Trumansburg Central School District, NY

Original Research by School Decision on Trumansburg Central School District

Trumansburg Central School District serves prekindergarten through grade twelve across three buildings in a rural area of Tompkins County. The district is small overall, with enrollment distributed across all grade levels from preschool through high school.

In state testing, the district's math and English language arts results show a pattern of weaker performance in the earliest tested grades and stronger results as students move up. In third grade, math proficiency sits below midpoint, and English language arts proficiency is similarly low. By fourth grade, both subjects improve noticeably. From sixth through eighth grade, proficiency rates climb further, with math and ELA both reaching the high seventies. Science proficiency at the tested grade levels is in the mid-to-high fifties to mid-seventies. The participation rates in most grades are good, though eighth-grade testing participation was notably lower across subjects. Overall, the district's proficiency index places it in the top quartile among Tompkins County's districts.

The student body is predominantly white, with smaller populations of Hispanic students, students of two or more races, and very small numbers of Asian, Black, and American Indian students. Data on free and reduced-price lunch eligibility and on students with IEPs or English learners was not available. Chronic absenteeism sits above the midpoint compared to other county districts, which a parent may want to look into further with the school.

Per-pupil spending in the district falls in the middle to upper-middle range for Tompkins County. In May 2022, voters established a capital reserve fund, which enabled the district to move forward without significant tax impact. That decision bore fruit recently: in October 2025, voters approved a capital improvement project covering infrastructure upgrades, drainage work, air conditioning installation, sidewalks for student safety, athletic field improvements, and accessibility upgrades to athletic and performing arts spaces. The bulk of the funding comes from state building aid and the reserve fund with no tax impact to property owners, while a smaller component carries only a minimal impact. This is a multiyear facilities investment that will reshape the school buildings students use over the coming years.

The district has also begun shifting its elementary-level reading instruction toward the Science of Reading approach, holding informational sessions for families in fall 2025 to explain how early literacy teaching is changing. This represents a meaningful pedagogical shift in how children are taught to read in the early grades.

Housing values in the district's primary towns, centered on Trumansburg, are moderate compared to the state and nation, with a weighted home value in the lower-to-mid range. Mortgage affordability is near the national ratio, while rental costs consume a moderate share of household income. The local economy is relatively stable, with unemployment modestly above the national average and median household income solidly above the national figure.

See more original research from School Decision →

District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

991

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 5%

Black 1%

White 85%

Asian 1%

Two+ 8%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr EOC

71%

—

Gr 3

31%

51%

Gr 4

27%

72%

Gr 5

41%

60%

Gr 6

87%

81%

Gr 7

56%

82%

Gr 8

57%

81%

Math

Gr EOC

43%

—

Gr 3

30%

59%

Gr 4

52%

72%

Gr 5

36%

68%

Gr 6

67%

82%

Gr 7

65%

87%

Gr 8

63%

94%

Science

Gr EOC

22%

—

Gr 5

41%

64%

Gr 8

57%

86%

Social studies

Gr EOC

82%

—

Schools in this District

3 schools are officially reported under this district.

TRUMANSBURG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

CHARLES O DICKERSON HIGH SCHOOL

RUSSELL I DOIG MIDDLE SCHOOL

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

47%

Grade 3

65%

Grade 4

58%

Grade 5

78%

Grade 6

81%

Grade 7

78%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

43%

Grade 3

57%

Grade 4

54%

Grade 5

82%

Grade 6

75%

Grade 7

73%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

56%

Grade 5

75%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$329,155

Year-over-year change+4.4%

Range across 5 ZIP codes$216K to $410K

vs. state typical0.64x

vs. national typical0.89x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (5 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
14886	Trumansburg	$328K	+4.7%	85.7%
14850	Ithaca	$410K	+2.3%	7.8%
14805	Alpine	$216K	+3.9%	3.7%
14847	Interlaken	$237K	+3.3%	1.4%
14841	Hector	$334K	+1.6%	0.8%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,924/mo

Year-over-year change+3.0%

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
14850	Ithaca	$1,924	+3.0%	7.8%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,661/mo

Home price / national median income3.9x

Annual rent / national median income27.6%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$263/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.