Best Public Schools in Schenectady, NY

The city of Schenectady, New York is home to 32 schools, including 21 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, and 4 high schools. The data reveals a stark contrast in performance between the top-ranked schools like Niskayuna High School and Iroquois Middle School, which rank among the best in the state, and the lower-performing schools in the Schenectady City School District.

Niskayuna High School is the top performer, ranking 73rd out of 1,242 high schools in New York with a 5-star rating. It has very high proficiency rates on Regents/Common Core exams, a high 4-year graduation rate of 84.3%, and a low dropout rate of 4.9%. In contrast, many of the Schenectady City School District schools have much lower proficiency rates, sometimes below 20%. The schools in the Niskayuna Central School District tend to have much lower rates of free and reduced-price lunch recipients, around 20-25%, compared to over 70% in the Schenectady City School District.

The data suggests that district-level factors play a significant role in the performance of schools in the Schenectady area. The Niskayuna Central School District, ranked 149th out of 865 districts in New York, clearly outperforms the Schenectady City School District, ranked 833rd. This points to the need for targeted interventions and support to improve student outcomes and close the achievement gap in the lower-performing schools.