onondaga)
196. Norwich (Chenango)
197. Tioga (Tioga)
198. Alexandria (Jefferson)
199. Lyons (Wayne)
200. Hammondsport (Steuben)
201. Letchworth (Wyoming)
202. Prattsburgh (Steuben)
203. Arkport (Steuben)
204. Hammond (St. Lawrence)
205. Perry (Wyoming)
206. Little Falls (Herkimer)
207. Spencer-Van Etten (Tioga)
208. Worcester (Otsego)
209. Cheektowaga (Erie)
210. Scio (Allegany)
211. Attica (Wyoming)
212. Fonda-Fultonville (Montgomery)
213. Jasper-Troupsburg (Steuben)
214. Galway (Saratoga)
215. Jefferson (Schoharie)
216. New Lebanon (Columbia)
217. Panama (Chautauqua)
218. Tonawanda (Erie)
219. Broadalbin-Perth (Fulton)
220. Randolph (Cattaraugus)
221. Town of Webb (Herkimer)
222. Ticonderoga (Essex)
223. South Kortright (Delaware)
224. Royalton-Hartland (Niagara)
225. Massena (St. Lawrence)
226. Auburn (Cayuga)
227. Milford (Otsego)
228. Greece (Monroe)
229. Union Springs (Cayuga)
230. Mayfield (Fulton)
231. Cortland (Cortland)
232. Herkimer (Herkimer)
233. Carthage (Jefferson)
234. Belleville Henderson (Jefferson)
235. Plattsburgh (Clinton)
236. Adirondack (Oneida)
237. Ogdensburg (St. Lawrence)
238. Beekmantown (Clinton)
239. Red Creek (Wayne)
240. Norwood-Norfolk (St. Lawrence)
241. Catskill (Greene)
242. Harpursville (Broome)
243. Oswego (Oswego)
244. Waterville (Oneida)
245. Frankfort-Schuyler (Herkimer)
246. Poland (Herkimer)
247. Delhi (Delaware)
248. Pulaski (Oswego)
249. Wayland-Cohocton (Steuben)
250. Whitesville (Allegany)
251. North Collins (Erie)
252. Otego-Unadilla (Otsego)
253. Tri-Valley (Sullivan)
254. Cobleskill-Richmondville (Schoharie)
255. Pine Valley (Chautauqua)
256. Corinth (Saratoga)
257. Dundee (Yates)
258. Clymer (Chautauqua)
259. De Ruyter (Madison)
260. Remsen (Oneida)
261. Cato-Meridian (Cayuga)
262. Jordan-Elbridge (Onondaga)
263. Sullivan West (Sullivan)
264. Lisbon (St. Lawrence)
265. Mexico (Oswego)
266. Canastota (Madison)
267. Hunter-Tannersville (Greene)
268. Moravia (Cayuga)
269. Dryden (Tompkins)
270. Greenville (Greene)
271. Corning (Steuben)
272. Fulton (Oswego)
273. Avoca (Steuben)
274. East Syracuse-Minoa (Onondaga)
275. Oriskany (Oneida)
276. Saranac (Clinton)
277. Olean (Cattaraugus)
278. Cheektowaga-Sloan (Erie)
279. Cleveland Hill (Erie)
280. Sherburne-Earlville (Chenango)
281. Hoosick Falls (Rensselaer)
282. Morristown (St. Lawrence)
283. Windsor (Broome)
284. Hoosic Valley (Rensselaer)
285. Allegany-Limestone (Cattaraugus)
286. Stamford (Delaware)
287. Sandy Creek (Oswego)
288. Genesee Valley (Allegany)
289. Wellsville (Allegany)
290. Rotterdam-Mohonasen (Schenectady)
291. Newfield (Tompkins)
292. East Irondequoit (Monroe)
293. Warsaw (Wyoming)
294. Waverly (Tioga)
295. Westmoreland (Oneida)
296. Franklin (Delaware)
297. Oxford Academy (Chenango)
298. Sidney (Delaware)
299. Windham-Ashland-Jewett (Greene)
300. Marathon (Cortland)
301. Salamanca (Cattaraugus)
302. Livingston Manor (Sullivan)
303. Mechanicville (Saratoga)
304. Belfast (Allegany)
305. Deposit (Broome)
306. Morrisville-Eaton (Madison)
307. Peru (Clinton)
308. Johnsburg (Warren)
309. Richfield Springs (Otsego)
310. Andover (Allegany)
311. Solvay (Onondaga)
312. Taconic Hills (Columbia)
313. Edmeston (Otsego)
314. Margaretville (Delaware)
315. Germantown (Columbia)
316. Campbell-Savona (Steuben)
317. Harrisville (Lewis)
318. Madison (Madison)
319. Ripley (Chautauqua)
320. Liberty (Sullivan)
