South Country Central School District

The South Country Central School District in New York serves 6 schools, including 4 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school. While the district faces some systemic challenges, a few schools stand out with their strong performance and potential best practices that could benefit the entire district.

Verne W Critz Elementary School is a standout, with the highest proficiency rates in 3rd grade English Language Arts (30.16%) and Math (31.34%), significantly outperforming the district and state averages. It also has the lowest student-teacher ratio of 9.7 among the elementary schools, indicating a more personalized learning environment. Another strong performer is Kreamer Street Elementary School, which has the second-best student-teacher ratio of 10.3 and the lowest percentage of free/reduced lunch recipients at 36.55%, suggesting a relatively more affluent student population.

However, the district as a whole faces significant challenges, with consistently low performance across various metrics. Bellport Senior High School stands out with a concerning 82.6% four-year graduation rate, a 5.9% dropout rate, and a high chronic absenteeism rate of 37.8%. Additionally, the elementary schools in the district have relatively high free/reduced lunch rates, ranging from 36.55% to 57.64%, indicating a significant population of economically disadvantaged students. The district's test scores in English Language Arts and Math are consistently lower than the state averages across all grade levels, suggesting a need for a comprehensive review of educational strategies and resource allocation.