Tonawanda City School District, NY

Original Research by School Decision on Tonawanda City School District

Tonawanda City School District in Erie County covers a mid-sized city location and serves students from pre-kindergarten through grade twelve. The district has undergone significant structural change over the past few years, consolidating its elementary schools into a single modern building through a voter-approved capital project completed in 2023. This shift from multiple neighborhood elementary schools to one consolidated facility represents a permanent change in where the youngest students are educated and how the district operates. The closure of two elementary buildings and the sale of those properties for private redevelopment have added formerly tax-exempt land to the City of Tonawanda's local tax base. The consolidation carries ongoing costs: property-tax obligations for debt service related to the new elementary school are now a recurring annual expense for homeowners. The district has since launched a second major facilities initiative, focused on upgrading infrastructure at the aging middle and high school building, which voters considered in late 2024.

Academically, the district's state test results from the most recent year show performance that falls below the midpoint among Erie County's districts on an overall proficiency index. Across tested grades and subjects, student proficiency varies. In mathematics, students in grades three and four show proficiency rates in the low-to-mid range, while grade five performs slightly better and grade seven performs at about the midpoint. Reading and language arts results are broadly similar, with some grades slightly below and others near the overall median. Performance is noticeably lower in science, particularly at the middle school level. Participation rates on state assessments range from about seven in ten to nine in ten students, with some variation by grade. A parent may want to look into the district's plans for academic improvement and what supports are available in classrooms where proficiency rates are lower. The state testing data available shows results only for elementary and middle grades; high school state assessments in New York differ in structure, so graduation-rate data and high school proficiency metrics were not available in the data provided.

Enrollment across the district is small to mid-sized, distributed from pre-K through grade twelve. The demographic composition is predominantly white, with a notable Hispanic student population and smaller populations of Black students and students of multiple races. The data did not include counts or rates for students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, students receiving special education services, or English learners, so the full economic and support-needs picture is incomplete. Chronic absenteeism in the district sits above the midpoint among county districts, meaning more students miss school regularly than the county median, which may warrant attention.

The district's per-pupil spending sits in the lower-middle range among county districts. The data provided did not include information on program breadth, course offerings, or staffing ratios. Housing in the Tonawanda area is moderately valued, with a modest home-value appreciation rate over the past year. Rental costs are moderate, and mortgage affordability sits near the national benchmark. The housing market in Erie County has shown increased listing activity recently.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

1,717

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 9%

Black 4%

White 79%

Asian 2%

Two+ 6%

Am. Indian / AK Native 1%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr EOC

76%

—

Gr 3

43%

64%

Gr 4

43%

Gr 5

41%

59%

Gr 6

41%

62%

Gr 7

37%

50%

Gr 8

33%

42%

Math

Gr EOC

46%

—

Gr 3

28%

66%

Gr 4

44%

58%

Gr 5

39%

71%

Gr 6

35%

62%

Gr 7

45%

67%

Gr 8

45%

56%

Science

Gr EOC

71%

—

Gr 5

33%

52%

Gr 8

27%

46%

Social studies

Gr EOC

56%

—

Schools in this District

4 schools are officially reported under this district.

TONAWANDA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MULLEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

RIVERVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

TONAWANDA MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

41%

Grade 3

48%

Grade 4

54%

Grade 5

44%

Grade 6

56%

Grade 7

51%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

50%

Grade 3

43%

Grade 4

50%

Grade 5

48%

Grade 6

44%

Grade 7

37%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

42%

Grade 5

37%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$255,822

Year-over-year change+2.7%

vs. state typical0.50x

vs. national typical0.69x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
14150	Tonawanda	$256K	+2.7%	100.0%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,319/mo

Year-over-year change+4.6%

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
14150	Tonawanda	$1,319	+4.6%	100.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,291/mo

Home price / national median income3.1x

Annual rent / national median income18.9%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$29/mo

Market Activity: Erie County

Median listing price$279,900

Median listing price YoY-9.7%

Median price per sq ft$192

Median price per sq ft YoY-4.5%

Median days on market34.5 days

Median days on market YoY-2.8%

Active listings943

Active listings YoY+19.2%

New listings1,032

New listings YoY+18.4%

Pending listings1,529

Pending listings YoY+9.4%

Hotness: median listing price$274,925

Hotness: median listing price YoY-5.2%

Supply score89.0

Supply score YoY+6.7%

Demand score82.0

Demand score YoY-7.9%

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.