Rensselaer City School District

The Rensselaer City School District consists of two schools: Rensselaer Junior/Senior High School and Van Rensselaer Elementary School. Both schools in the district perform significantly below the state average on standardized tests, with proficiency rates often 10-20 percentage points lower than the New York state average. The district as a whole is ranked 777th out of 865 districts in New York and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Rensselaer Junior/Senior High School is ranked 772nd out of 1,242 New York high schools, with a 2-star rating, while Van Rensselaer Elementary School is ranked 2,025th out of 2,445 New York elementary schools, with a 1-star rating. Both schools have particularly low proficiency rates in core subjects like Algebra I and English Language Arts. The district also struggles with low graduation rates and high dropout rates at the high school level.

Socioeconomic factors may play a role in the academic challenges faced by the schools, as both have high rates of free and reduced-price lunch recipients, suggesting a predominantly low-income population. Despite the relatively high spending per student, the academic performance of the schools remains poor, indicating that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution. Addressing the root causes of the low academic performance, such as instructional practices and resource allocation, will be crucial for improving student outcomes in the Rensselaer City School District.