Shenendehowa Central School District, NY

Original Research by School Decision on Shenendehowa Central School District

Shenendehowa Central School District serves kindergarten through grade twelve across multiple schools in Saratoga County, covering communities including Clifton Park, Mechanicville, Rexford, and surrounding towns. The district enrolls students across its buildings, with balanced representation across grade levels and a student body that is predominantly white, with meaningful populations of Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial students.

Academic performance in mathematics is solid across elementary and middle grades. Third graders demonstrate strong proficiency, and the district maintains solid proficiency rates through fifth grade before a dip at sixth grade, then rebounds noticeably by eighth grade. English language arts proficiency runs somewhat lower than math, particularly in the elementary grades where fourth grade shows the weakest performance. By eighth grade, both subjects stabilize at comparable proficiency levels. Science proficiency is notably lower, especially in fifth grade where it falls measurably below other subjects. Eighth-grade science performance recovers somewhat but remains an area a parent may want to look into further with the school, particularly if science is a student interest or strength area.

The district sits in the top quartile among Saratoga County's districts in overall proficiency and maintains one of the county's lowest chronic absenteeism rates. Per-pupil spending falls in the lower range compared to peer districts in the county, a reflection of relatively efficient resource allocation rather than underfunding relative to immediate neighbors.

The housing market in the district's service communities reflects moderate appreciation and moderate affordability pressures. Weighted home values sit mid-range relative to state benchmarks, with some variation by zip code. Rents are moderate and have climbed modestly year-over-year. The mortgage-to-income ratio puts homeownership within reach for households at or above median income, though it sits above national benchmarks.

A significant recent change has reshaped the kindergarten experience. The district moved from half-day to full-day kindergarten through a centralized Early Learning Center that opened after a capital project approval in 2023. The full school day runs from morning to early afternoon with optional fee-based before- and after-care, and transportation is provided to and from students' homes. This represents a concrete shift from decades of half-day kindergarten and addresses a long-standing parent concern.

The district has also faced growing tax pressure in recent years. After a pattern of routine budget approval, proposed budgets failed their initial ballots in both 2024-25 and 2025-26 before revised versions later passed. Rising health insurance and employee benefit costs are outpacing the state's allowable tax cap, requiring the district to draw on reserves to balance budgets. This trajectory may matter significantly to parents considering long-term residence in the district's communities, particularly those sensitive to property tax growth.

The district schools themselves include multiple elementary buildings, three middle schools, and one high school, providing a traditional public school structure across its service area. Specific program offerings, course access at the high school level, and student support services were not available in the data provided, so a parent should consult directly with the district about Advanced Placement breadth, career and technical pathways, or specialized programs that might match a student's interests.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

9,328

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 8%

Black 3%

White 71%

Asian 12%

Two+ 6%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr EOC

80%

—

Gr 3

53%

79%

Gr 4

46%

76%

Gr 5

57%

80%

Gr 6

57%

78%

Gr 7

55%

76%

Gr 8

61%

83%

Math

Gr EOC

72%

—

Gr 3

68%

90%

Gr 4

61%

87%

Gr 5

56%

83%

Gr 6

54%

80%

Gr 7

63%

88%

Gr 8

79%

91%

Science

Gr EOC

36%

—

Gr 5

41%

66%

Gr 8

72%

82%

Social studies

Gr EOC

75%

—

Schools in this District

12 schools are officially reported under this district.

ACADIA MIDDLE SCHOOL

ARONGEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

CHANGO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

GOWANA MIDDLE SCHOOL

KARIGON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

KODA MIDDLE SCHOOL

OKTE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

ORENDA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SHENENDEHOWA HIGH SCHOOL

SKANO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

TESAGO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SHATEKON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

85%

Grade 3

81%

Grade 4

77%

Grade 5

74%

Grade 6

83%

Grade 7

88%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

73%

Grade 3

69%

Grade 4

75%

Grade 5

73%

Grade 6

72%

Grade 7

79%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

61%

Grade 5

80%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$481,076

Year-over-year change+5.0%

Range across 6 ZIP codes$382K to $551K

vs. state typical0.94x

vs. national typical1.31x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (6 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
12065	Clifton Park	$481K	+5.1%	47.1%
12148	Rexford	$551K	+5.4%	15.6%
12118	Mechanicville	$468K	+5.0%	13.9%
12019	Ballston Lake	$490K	+4.8%	12.0%
12188	Waterford	$382K	+4.1%	7.8%
12151	Round Lake	$423K	+6.5%	3.6%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,555/mo

Year-over-year change+3.5%

Range across 2 ZIP codes$1,514 to $1,568/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
12065	Clifton Park	$1,568	+3.5%	47.1%
12118	Mechanicville	$1,514	—	13.9%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,428/mo

Home price / national median income5.8x

Annual rent / national median income22.3%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$872/mo

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.