Broadalbin-perth Elementary School, Amsterdam NY

Original Research by School Decision on Broadalbin-perth Elementary School

Broadalbin-Perth Elementary School serves prekindergarten through sixth grade in Amsterdam, a small former mill city in the Mohawk Valley region of central New York. The school is part of the Broadalbin-Perth Central School District, which recently approved a substantial building renovation and capital project that will reshape facilities and infrastructure beginning in 2026.

The school's enrollment is stable, with roughly a student body spanning across the grade levels. A notable share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a meaningful portion of the enrollment comes from families with lower household incomes. The student population is predominantly white, with very small numbers of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds.

In state testing for 2024-25, the school shows mixed academic results that vary by grade and subject. In mathematics, proficiency improves from third grade through fourth grade but then declines sharply in fifth grade before recovering somewhat in sixth grade. English language arts performance is more consistent, hovering in the middle range across the tested grades. Science testing (administered in fifth grade only) shows roughly forty percent proficiency. The school did administer social studies assessment in an earlier year, when results were substantially stronger, though that test is no longer given at this grade level in New York's current system. Overall, when proficiency rates across all tested subjects and grades are averaged together, the school falls below the midpoint among the six districts in Fulton County. A parent may want to ask the school directly about what supports are in place for students who do not demonstrate proficiency, particularly in mathematics at the fifth-grade level.

The district is undergoing significant structural change. Starting in September 2026, the district will reorganize its grade configuration: the school will continue as a PK-6 elementary building, and grades 6 through 8 will form a separate middle school at the secondary campus. This means that fifth graders today will transition to the new middle school model rather than completing sixth grade in this elementary setting.

The capital project approved by voters in 2024 will fund extensive renovations to both the elementary and secondary buildings, including expanded classroom space for construction and skilled trades programming, improvements to auditorium and athletic facilities, and health and safety upgrades. The state will cover a portion of the cost through aid reimbursement, but the local share will result in a tax increase beginning with the September 2026 bill. For a household, this represents a concrete cost consideration families should factor into enrollment decisions.

Amsterdam itself is a small riverfront city undergoing revitalization centered on downtown waterfront amenities and community development. Housing values in the area are below both state and national benchmarks, making it relatively affordable, though rental costs take up a meaningful share of household income. The largest employer is St. Mary's Healthcare, a community hospital system, alongside retail and distribution operations including Walmart, Target, and other chain retailers. The city has received state downtown revitalization funding and is adding mixed-use residential and affordable housing units, signaling modest growth and reinvestment.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 352%

School 52% · District 51% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median

Grade 459%

School 59% · District 58% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 31%

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 645%

School 45% · District 45%

even with state median

English language arts

Grade 338%

School 38% · District 38%

▼ 14 pts below state median

Grade 446%

School 46% · District 46%

▼ 6 pts below state median

Grade 547%

School 47% · District 47%

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 651%

School 51% · District 51%

▲ 6 pts above state median

Science

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 43%

▲ 2 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 593%

School 93% · district not reported

▲ 1 pts above state median

This schoolBROADALBIN-PERTH CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income25%Higher-income52%27 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income43%Higher-income49%5 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income35%Higher-income54%19 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income35%Higher-income61%26 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income39%Higher-income64%25 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income49%Higher-income67%18 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income22%Higher-income36%14 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income36%Higher-income51%15 pp gap