Top-Rated Public School Districts in Syracuse area (New York, Buffalo: loan, house)

[bellafinzi]

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

1. Fayetteville-Manlius (Onondaga)
2. Skaneateles (Onondaga)
3. Westhill (Onondaga)
4. Jamesville-DeWitt (Onondaga)
5. West Genesee (Onondaga)
6. Cazenovia (Madison)
7. Marcellus (Onondaga)
8. Baldwinsville (Onondaga)
9. Onondaga (Onondaga)
10. Chittenango (Madison)
11. Fabius-Pompey (Onondaga)
12. 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)

[kmbell]

Proud overachieving K-9 alum of number 440 on the list and the University of Pennsylvania. The Top 12 is a good snapshot of some of the choices, but don't put all your stock in rankings.

[skaneatelesmom]

I would also add that a "great school" may mean different things to different people. Some will value a special ed system higher than others. For someone else, it may mean a great music department or Boces opportunities. I can only say what it means to me.
Joanne

[NedFlanders]

So how seriously does one take this list? I am in love with a house that is in a town in the mid 200's. There is a second option of a home in a district that makes the top 30. I have no access to anyone that lived in, or nearby, either of these towns. Any thoughts on the reliability of these rankings? Do we know how they were determined?

[michellebelle]

Originally Posted by NedFlanders

So how seriously does one take this list? I am in love with a house that is in a town in the mid 200's. There is a second option of a home in a district that makes the top 30. I have no access to anyone that lived in, or nearby, either of these towns. Any thoughts on the reliability of these rankings? Do we know how they were determined?

Are you looking in St. Lawrence County? I am a native and have worked in almost all of the school's in that area. I can tell you that I was shocked at some of the ratings, and I wonder what the ratings are based on.

[michellebelle]

Here is the link to the article. They are ranked based on:
"Business First has been rating Western New York districts since 1992. Its formula analyzes the results of standardized tests administered in elementary, middle and high schools, using data compiled by the New York State Education Department."
Pittsford tops rankings of upstate schools - Business First of Buffalo:

[kmbell]

So they rank the schools by how good the students are at taking standardized tests. Teachers in Regents courses spend the year teaching to the test and the quality of material often suffers accordingly, though a good teacher can sometimes counterbalance this.

I knew a number of kids back in high school that didn't care since they weren't being graded and just filled in the boxes randomly. You get the day off school, why not finish quickly? (Not that I advocate this disrespect for authority )

In hindsight, I suppose the suburban kids are often better at playing by the rules, even if it promises them no personal gain. Is that a fair assessment of why Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany are all at the bottom of the list? Standardized test scores also correlate positively with parents' income, hence Pittsford, F-M, and the like are at the top, and the urban districts are at the bottom.