321. McGraw (Cortland)
322. Northeastern Clinton (Clinton)
323. Newark (Wayne)
324. South Lewis (Lewis)
325. Schenevus (Otsego)
326. Brocton (Chautauqua)
327. Hartford (Washington)
328. Mohawk (Herkimer)
329. Malone (Franklin)
330. Elizabethtown-Lewis (Essex)
331. Phoenix (Oswego)
332. North Syracuse (Onondaga)
333. Whitney Point (Broome)
334. Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk (Albany)
335. Coxsackie-Athens (Greene)
336. Amsterdam (Montgomery)
337. LaFayette (Onondaga)
338. Brasher Falls (St. Lawrence)
339. South Seneca (Seneca)
340. Hornell (Steuben)
341. Altmar-Parish-Williamstown (Oswego)
342. Gouverneur (St. Lawrence)
343. Granville (Washington)
344. Hadley-Luzerne (Warren)
345. Green Island (Albany)
346. Eldred (Sullivan)
347. Holley (Orleans)
348. Candor (Tioga)
349. Groton (Tompkins)
350. Gilboa-Conesville (Schoharie)
351. Hermon-DeKalb (St. Lawrence)
352. Unadilla Valley (Chenango)
353. Sodus (Wayne)
354. Dansville (Livingston)
355. Cassadaga Valley (Chautauqua)
356. Cincinnatus (Cortland)
357. Saint Johnsville (Montgomery)
358. Whitehall (Washington)
359. Camden (Oneida)
360. Heuvelton (St. Lawrence)
361. Jamestown (Chautauqua)
362. Elmira Heights (Chemung)
363. Central Square (Oswego)
364. Sharon Springs (Schoharie)
365. Binghamton (Broome)
366. Chateaugay (Franklin)
367. Fort Ann (Washington)
368. Newark Valley (Tioga)
369. Colton-Pierrepont (St. Lawrence)
370. Indian River (Jefferson)
371. Hannibal (Oswego)
372. Northern Adirondack (Clinton)
373. Watkins Glen (Schuyler)
374. Tupper Lake (Franklin)
375. Roxbury (Delaware)
376. Marion (Wayne)
377. Odessa-Montour (Schuyler)
378. Ausable Valley (Clinton)
379. Dolgeville (Herkimer)
380. Gloversville (Fulton)
381. Bolivar-Richburg (Allegany)
382. Gowanda (Cattaraugus)
383. Downsville (Delaware)
384. Argyle (Washington)
385. Northville (Fulton)
386. Watertown (Jefferson)
387. Mount Morris (Livingston)
388. Waterloo (Seneca)
389. Cairo-Durham (Greene)
390. Hudson Falls (Washington)
391. Edwards-Knox (St. Lawrence)
392. Waterford-Halfmoon (Saratoga)
393. Forestville (Chautauqua)
394. Port Byron (Cayuga)
395. Bridgewater-West Winfield (Herkimer)
396. Berlin (Rensselaer)
397. North Rose-Wolcott (Wayne)
398. Roscoe (Sullivan)
399. Cattaraugus-Little Valley (Cattaraugus)
400. Afton (Chenango)
401. Salmon River (Franklin)
402. Rome (Oneida)
403. Franklinville (Cattaraugus)
404. Fallsburg (Sullivan)
405. Cohoes (Albany)
406. Clyde-Savannah (Wayne)
407. Clifton-Fine (St. Lawrence)
408. Walton (Delaware)
409. Middleburgh (Schoharie)
410. Dunkirk (Chautauqua)
411. Georgetown-South Otselic (Chenango)
412. Willsboro (Essex)
413. Rensselaer (Rensselaer)
414. Schoharie (Schoharie)
415. Crown Point (Essex)
416. Lansingburgh (Rensselaer)
417. Oppenheim-Ephratah (Fulton)
418. Hudson (Columbia)
419. Watervliet (Albany)
420. Niagara Falls (Niagara)
421. Saint Regis Falls (Franklin)
422. Ilion (Herkimer)
423. Troy (Rensselaer)
424. Hancock (Delaware)
425. Elmira (Chemung)
426. Albany (Albany)
427. Hinsdale (Cattaraugus)
428. Utica (Oneida)
429. Moriah (Essex)
430. Monticello (Sullivan)
431. Fort Plain (Montgomery)
432. Lackawanna (Erie)
433. Friendship (Allegany)
434. Bradford (Steuben)
435. Canaseraga (Allegany)
436. Schenectady (Schenectady)
437. Addison (Steuben)
438. Buffalo (Erie)
439. Brushton-Moira (Franklin)
440. Syracuse (Onondaga)
441. Rochester (Monroe)