Is Pleasant Valley Elementary School a good school?

Pleasant Valley Elementary School ranks in the bottom 2.8% of New York elementary schools.

How many students attend Pleasant Valley Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 357 students attended Pleasant Valley Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Pleasant Valley Elementary School?

Students at Pleasant Valley Elementary School are 27% African American, 26% Hispanic, 24% Asian, 13% Two or more races, 10% White.

What schools do graduates of Pleasant Valley Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Pleasant Valley Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Mont Pleasant Middle School High : Schenectady High School

Pleasant Valley Elementary School

Summary:

Pleasant Valley Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in the Schenectady City School District, with 357 students. The school has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing elementary schools in New York state over the past decade, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger, and serves a high proportion of economically disadvantaged students, with 78.99% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

Despite relatively high per-student spending of $14,213 and a low student-teacher ratio of 9.2, Pleasant Valley Elementary School has struggled to improve student outcomes. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 12.28% of 3rd graders, 18.03% of 4th graders, and 18.52% of 5th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to state averages of 42.6%, 47.05%, and 43.68%, respectively. The school's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, ranking in the bottom 10% of New York elementary schools for Asian, African American, Hispanic, and English Language Learner students.

While the nearby schools in the Schenectady City School District also struggle with low academic performance, Pleasant Valley Elementary School generally performs worse than these schools on state assessments. For example, Jessie T Zoller Elementary School, which is 2.22 miles away, outperformed Pleasant Valley Elementary School on ELA and Math assessments in the 2023-2024 school year. The school's high poverty, diverse student population, and inability to translate resources into improved academic performance suggest that a more comprehensive and targeted approach may be needed to address the unique needs of its students.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1097 Forest Rd
Schenectady, NY 12303-1171

(518) 881-3640

District: Schenectady City School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
2377^th of 2,445 New York Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,213

Students who attend Pleasant Valley Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Mont Pleasant Middle School
High:	Schenectady High School

Student/teacher ratio: 9.2

Number of students: 357

Racial breakdown:

African American:

26.9%

Hispanic:

25.8%

Asian:

24.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 79%

See top rated New York elementary schools

Compare Pleasant Valley Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Pleasant Valley Elementary School ranks worse than 97.2% of elementary schools in New York. It also ranks 10^th among 11 ranked elementary schools in the Schenectady City School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.36. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Pleasant Valley Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (26.9%), Hispanic (25.8%), Asian (24.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 79% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Schenectady City School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pleasant Valley Elementary School is 9.2, which is the lowest among 11 elementary schools in the Schenectady City School District! (See more...)

Compare Pleasant Valley Elementary School employs 38.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pleasant Valley Elementary School is $14,213. 8 elementary schools in the Schenectady City School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pleasant Valley Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Pleasant Valley Elementary School 2377^th of 2445 New York public elementary schools. (See Pleasant Valley Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Schenectady City School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Schenectady City School District 833^rd of 865 New York school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Pleasant Valley Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Pleasant Valley Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2006	7.12	2128^th	2206	3.5%
2007	5.75	2145^th	2219	3.3%
2008	6.79	2132^nd	2227	4.3%
2009	19.65	1981^st	2257	12.2%
2010	19.04	1952^nd	2263	13.7%
2011	11.56	2111^th	2286	7.7%
2012	8.44	2194^th	2320	5.4%
2013	12.86	2155^th	2325	7.3%
2014	8.60	2264^th	2345	3.5%
2015	10.39	2230^th	2352	5.2%
2016	8.30	2275^th	2366	3.8%
2017	7.16	2322^nd	2386	2.7%
2018	5.11	2366^th	2395	1.2%
2019	9.83	2293^rd	2413	5.0%
2021	11.19	2033^rd	2201	7.6%
2022	8.24	2353^rd	2434	3.3%
2023	10.86	2309^th	2439	5.3%
2024	7.36	2377^th	2445	2.8%

See the entire list of New York Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Pleasant Valley Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	32.68	149^th	202	26.2%
2022	14.34	265^th	289	8.3%
2023	19.74	183^rd	223	17.9%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Pleasant Valley Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	17.83	915^th	938	2.5%
2019	35.67	554^th	860	35.6%
2022	19.00	982^nd	1027	4.4%
2023	37.17	619^th	1001	38.2%
2024	17.63	1054^th	1066	1.1%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Pleasant Valley Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	16.00	1927^th	1941	0.7%
2024	22.29	1874^th	2110	11.2%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pleasant Valley Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	9.14	2007^th	2045	1.9%
2019	13.76	1941^st	2032	4.5%
2022	12.40	2013^th	2099	4.1%
2023	15.46	1889^th	2041	7.4%
2024	10.89	2017^th	2078	2.9%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Pleasant Valley Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	12.98	709^th	730	2.9%
2023	9.96	633^rd	637	0.6%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Pleasant Valley Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	6.49	2302^nd	2338	1.5%
2019	14.47	2148^th	2357	8.9%
2021	33.73	1357^th	1955	30.6%
2022	9.78	2305^th	2401	4.0%
2023	9.02	2320^th	2403	3.5%
2024	7.05	2375^th	2413	1.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at Pleasant Valley Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	5.43	2320^th	2340	0.9%
2019	7.60	2307^th	2358	2.2%
2021	11.58	1826^th	1961	6.9%
2022	9.71	2303^rd	2400	4.0%
2023	15.48	2158^th	2400	10.1%
2024	12.82	2254^th	2411	6.5%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Pleasant Valley Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	2.45	592^nd	601	1.5%
2019	15.68	499^th	548	8.9%
2022	6.91	640^th	671	4.6%
2023	4.02	585^th	605	3.3%
2024	5.05	644^th	662	2.7%

