Longwood Central School District, NY

Original Research by School Decision on Longwood Central School District

Longwood Central School District serves a mid-sized community of students across kindergarten through twelfth grade in central Suffolk County, encompassing communities such as Coram, Ridge, Middle Island, Shirley, and Yaphank. The district's enrollment spans the full K-12 grade band, with roughly equal representation across elementary through middle school and a somewhat larger high school cohort. The student population is diverse: approximately a third identify as Hispanic, two-fifths as white, and meaningful shares as Black, Asian, and multiracial.

Academically, Longwood's state assessment results show room for improvement. In mathematics, proficiency rates range from the mid-twenties to low fifties depending on grade, with third and fourth graders performing comparatively better than students in grades five and six, then a rebound by eighth grade. English language arts proficiency tracks similarly, hovering in the thirties to forties across middle grades with slightly higher performance in early elementary. Science testing shows proficiency near fifty percent in eighth grade but notably lower in fifth grade. Across the district, chronic absenteeism runs substantially higher than the county median, at roughly thirty percent compared to a mid-county average around twenty percent. On the proficiency measure aggregated across all tested subjects and grades, Longwood sits in the bottom quarter among Suffolk County's seventy-three districts. Per-pupil spending falls in the lower range within the county.

The district's housing market reflects broader Suffolk County patterns. Home values cluster in the mid-range for the area, with weighted median prices in the mid-five-hundreds of thousands. Rental costs average around thirty-five hundred monthly. The market shows typical seasonal movement, with days on market in the moderate range and inventory gradually tightening. Price-to-income ratios suggest housing remains a substantial commitment for district households relative to national benchmarks.

Two major developments shape Longwood's near-term trajectory. In 2024, voters approved a substantial capital improvement bond that is now driving district-wide facility upgrades: security enhancements, roof and interior door replacements, bathroom modernization, and notably, a new state-of-the-art Career and Technical Education center currently under construction at Longwood High School. The CTE expansion will house several hands-on programs including automotive technology, cosmetology, culinary arts, engineering and advanced manufacturing, medical assistance, and media production. For families considering whether Longwood offers meaningful academic and vocational pathways, this durably changes the high school landscape. Additionally, New York State's full funding of the Foundation Aid formula recently enabled the district to adopt budgets with historically low local tax levy increases, a direct benefit to homeowners in the district.

A parent considering Longwood should weigh the academic performance data against these programmatic investments and the district's commitment to both infrastructure and expanded career pathways. The attendance and proficiency metrics indicate areas where the district faces real challenges; a parent may want to look into these further with individual school administrators and to understand what supports the district has in place to address them. The capital projects and CTE center represent a genuine institutional shift toward vocational and technical options alongside traditional academics, which may appeal especially to families valuing hands-on learning and job-ready credentials.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

8,949

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 30%

Black 18%

White 42%

Asian 3%

Two+ 6%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr EOC

84%

—

Gr 3

42%

58%

Gr 4

35%

53%

Gr 5

28%

49%

Gr 6

24%

35%

Gr 7

19%

49%

Gr 8

28%

52%

Math

Gr EOC

63%

—

Gr 3

37%

54%

Gr 4

33%

54%

Gr 5

19%

36%

Gr 6

19%

41%

Gr 7

26%

51%

Gr 8

43%

60%

Science

Gr EOC

67%

—

Gr 5

26%

47%

Gr 8

41%

60%

Social studies

Gr EOC

78%

—

Schools in this District

7 schools are officially reported under this district.

C E WALTERS SCHOOL

CORAM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

LONGWOOD HIGH SCHOOL

LONGWOOD JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

WEST MIDDLE ISLAND SCHOOL

LONGWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

44%

Grade 3

41%

Grade 4

27%

Grade 5

29%

Grade 6

39%

Grade 7

52%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

48%

Grade 3

41%

Grade 4

38%

Grade 5

29%

Grade 6

34%

Grade 7

40%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

35%

Grade 5

50%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$530,074

Year-over-year change+4.8%

Range across 9 ZIP codes$494K to $740K

vs. state typical1.04x

vs. national typical1.44x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (9 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
11961	Ridge	$504K	+5.7%	26.0%
11953	Middle Island	$494K	+4.3%	19.5%
11980	Yaphank	$548K	+5.2%	15.9%
11727	Coram	$547K	+4.5%	14.6%
11763	Medford	$597K	+4.1%	10.1%
11967	Shirley	$531K	+4.4%	8.4%
11764	Miller Place	$721K	+5.2%	0.7%
11786	Shoreham	$740K	+5.8%	0.2%
11949	Manorville	$705K	+7.3%	0.0%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$3,478/mo

Year-over-year change+6.1%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$2,367 to $3,674/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
11961	Ridge	$3,580	—	26.0%
11980	Yaphank	$3,674	—	15.9%
11727	Coram	$3,083	+6.1%	14.6%
11949	Manorville	$2,367	—	0.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,675/mo

Home price / national median income6.3x

Annual rent / national median income49.9%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$803/mo

Market Activity: Suffolk County

Median listing price$949,000

Median listing price YoY+2.0%

Median price per sq ft$507

Median price per sq ft YoY+2.2%

Median days on market47.0 days

Median days on market YoY-12.2%

Active listings3,712

Active listings YoY-0.7%

New listings2,016

New listings YoY+3.7%

Pending listings2,047

Pending listings YoY-34.2%

Hotness: median listing price$987,500

Hotness: median listing price YoY+4.0%

Supply score59.3

Supply score YoY+50.5%

Demand score36.0

Demand score YoY+26.3%

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.