Is Sanford H Calhoun High School a good school?

Sanford H Calhoun High School ranks 146 th of 1242 New York high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Sanford H Calhoun High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,217 students attended Sanford H Calhoun High School.

What is the racial makeup of Sanford H Calhoun High School?

Students at Sanford H Calhoun High School are 73% White, 14% Hispanic, 8% Asian, 4% African American, 1% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Sanford H Calhoun High School?

Sanford H Calhoun High School is fed by the following schools: Middle : Merrick Avenue Middle School

Sanford H Calhoun High School

Summary:

Sanford H Calhoun High School is a public magnet high school located in Merrick, New York, serving 1,168 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, which is ranked 114 out of 865 school districts in New York and has a 4-star rating.

Sanford H Calhoun High School consistently ranks among the top high schools in New York, with a statewide ranking between 77 and 244 over the past 10 years. The school has maintained a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of this period, indicating strong academic performance. Its students consistently outperform the state and district averages on Regents/Common Core exams, with significantly higher proficiency rates in subjects like Algebra I, Chemistry, and English Language Arts. The school also performs exceptionally well across various student subgroups, ranking in the top 65 high schools in New York for African American and Hispanic students, and in the top 10 for multi-racial students.

When compared to other high schools in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, Sanford H Calhoun High School generally outperforms its counterpart, John F. Kennedy High School, in terms of statewide ranking and academic performance. However, the school has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism rates in recent years, from 15.1% in 2021-2022 to 34.1% in 2022-2023, which is an area the school may want to address. Despite this, Sanford H Calhoun High School's strong academic performance, high graduation rates, and low dropout rates make it a standout school in the region.

Detail:

Public, Magnet 9-12

1786 State St
Merrick, NY 11566-9998

(516) 992-1300

District: Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
146^th of 1,242 New York High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $25,687

Feeder schools for Sanford H Calhoun High School:

Middle:

Merrick Avenue Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 9.7

Number of students: 1,217

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.6%

Hispanic:

13.9%

Asian:

7.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 18.5%

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Compare Sanford H Calhoun High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sanford H Calhoun High School ranks better than 88.2% of high schools in New York. It also ranks 2^nd among 3 ranked high schools in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 79.06. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Sanford H Calhoun High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Sanford H Calhoun High School has the largest high school student body size in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District. Racial makeup is: White (72.6%), Hispanic (13.9%), Asian (7.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 18.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sanford H Calhoun High School is 9.7, which is the lowest among 3 high schools in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District! (See more...)

Compare Sanford H Calhoun High School employs 124.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sanford H Calhoun High School is $25,687, which is the highest among 3 high schools in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sanford H Calhoun High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Sanford H Calhoun High School 146^th of 1242 New York public high schools. (See Sanford H Calhoun High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District 114^th of 865 New York school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Sanford H Calhoun High School

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Rank History for all students at Sanford H Calhoun High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2005	72.56	121^st	935	87.1%
2006	74.13	96^th	986	90.3%
2007	71.77	143^rd	1002	85.7%
2008	69.27	241^st	1027	76.5%
2009	70.85	197^th	1086	81.9%
2010	73.67	144^th	1117	87.1%
2011	67.90	305^th	1165	73.8%
2012	73.31	231^st	1198	80.7%
2013	73.25	245^th	1217	79.9%
2014	78.39	77^th	1237	93.8%
2015	71.67	196^th	1255	84.4%
2016	67.11	296^th	1255	76.4%
2017	76.20	164^th	1221	86.6%
2018	75.42	199^th	1210	83.6%
2019	74.01	244^th	1207	79.8%
2021	74.38	94^th	519	81.9%
2022	75.88	195^th	1190	83.6%
2023	77.83	164^th	1228	86.6%
2024	79.06	146^th	1242	88.2%

