Lake Placid Central School District, NY

Original Research by School Decision on Lake Placid Central School District

Lake Placid Central School District serves a community in the Adirondack region of Essex County, New York, spanning preschool through grade twelve across two buildings: an elementary school and a combined junior-senior high school. The district enrolls a small population, just under six hundred students.

The student body is predominantly white, with a modest Latino presence and very small shares of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. Specific data on free and reduced-price lunch eligibility and English learner enrollment were not available in the records provided. The district's chronic absenteeism rate places it in the top quartile among Essex County districts, meaning attendance is stronger than the typical county peer.

In state testing results from 2024-25, the district shows mixed performance. In the elementary grades, proficiency rates are moderate but reasonably distributed. Grade three and four students show proficiency near or slightly below the midpoint in both math and English language arts. Grade five performs somewhat better, particularly in ELA, where proficiency climbs noticeably. Grade six and seven show declines in both subjects, with math proficiency in grade seven near half the students tested. Grade eight represents a significant drop, particularly in math, where fewer than one in three eighth graders met proficiency. Science results for grades five and eight are somewhat stronger than concurrent math results but still represent a softer picture than early elementary grades. Across all grades, the district's overall proficiency index ranks in the top quartile among Essex County districts, a position driven in part by solid elementary performance that masks the steeper struggles in middle grades.

The district's per-pupil spending sits in the upper half of the county's middle range, higher than most peers. Housing values in the district's service area center on Lake Placid and surrounding Wilmington, with weighted median home values in the mid-range. Mortgage affordability is somewhat constrained relative to national benchmarks, though the local job market shows unemployment rates in the low-single digits.

Two recent district initiatives reflect a deliberate broadening of family support. A Community Schools program launched in 2022-23, funded with town and foundation grants, created a dedicated coordinator role to connect families to resources for food, housing, financial support, and other needs. A repair reserve fund approved by voters in 2022 has financed facility upgrades including auditorium, weight room, gym audio, and athletic field work, providing the district a recurring source for infrastructure improvements without new tax levies. These initiatives suggest the district is attuned to both student welfare and the aging facilities many small upstate districts face.

A parent considering Lake Placid might weigh the strong elementary foundation and solid attendance record alongside the notable performance decline in middle grades, particularly eighth-grade math. The district's community-minded initiatives and facility investment speak to a commitment beyond academics, and the small size creates close school-community ties. The housing market and local economy suggest a stable, if modest, economic context. A parent may want to discuss with the school what instructional supports and interventions are in place during the middle-grade transition, since the gap between seventh and eighth grade math proficiency is substantial.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

574

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 5%

Black 1%

White 91%

Asian 1%

Two+ 2%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr EOC

67%

—

Gr 3

27%

73%

Gr 4

62%

56%

Gr 5

50%

81%

Gr 6

33%

61%

Gr 7

46%

69%

Gr 8

50%

64%

Math

Gr EOC

31%

—

Gr 3

53%

78%

Gr 4

46%

78%

Gr 5

38%

67%

Gr 6

38%

65%

Gr 7

46%

56%

Gr 8

20%

38%

Science

Gr EOC

57%

—

Gr 5

38%

74%

Gr 8

67%

59%

Social studies

Gr EOC

83%

—

Schools in this District

2 schools are officially reported under this district.

LAKE PLACID ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

LAKE PLACID JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

69%

Grade 3

69%

Grade 4

60%

Grade 5

57%

Grade 6

53%

Grade 7

29%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

56%

Grade 3

58%

Grade 4

74%

Grade 5

54%

Grade 6

63%

Grade 7

58%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

66%

Grade 5

63%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$383,750

Year-over-year change+3.4%

Range across 2 ZIP codes$375K to $408K

vs. state typical0.75x

vs. national typical1.04x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
12946	Lake Placid	$375K	+3.3%	73.6%
12997	Wilmington	$408K	+3.7%	26.4%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,936/mo

Home price / national median income4.6x

Comparison

State typical home value$510,449 (+5.0% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.