Riverhead Central School District, NY

Original Research by School Decision on Riverhead Central School District

Riverhead Central School District, located in Suffolk County on Long Island's North Fork, serves a substantial student enrollment across pre-K through grade 12. The district's student body is majority Hispanic, with a sizable Black population and smaller communities of white, Asian, and multiracial students.

Academic performance across the district shows consistent challenges. In English language arts, proficiency rates cluster in the low-to-mid range across elementary and middle grades, with fourth and fifth grade showing the highest attainment levels and seventh grade the lowest. Mathematics results are similarly subdued, with a notable dip in eighth grade where proficiency falls sharply. Science proficiency in grade five and eight both remain low. These results place Riverhead in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency among Suffolk County's districts. Chronic absenteeism runs substantially higher than the county median, an indicator that attendance patterns may be affecting both student outcomes and instructional continuity. No graduation rate data was available for the high school; families seeking that figure should contact the district directly.

The district has weathered significant budget pressures stemming from the end of federal COVID relief funding. For the 2024-25 school year, the district eliminated staff positions across multiple roles, with elementary schools absorbing the heaviest cuts: academic intervention specialists, guidance counselors, a psychologist, and teaching assistants all saw reductions. This lasting reduction in instructional support—particularly interventions aimed at struggling learners—is a direct quality-of-education factor. Families should understand that fewer specialized staff means less targeted academic help available, especially at the elementary level where such support typically has the most impact.

The district's dual-language program, which combines English and Spanish instruction in kindergarten through fourth grade, underwent near-collapse in 2024 before partial restoration following parent advocacy. Initially proposed for consolidation to a single school after having expanded to all four elementary buildings, the program was scaled back to serve only the kindergarten cohort moving forward. This uncertainty around bilingual programming represents an ongoing issue for families seeking that instructional pathway.

Facilities remain a long-standing concern. A substantial bond referendum failed decisively in 2020, leaving capacity and building-condition issues unresolved. The high school and one intermediate school operate over capacity, and enrollment has grown since the early 2010s, yet voter rejection of the bond meant no district-wide repairs or renovation project moved forward. A smaller May 2025 referendum passed, funding kitchen and cafeteria renovations at two elementary schools, but this addresses only a portion of deferred facility needs.

Property taxes have risen at or near the state-imposed cap in both 2024-25 and 2025-26, with each budget cycle generating additional revenue from property tax increases. Budget approval margins have narrowed, dropping from around six in ten voters supporting the 2024-25 budget to slightly below six in ten in 2025-26, suggesting growing taxpayer friction over school spending in the face of rising housing values and living costs. Housing values in the Riverhead area and surrounding communities have risen modestly in recent years, and rental costs remain elevated relative to regional income levels.

The district's per-pupil spending falls in the lower range among county districts, a factor that, combined with staff reductions and the academic performance data, suggests resource constraints are shaping educational delivery.

See more original research from School Decision →

District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

5,656

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 64%

Black 8%

White 25%

Asian 1%

Two+ 2%

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

65%

—

Gr 3

22%

42%

Gr 4

29%

35%

Gr 5

23%

49%

Gr 6

20%

38%

Gr 7

18%

25%

Gr 8

25%

38%

Math

Gr EOC

43%

—

Gr 3

29%

44%

Gr 4

25%

34%

Gr 5

15%

42%

Gr 6

19%

33%

Gr 7

40%

47%

Gr 8

12%

10%

Science

Gr EOC

48%

—

Gr 5

14%

42%

Gr 8

30%

19%

Social studies

Gr EOC

65%

—

Schools in this District

8 schools are officially reported under this district.

AQUEBOGUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

PHILLIPS AVENUE SCHOOL

PULASKI STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

RILEY AVENUE SCHOOL

RIVERHEAD MIDDLE SCHOOL

RIVERHEAD SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

ROANOKE AVENUE SCHOOL

SUFFOLK COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

34%

Grade 3

28%

Grade 4

26%

Grade 5

25%

Grade 6

43%

Grade 7

11%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

28%

Grade 3

31%

Grade 4

34%

Grade 5

27%

Grade 6

21%

Grade 7

31%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

26%

Grade 5

26%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$653,716

Year-over-year change+4.4%

Range across 5 ZIP codes$632K to $936K

vs. state typical1.28x

vs. national typical1.78x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (5 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
11901	Riverhead	$637K	+3.8%	59.7%
11933	Calverton	$632K	+4.5%	24.7%
11949	Manorville	$705K	+7.3%	7.9%
11792	Wading River	$741K	+5.1%	4.3%
11946	Hampton Bays	$936K	+5.8%	2.7%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$3,569/mo

Year-over-year change+7.2%

Range across 3 ZIP codes$2,367 to $13,103/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (3 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
11901	Riverhead	$3,300	—	59.7%
11949	Manorville	$2,367	—	7.9%
11946	Hampton Bays	$13,103	+7.2%	2.7%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$3,299/mo

Home price / national median income7.8x

Annual rent / national median income51.1%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$270/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.