Lawrence Union Free School District, NY

Original Research by School Decision on Lawrence Union Free School District

Lawrence Union Free School District serves a community in Nassau County anchored by the village of Lawrence but spanning multiple Five Towns and Five Villages neighborhoods—including Inwood, Atlantic Beach, Cedarhurst, Woodmere, and Valley Stream. The district enrolls a mid-sized student population across kindergarten through twelfth grade, organized into five schools: an early childhood center, a primary school, an elementary school, a middle school, and a senior high school.

The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with substantial Black and Asian populations and smaller white and multiracial enrollment. Detailed free-or-reduced-price-lunch data was not available, nor were counts of English learners or students with individualized education programs, so a parent may want to ask the district directly about the scale of those populations and the support services available.

State test results show academic performance well below the median among Nassau County's districts. In recent state testing, proficiency rates ranged from low to mid-range across the district's tested grades and subjects. In third-grade math, fewer than half of students tested met proficiency; by fifth grade, that figure fell further, with similar patterns in English language arts. Middle-grade performance (sixth and seventh) showed proficiency rates in the low to mid range across both subjects. Science proficiency in fifth grade was notably low. Participation rates in testing varied by grade and subject, with some middle grades showing substantially lower participation, which is worth clarifying with the school since it can affect how representative the results are. The district's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among Nassau County districts.

Chronic absenteeism in the district is also a bottom-quartile concern compared to other county districts, with a rate well above the county median. A parent might ask what the district's attendance initiatives and barriers-to-attendance support look like in practice.

The housing context is mixed-market. Home values across the zip codes serving the district range widely, from lower-priced areas near Inwood and Valley Stream to significantly higher values in Lawrence and Woodmere proper. Median rental costs are also varied by neighborhood. The county housing market shows active inventory and modest year-over-year price gains, with shorter median days on market, suggesting moderate seller advantage without extreme scarcity. Affordability remains a challenge: the median home price in the district's primary zip code (Lawrence) sits at a multiple that would stress typical household incomes, though rental options exist at lower price points in parts of the service area.

Per-pupil current spending in Lawrence Union Free is in the upper range compared to other Nassau County districts, a reflection of the district's investment level relative to its student population and outcomes. The district has maintained a zero property-tax-levy increase for seven consecutive years, a pattern publicly reported as made possible by restored state foundation aid rather than local tax increases, which may appeal to families sensitive to school-tax volatility.

The district has undertaken significant capital work in recent years. Voters approved building reserve funds, and the district is executing a major FEMA-funded seawall and campus resilience project at the high school, along with phased HVAC and classroom upgrades across the Broadway campus. The district also sold the former Number Five School building in Cedarhurst in a 2023 public referendum, converting a long-leased facility into a one-time asset redeployment. These capital improvements and changes shape the ongoing condition of the schools a prospective family would experience.

State testing data for high school Regents exams, graduation rates, and other secondary-level metrics were not available in the data provided, so a parent evaluating secondary pathways, college-readiness outcomes, or program breadth at the high school should request those details from Lawrence Senior High School directly.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

2,234

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 74%

Black 13%

White 9%

Asian 3%

Two+ 1%

Am. Indian / AK Native 1%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr EOC

73%

—

Gr 3

34%

36%

Gr 4

48%

46%

Gr 5

33%

Gr 6

34%

38%

Gr 7

26%

45%

Gr 8

32%

50%

Math

Gr EOC

—

Gr 3

41%

57%

Gr 4

58%

40%

Gr 5

25%

29%

Gr 6

40%

33%

Gr 7

34%

18%

Science

Gr EOC

41%

—

Gr 5

20%

24%

Social studies

Gr EOC

74%

—

Schools in this District

5 schools are officially reported under this district.

LAWRENCE PRIMARY SCHOOL AT #2 SCHOOL

LAWRENCE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER AT #4 SCHOOL

LAWRENCE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT BROADWAY CAMPUS

LAWRENCE MIDDLE SCHOOL AT BROADWAY CAMPUS

LAWRENCE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

5 grades reported

43%

Grade 3

56%

Grade 4

26%

Grade 5

39%

Grade 6

31%

Grade 7

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

34%

Grade 3

48%

Grade 4

33%

Grade 5

35%

Grade 6

29%

Grade 7

34%

Grade 8

Science

1 grade reported

21%

Grade 5

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$1.63M

Year-over-year change+8.1%

Range across 7 ZIP codes$812K to $2.2M

vs. state typical3.19x

vs. national typical4.43x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (7 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
11559	Lawrence	$2.2M	+10.1%	48.8%
11096	Inwood	$821K	+3.7%	14.5%
11516	Cedarhurst	$1.2M	+6.3%	10.8%
11509	Atlantic Beach	$1.5M	+8.2%	9.9%
11598	Woodmere	$1.4M	+7.6%	8.7%
11581	Valley Stream	$812K	+6.2%	7.3%
11561	Long Beach	$813K	+5.0%	0.1%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$3,904/mo

Year-over-year change+9.0%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$3,130 to $4,130/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
11559	Lawrence	$4,130	—	48.8%
11598	Woodmere	$3,130	—	8.7%
11581	Valley Stream	$3,303	—	7.3%
11561	Long Beach	$3,963	+9.0%	0.1%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$8,226/mo

Home price / national median income19.5x

Annual rent / national median income55.9%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$4,322/mo

Market Activity: Nassau County

Median listing price$949,995

Median listing price YoY+5.7%

Median price per sq ft$549

Median price per sq ft YoY+6.0%

Median days on market38.0 days

Median days on market YoY-8.4%

Active listings2,454

Active listings YoY+5.8%

New listings1,564

New listings YoY-1.3%

Pending listings1,616

Pending listings YoY-36.8%

Hotness: median listing price$934,000

Hotness: median listing price YoY+3.9%

Supply score81.9

Supply score YoY+19.1%

Demand score35.3

Demand score YoY+15.1%

Median listing price (12 months)

Median price per sq ft (12 months)

Median days on market (12 months)

Active listings (12 months)

New listings (12 months)

Pending listings (12 months)

Hotness: median listing price (12 months)

Supply score (12 months)

Demand score (12 months)

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.