Saranac Elementary School, Saranac NY

Original Research by School Decision on Saranac Elementary School

Saranac Elementary School serves prekindergarten through fifth grade across a small enrollment in a large, dispersed rural town on the western edge of Clinton County within the Adirondack Park. The school sits on Picketts Corners Road as part of a three-campus district that also includes a second elementary school and a combined middle and high school.

The student body is predominantly white, with a majority of families owning their homes in this suburban-rural setting along the Saranac River valley. About a significant share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting moderate economic need in the community. Data on special education enrollment and English learners were not available in the school record.

The school's state test results show proficiency in the low to mid range across grades three, four, and five. In mathematics, third grade showed stronger proficiency than fourth grade, which dipped lower, while fifth grade improved modestly. Reading and language arts followed a similar pattern, with fourth grade showing the lowest proficiency of the tested grades. Science proficiency in fifth grade sat around the middle of the performance distribution. Participation in testing was high across all grades and subjects, suggesting reliable data. Against other districts in Clinton County, Saranac Elementary's overall proficiency index placed it in the top quartile, a meaningful advantage relative to its county neighbors.

The town itself is low-density and car-dependent, oriented around New York State Route 3, which runs east-west as the main highway. Saranac is made up of several small hamlets rather than a single downtown, and residents are dispersed across communities including Saranac, Redford, Clayburg, Standish, and Picketts Corners. Employment is anchored by public institutions, particularly Clinton Correctional Facility in nearby Dannemora and the school district itself. The town's population has declined modestly over recent years. Recreation centers on town parks with facilities including a pool, boat and kayak launch, and athletic courts, plus the Saranac River corridor.

Housing values in the zip code are moderate and have appreciated slowly. A mortgage on a median home in the area would be affordable for a household with median regional income, though interest rates are elevated. The town is pursuing a revitalization strategy and has no fixed-route public transit; residents typically commute by car.

The district is currently undertaking a substantial facility upgrade across all three campuses, including renovated bathrooms, HVAC and electrical improvements, new libraries and media centers at both elementary schools, and sitework enhancements to parking and roadways. A significant portion of this project is being financed through low-cost state bond assistance, which helps limit the local tax impact on families.

A parent considering Saranac Elementary should understand that this is a small school in a rural, dispersed community with moderate test proficiency that outperforms other schools in the immediate county comparison. The school is in the midst of facility modernization, which benefits day-to-day learning conditions. Families should be comfortable with a car-dependent setting and a school population that is small and demographically homogeneous, as the area is predominantly white and owner-occupied. The community is quiet and stable but not growing; a parent may want to look into staffing levels, classroom size, and the school's approach to the lower proficiency rates in fourth grade reading and math if those are specific concerns.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 44% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 14 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 435%

School 35% · District 29% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 547%

School 47% · District 34% · ▲ 13 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 341%

School 41% · District 38% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 27% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 547%

School 47% · District 37% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Science

Grade 545%

School 45% · District 37% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 591%

School 91% · district not reported

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

This schoolSARANAC 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-income29%Higher-income51%22 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income33%Higher-income37%4 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income39%Higher-income52%13 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income33%Higher-income69%35 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income34%Higher-income54%20 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income39%Higher-income33%6 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income44%Higher-income48%4 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income48%Higher-income71%24 pp gap