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

Rank History for African American students at Pleasant Valley Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	13.46	915^th	948	3.5%
2019	11.56	872^nd	891	2.1%
2022	15.00	882^nd	936	5.8%
2023	16.36	767^th	857	10.5%
2024	13.05	892^nd	927	3.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Pleasant Valley Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	14.01	1313^th	1392	5.7%
2019	14.26	1241^st	1315	5.6%
2022	12.89	1429^th	1503	4.9%
2023	16.80	1305^th	1429	8.7%
2024	13.07	1462^nd	1531	4.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Pleasant Valley Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	2.68	1393^rd	1408	1.1%
2022	1.74	1391^st	1399	0.6%
2023	7.06	1280^th	1337	4.3%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary 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

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Enrollment information for Pleasant Valley Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	238	86	0	39	0	n/a	n/a	0	363
1990	205	89	0	53	0	n/a	n/a	0	347
1991	226	108	3	55	0	n/a	n/a	0	392
1992	188	102	5	49	0	n/a	n/a	0	344
1993	199	132	7	59	0	n/a	n/a	0	397
1994	172	139	6	74	0	n/a	n/a	0	391
1995	128	140	5	96	1	n/a	n/a	0	370
1996	128	140	5	96	1	n/a	n/a	0	370
1997	143	181	10	81	6	n/a	n/a	0	421
1998	157	181	9	64	4	n/a	n/a	0	415
1999	137	197	12	76	0	n/a	n/a	0	422
2000	111	182	32	81	0	n/a	n/a	0	406
2001	138	164	10	66	1	n/a	n/a	0	379
2002	109	162	30	71	0	n/a	n/a	0	372
2003	109	162	30	71	0	n/a	n/a	0	372
2004	114	152	63	94	3	n/a	n/a	0	426
2005	135	173	91	88	1	n/a	n/a	0	488
2006	131	191	93	91	1	n/a	n/a	0	507
2007	97	142	106	87	0	n/a	n/a	7	439
2008	94	165	92	98	0	n/a	n/a	0	449
2009	101	140	99	86	0	n/a	n/a	0	426
2010	101	160	117	74	0	n/a	n/a	0	452
2011	104	142	118	94	0	0	0	0	458
2012	105	170	122	90	0	2	7	0	496
2013	112	169	120	96	0	2	7	0	506
2014	98	147	143	103	0	0	22	0	513
2015	73	158	145	116	0	0	32	0	524
2016	66	161	142	101	0	0	41	0	511
2017	45	141	77	110	0	5	50	0	428
2018	48	153	86	110	0	2	35	0	434
2019	42	132	104	107	0	1	43	0	429
2020	43	128	102	111	0	1	42	0	427
2021	32	102	82	88	0	1	45	0	350
2022	32	92	89	83	0	1	41	0	338
2023	35	96	86	92	0	2	46	0	357

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 Pleasant Valley Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	363	24.5	14.8	n/a
1990	347	23.0	15.0	n/a
1991	392	23.0	17.0	n/a
1992	344	23.9	14.3	n/a
1993	397	25.2	15.8	n/a
1994	391	29.5	13.3	76
1995	370	30.1	12.3	77.6
1996	370	30.1	12.3	77.6
1997	421	30.4	13.8	69.8
1998	415	28.5	14.6	88
1999	422	30.7	13.7	82
2000	406	30.5	13.3	82
2001	379	34.5	11.0	91
2002	372	32.5	11.4	77.7
2003	372	32.5	11.4	77.7
2004	426	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	488	34.8	14.0	87.3
2006	507	37.0	13.7	80.5
2007	439	35.0	12.5	82.4
2008	449	34.0	13.2	81.1
2009	426	34.0	12.5	67.4
2010	452	35.0	12.9	85.4
2011	458	36.1	12.6	59.8
2012	496	37.0	13.4	71.2
2013	506	32.0	15.8	86
2014	513	34.0	15.0	77
2015	524	34.0	15.4	81.5
2016	511	32.0	15.9	66.1
2017	428	30.9	13.8	63.3
2018	434	33.0	13.1	86.2
2019	429	33.5	12.7	80
2020	427	26.0	16.4	71.7
2021	350	21.3	16.4	75.7
2022	338	24.5	13.7	74.6
2023	357	38.4	9.2	79

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 Pleasant Valley Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	363	24.5	14.8	n/a
1990	347	23.0	15.0	n/a
1991	392	23.0	17.0	n/a
1992	344	23.9	14.3	n/a
1993	397	25.2	15.8	n/a
1994	391	29.5	13.3	76
1995	370	30.1	12.3	77.6
1996	370	30.1	12.3	77.6
1997	421	30.4	13.8	69.8
1998	415	28.5	14.6	88
1999	422	30.7	13.7	82
2000	406	30.5	13.3	82
2001	379	34.5	11.0	91
2002	372	32.5	11.4	77.7
2003	372	32.5	11.4	77.7
2004	426	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	488	34.8	14.0	87.3
2006	507	37.0	13.7	80.5
2007	439	35.0	12.5	82.4
2008	449	34.0	13.2	81.1
2009	426	34.0	12.5	67.4
2010	452	35.0	12.9	85.4
2011	458	36.1	12.6	59.8
2012	496	37.0	13.4	71.2
2013	506	32.0	15.8	86
2014	513	34.0	15.0	77
2015	524	34.0	15.4	81.5
2016	511	32.0	15.9	66.1
2017	428	30.9	13.8	63.3
2018	434	33.0	13.1	86.2
2019	429	33.5	12.7	80
2020	427	26.0	16.4	71.7
2021	350	21.3	16.4	75.7
2022	338	24.5	13.7	74.6
2023	357	38.4	9.2	79

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.

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