Best Public Schools in Rensselaer, NY

Summary:

The city of Rensselaer, New York is home to three schools - two elementary schools (Van Rensselaer Elementary School and Red Mill School) and one junior/senior high school (Rensselaer Junior/Senior High School). While the schools in the Rensselaer City School District struggle, with low test scores and graduation rates, the East Greenbush Central School District's Red Mill School stands out as a high-performing institution.

Red Mill School consistently outperforms the state and district averages on standardized tests in English Language Arts and Math across grades 3-5. For example, in 2023-2024, 67.11% of 3rd graders at Red Mill School were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 42.6% statewide. In Math, 90.24% of 4th graders at Red Mill School were proficient or better, compared to 58.03% statewide. Red Mill School also has a higher 4-star rating from SchoolDigger, compared to the 1-star rating for the Rensselaer City School District.

In contrast, the Rensselaer schools struggle academically. Rensselaer Junior/Senior High School had significantly lower proficiency rates on state assessments compared to the state average, particularly in Math. Van Rensselaer Elementary School also had lower proficiency rates compared to the state, especially in Math. Additionally, Rensselaer Junior/Senior High School had an 84.3% 4-year graduation rate and a 4.9% dropout rate in 2022-2023. These stark differences in performance suggest the quality of education can vary greatly even within the same geographic area, highlighting the importance of school choice and the need for families to carefully research their options.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Regents Common Core Algebra I (2024)	Regents Chemistry (2024)	Regents Common Core Algebra II (2024)	Regents Common Core English Language Arts (2024)	Regents Common Core Geometry (2024)	Regents Earth Science (2024)	Regents Global History and Geography (2024)	Regents Living Environment (2024)	Regents U.S. History and Government (2024)	Regents Algebra I (2024)	NY State Assessments English Language Arts (2024)						NY State Assessments Math (2024)						NY State Assessments Science (2024)		% Completely Immunized (2020)	% Polio (2020)	% Measles (2020)	% Mumps (2020)	% Rubella (2020)	% Diphtheria (2020)	% Hepatitis B (2020)	% Varicella (2020)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Regents Common Core Algebra I End of Course	Regents Chemistry End of Course	Regents Common Core Algebra II End of Course	Regents Common Core English Language Arts End of Course	Regents Common Core Geometry End of Course	Regents Earth Science End of Course	Regents Global History and Geography End of Course	Regents Living Environment End of Course	Regents U.S. History and Government End of Course	Regents Algebra I End of Course	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 3rd Grade	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 4th Grade	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 5th Grade	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 6th Grade	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 7th Grade	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 8th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 3rd Grade	NY State Assessments Math 4th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 5th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 6th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 7th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 8th Grade	NY State Assessments Science 5th Grade	NY State Assessments Science 8th Grade	% Completely Immunized All Grades	% Polio All Grades	% Measles All Grades	% Mumps All Grades	% Rubella All Grades	% Diphtheria All Grades	% Hepatitis B All Grades	% Varicella All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Red Mill School	Public	PK, KG-5	225 McCullough Pl	Rensselaer	12144	Rensselaer County	East Greenbush Central School District	No	No	No	No	(518) 207-2660	456	42	10.9	29.8%	316 (69.3%)	29 (6.4%)	38 (8.3%)	38 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	32 (7.0%)	79.6	436^th of 2445 public elementary schools	82.2%		77.8	496^th of 2439 public elementary schools	79.7%	60											67.1	68.3	43.5				76.0	90.2	70.6				42.7		99.8	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	99.8	100.0	99.8	$13,317	$813	$12,504
Rensselaer Junior/Senior High School	Public	6-12	25 Van Rensselaer Dr	Rensselaer	12144	Rensselaer County	Rensselaer City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(518) 436-8561	522	49	10.7	65.5%	246 (47.1%)	95 (18.2%)	64 (12.3%)	59 (11.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (11.1%)	38.3	772^nd of 1242 public high schools	37.8%		38.1	757^th of 1228 public high schools	38.4%	15	0.0	23.8	76.2	81.4	87.0	43.2	72.1	44.8	83.1	18.8				21.0	15.8	32.2				10.9	25.3	31.5		29.3	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	$10,843	$234	$10,609
Van Rensselaer Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	25 Van Rensselaer Dr	Rensselaer	12144	Rensselaer County	Rensselaer City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(518) 436-4618	493	31	15.7	70.2%	232 (47.1%)	46 (9.3%)	67 (13.6%)	65 (13.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (16.8%)	21.4	2025^th of 2445 public elementary schools	17.2%		17.1	2125^th of 2439 public elementary schools	12.9%	100											25.7	31.3	19.7				35.1	38.2	29.7				25.8		99.8	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	$11,909	$33	$11,876

Cities Near Rensselaer

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
East Greenbush	1 mi	3	44^th
Albany	2.6 mi	40	656^th
Troy	3.29 mi	18	518^th
Castleton	3.52 mi	4	154^th
Glenmont	4.17 mi	1	100^th

See the top NY New York cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the WNYC and the New York State Department of Health and the NY State Education Department.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.