The top reported proficiency rate is 84% in Social studies. The lowest is 35% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Joseph B Radez Elementary School
Joseph B Radez Elementary School serves students in grades two through six in Richmondville, a small rural-residential community in western Schoharie County. The school sits in a newly rezoned gateway area east of the village center, part of a mixed-use development that includes affordable housing and retail alongside the school building itself.
The school's recent state test results show proficiency in the lower-to-middle range across tested subjects. In math, proficiency rates for grades three, four, and five cluster in the mid-to-upper forties across the school, while English language arts results run somewhat lower, in the upper thirties to mid-forties range depending on grade. Grade five science proficiency is notably weaker, below the math and ELA results for that grade. Student participation in testing is strong across all grades and subjects, running in the low-to-mid nineties. Overall proficiency at the school places it in the top quartile relative to districts in Schoharie County, though this reflects how test performance varies across the county rather than an indicator of how Radez compares to state or national benchmarks.
The school draws an enrollment of about three hundred students, with the bulk concentrated in grades three through five; second and sixth grade cohorts are very small. About forty-five percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a meaningful proportion that signals some economic challenge in the enrollment area. The student population is predominantly white, with small numbers of students of Hispanic, Asian, and Black backgrounds. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available.
Richmondville itself is a car-dependent, low-density rural setting dominated by private vehicle use along Interstate 88 and state routes 7 and 10. The village has a compact downtown with town offices and local businesses, but housing lots are spacious and amenities spread across highway corridors. The median home sale price is moderate by regional standards, and the community is anchored by a village park with seasonal programming and annual summer festival. The area lies within commuting distance of Cobleskill, about eleven miles away, where SUNY Cobleskill, Cobleskill Regional Hospital, and regional retail and services anchor the local economy. The district itself, the Cobleskill-Richmondville Central School District, is a substantial local employer.
Recent community development has centered on recovery from Hurricane Irene flooding and implementation of county-level corridor economic strategy. Candlewood Court, a forty-unit affordable housing complex completed in recent years, anchors the gateway area where Radez sits. The district voters approved a substantial capital improvement project in December 2024 that will fund facility upgrades and repairs across both elementary schools, the middle school, and high school, including roof and exterior work, new playground equipment, and ventilation replacement; that work is expected to begin in 2026 and will not increase the property tax levy because it qualifies for state aid and debt offsets. The district has maintained a trajectory of moderate, sustained tax increases in recent budgets, with homeowner tax rises approved for both the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years.
A family considering Radez would be enrolling in a small elementary school in a rural setting where testing proficiency is below state midpoint but positioned favorably within the county, with a student body that reflects modest economic challenge and is predominantly white. The school's recent test results, particularly in science and English language arts, may warrant a conversation with school leadership about curriculum and support offerings if those subjects are a focus for a family. The school sits within a district managing a stable but gradually rising tax environment and preparing meaningful facility improvements that may enhance school conditions over the coming years.
See more original research from School Decision →