See the entire list of New York High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Sanford H Calhoun High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	83.70	10^th	306	96.7%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Sanford H Calhoun High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	77.83	166^th	1095	84.8%
2019	78.55	170^th	1132	85.0%
2022	81.70	100^th	1038	90.4%
2023	87.48	66^th	1130	94.2%
2024	80.69	140^th	1144	87.8%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sanford H Calhoun High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	72.21	163^rd	1154	85.9%
2019	68.84	244^th	1179	79.3%
2021	77.80	19^th	289	93.4%
2022	68.07	233^rd	1101	78.8%
2023	70.79	199^th	1155	82.8%
2024	65.44	293^rd	1170	75.0%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Sanford H Calhoun High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	76.78	154^th	1176	86.9%
2019	75.16	216^th	1193	81.9%
2021	78.75	30^th	290	89.7%
2022	75.76	185^th	1155	84.0%
2023	77.56	184^th	1197	84.6%
2024	80.02	122^nd	1219	90.0%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Sanford H Calhoun High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	72.04	251^st	1176	78.7%
2019	70.61	296^th	1190	75.1%
2021	73.14	61^st	354	82.8%
2022	74.36	206^th	1154	82.1%
2023	77.32	161^st	1191	86.5%
2024	76.80	186^th	1211	84.6%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Sanford H Calhoun High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	63.13	183^rd	426	57.0%
2019	67.81	150^th	447	66.4%
2022	61.78	160^th	386	58.5%
2023	65.42	145^th	424	65.8%
2024	68.87	123^rd	426	71.1%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Sanford H Calhoun High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2019	73.17	114^th	686	83.4%
2023	83.91	55^th	671	91.8%
2024	82.97	65^th	690	90.6%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sanford H Calhoun High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	80.75	81^st	791	89.8%
2019	77.75	113^th	815	86.1%
2022	76.24	126^th	760	83.4%
2023	80.85	94^th	851	89.0%
2024	84.27	62^nd	865	92.8%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Sanford H Calhoun High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	64.72	221^st	765	71.1%
2019	62.06	262^nd	793	67.0%
2021	60.57	53^rd	133	60.2%
2022	64.96	202^nd	738	72.6%
2023	66.80	191^st	776	75.4%
2024	66.95	205^th	781	73.8%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: NY State Education Department, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: NY State Education Department

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, January 8, 2011

Ethnicity wise..the majority of this school is white. Therefore, resulting in students from alternative ethnicities, to feel secluded from the school. White skin is favored here.
-My daughter attends this school and we are irish but her best friend is of a different ethnicity and I feel empathetic towards how she told me she feels. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Sanford H Calhoun High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	1081	10	25	34	2	n/a	n/a	1152
1990	1043	5	9	9	0	n/a	n/a	1066
1991	1018	6	28	17	0	n/a	n/a	1069
1992	1055	5	19	14	0	n/a	n/a	1093
1993	1018	3	17	14	0	n/a	n/a	1052
1994	1025	10	34	23	0	n/a	n/a	1092
1995	936	10	51	33	0	n/a	n/a	1030
1996	936	10	51	33	0	n/a	n/a	1030
1997	954	10	51	31	0	n/a	n/a	1046
1998	910	16	79	39	1	n/a	n/a	1045
1999	989	9	56	32	0	n/a	n/a	1086
2000	1053	12	52	35	0	n/a	n/a	1152
2001	1061	13	66	50	0	n/a	n/a	1190
2002	1114	13	61	52	0	n/a	n/a	1240
2003	1114	13	61	52	0	n/a	n/a	1240
2004	1128	12	66	49	0	n/a	n/a	1255
2005	1216	8	61	41	0	n/a	n/a	1326
2006	1243	6	67	42	0	n/a	n/a	1358
2007	1247	11	61	52	0	n/a	n/a	1371
2008	1302	13	57	61	0	n/a	n/a	1433
2009	1271	19	74	56	0	n/a	n/a	1420
2010	1279	21	44	92	0	n/a	n/a	1436
2011	1247	21	70	97	3	0	0	1438
2012	1172	23	70	103	3	0	0	1371
2013	1168	22	78	106	5	0	0	1379
2014	1156	15	69	75	7	0	0	1322
2015	1138	24	71	84	5	0	0	1322
2016	1073	21	65	111	6	0	0	1276
2017	1041	23	84	114	4	0	1	1267
2018	1001	27	80	154	4	2	6	1274
2019	946	30	77	156	5	2	8	1224
2020	908	34	81	158	5	3	10	1199
2021	920	39	76	158	3	2	11	1209
2022	888	41	76	148	1	2	11	1167
2023	863	43	89	158	0	5	10	1168
2024	884	48	96	169	1	4	15	1217

