Riverhead Charter School, Calverton NY

Original Research by School Decision on Riverhead Charter School

Riverhead Charter School is a K-12 charter school in Calverton, on Long Island's North Fork, that has undergone significant expansion over the past several years. The school now enrolls students across a broad grade span and is a choice option within Suffolk County's educational landscape.

The school's academic profile reflects mixed but generally mid-range performance across tested grades. In elementary grades, proficiency rates hover in the low to mid-70s for both mathematics and English language arts, with grade 3 math and grade 4 ELA each showing proficiency near this threshold. Performance softens in grade 5, where mathematics proficiency dips notably and science proficiency sits below the county median. By grade 6, both math and ELA proficiency remain in the low-to-mid-60s. Grade 7 rebounds somewhat, particularly in math, while grade 8 shows solid ELA results. Testing data for grade 8 mathematics and science, as well as high school grades, is not available, likely reflecting the school's recent expansion into those grade levels. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among Suffolk County districts. Science proficiency, where reported, runs below mathematics and ELA, and a parent may want to look into how the school supports that subject.

The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial Black population; together these groups represent the vast majority of enrollment. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a student population with economic need. The school serves about that size for a K-12 charter serving a regional enrollment.

Calverton itself is a low-density, car-dependent hamlet marked by a mix of residential neighborhoods on quiet cul-de-sacs, woodlands, farmland, and a large industrial core centered on the former Naval weapons plant. Daily life centers on outdoor recreation rather than walkable commerce; Middle Country Road, a state highway, holds scattered local businesses but functions as a thoroughfare rather than a pedestrian district. The nearest LIRR station is some distance away, and regional transit is limited. Housing values in the area have risen modestly, and there is active discussion around residential development, including mixed-use proposals and industrial redevelopment of the large EPCAL site, though these remain in planning stages and carry community debate about growth.

The school itself has recently gained approval to serve grades 11 and 12, meaning families can now enroll students for a complete K-12 pathway without transition to another school at the high school level. However, the school's rapid expansion has created facility challenges. The administration relies on portable classrooms and is in contract to purchase land for a middle and high school building, but an earlier campus plan was abandoned amid community opposition. This ongoing uncertainty about long-term facilities is a real consideration for families, particularly those enrolling high school students. The maximum enrollment cap was also raised substantially over a phased timeline, significantly increasing available seats for prospective families compared to prior years.

No data on graduation rates, chronic absenteeism, specialized programming, or staffing was available for this profile. A parent seeking to understand college-readiness outcomes, support services, or specific academic pathways beyond core instruction may want to ask the school directly, as these details do not appear in publicly reported sources.

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Academic performance

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

New York Regents Exams

4 courses reported · 2024-25

End-of-course exams required for a New York Regents diploma. Each row shows the cohort size and the share of students scoring at the proficient level or higher.

Course	Students tested	% proficient
Math	82	87.0%
Science	63	73.0%
Social Studies	45	76.0%
Ela	30	97.0%

Math

Grade 377%

School 77% · district not reported

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 477%

School 77% · district not reported

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 563%

School 63% · district not reported

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 662%

School 62% · district not reported

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 779%

School 79% · district not reported

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 80%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 37 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 363%

School 63% · district not reported

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 476%

School 76% · district not reported

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 577%

School 77% · district not reported

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

Grade 675%

School 75% · district not reported

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 771%

School 71% · district not reported

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

Grade 877%

School 77% · district not reported

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

Science

Grade 559%

School 59% · district not reported

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 80%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

This schoolDistrict average, 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-income59%Higher-income69%10 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income70%Higher-income87%16 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income75%Higher-income81%6 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income74%Higher-income77%4 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income72%Higher-income67%5 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income77%Higher-income76%1 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income75%Higher-income81%6 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income68%Higher-income92%24 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income51%Higher-income81%30 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income58%Higher-income68%9 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income80%Higher-income73%7 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income19%Higher-income33%14 pp gap