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Sanford H Calhoun High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	1152	72.9	15.8	n/a
1990	1066	71.9	14.8	n/a
1991	1069	72.8	14.6	n/a
1992	1093	68.2	16.0	n/a
1993	1052	62.1	16.9	n/a
1994	1092	63.7	17.1	0.9
1995	1030	62.1	16.6	1.5
1996	1030	62.1	16.6	1.5
1997	1046	59.8	17.5	1.2
1998	1045	65.4	16.0	1.5
1999	1086	65.0	16.7	0.7
2000	1152	69.1	16.7	0.6
2001	1190	72.5	16.4	0.8
2002	1240	79.9	15.5	1.8
2003	1240	79.9	15.5	1.8
2004	1255	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	1326	92.5	14.3	1.2
2006	1358	91.0	14.9	3
2007	1371	91.0	15.1	1.8
2008	1433	95.7	15.0	1.4
2009	1420	96.3	14.7	1.6
2010	1436	99.2	14.4	3.2
2011	1438	105.6	13.6	4.5
2012	1371	97.6	14.0	6.9
2013	1379	95.8	14.3	8.6
2014	1322	93.9	14.0	5.8
2015	1322	76.0	17.3	8.5
2016	1276	101.0	12.6	10.1
2017	1267	92.2	13.7	9.9
2018	1274	96.0	13.2	11.1
2019	1224	110.5	11.0	13.2
2020	1199	131.1	9.1	14.3
2021	1209	122.3	9.8	13.7
2022	1167	121.0	9.6	12.3
2023	1168	122.7	9.5	14.6
2024	1217	124.8	9.7	18.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Sanford H Calhoun High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	1152	72.9	15.8	n/a
1990	1066	71.9	14.8	n/a
1991	1069	72.8	14.6	n/a
1992	1093	68.2	16.0	n/a
1993	1052	62.1	16.9	n/a
1994	1092	63.7	17.1	0.9
1995	1030	62.1	16.6	1.5
1996	1030	62.1	16.6	1.5
1997	1046	59.8	17.5	1.2
1998	1045	65.4	16.0	1.5
1999	1086	65.0	16.7	0.7
2000	1152	69.1	16.7	0.6
2001	1190	72.5	16.4	0.8
2002	1240	79.9	15.5	1.8
2003	1240	79.9	15.5	1.8
2004	1255	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	1326	92.5	14.3	1.2
2006	1358	91.0	14.9	3
2007	1371	91.0	15.1	1.8
2008	1433	95.7	15.0	1.4
2009	1420	96.3	14.7	1.6
2010	1436	99.2	14.4	3.2
2011	1438	105.6	13.6	4.5
2012	1371	97.6	14.0	6.9
2013	1379	95.8	14.3	8.6
2014	1322	93.9	14.0	5.8
2015	1322	76.0	17.3	8.5
2016	1276	101.0	12.6	10.1
2017	1267	92.2	13.7	9.9
2018	1274	96.0	13.2	11.1
2019	1224	110.5	11.0	13.2
2020	1199	131.1	9.1	14.3
2021	1209	122.3	9.8	13.7
2022	1167	121.0	9.6	12.3
2023	1168	122.7	9.5	14.6
2024	1217	124.8	9.7	18.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Immunization Rates