John W Lavelle Preparatory Charter School, Staten Island NY

Original Research by School Decision on John W Lavelle Preparatory Charter School

John W Lavelle Preparatory Charter School is a kindergarten through twelfth-grade charter school located in Staten Island, serving roughly nine hundred students across its entire span. The school is one entity and its own authorizing body, operating as a tuition-free public charter under the governance and oversight of the New York State Board of Regents, which renewed its charter through mid-2027 in 2023.

The student body is predominantly low-income: a substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is racially and ethnically diverse, with a plurality Black and a substantial Hispanic population; smaller shares of Asian, white, and multiracial students; and a small number of American Indian and Native Hawaiian students. The school's size remains consistent across early elementary grades, grows noticeably in sixth and seventh grade, then contracts into the high school years.

State testing data reveals that proficiency in both English language arts and mathematics is consistently below the midpoint across the grades measured. In ELA, proficiency rates range from the high thirties to low fifties in the elementary and middle grades tested. Math proficiency follows a similar pattern but falls to roughly one-fifth in eighth grade. Science proficiency in fifth grade sits around one-fifth; testing data for eighth-grade science was not reported, making trends there unclear. These numbers warrant careful consideration by a parent evaluating whether the school's overall instructional approach aligns with their child's academic standing and needs.

The school does not report state graduation rates, which is typical for a charter with only a few high school students; enrollment in grades nine through twelve is much smaller than in the earlier grades, suggesting the school may serve fewer students through completion of secondary education or that students transfer elsewhere.

A strength the school offers is its dual enrollment pathway: high school students can earn college credits tuition-free through partnerships with City University of New York's College of Staten Island and Monroe College, working toward an associate's degree while completing their diploma. This substantially lowers barriers to early college completion and reduces future tuition costs for families.

Staten Island itself is a predominantly suburban borough within New York City, characterized by detached homes, residential streets, and tree-lined neighborhoods that feel self-contained. The borough is roughly one-third parkland, earning it a nickname as the city's greenest borough. Daily life centers on neighborhood commercial corridors like Port Richmond Avenue and New Dorp Lane rather than a single downtown, though civic institutions anchor St. George near the ferry terminal. Healthcare and retail are the largest employment sectors. Public transit includes the free Staten Island Ferry to Lower Manhattan, the Staten Island Railway, and extensive bus service. The North Shore waterfront is undergoing major residential development, with a large mixed-income project expected to begin construction in 2027 and an affordable housing complex having opened recently.

Housing costs and rental rates in Staten Island were not available in the data provided, so a parent seeking to understand affordability or market trends in the immediate area should research those directly. The school's location is in the Teleport Office Park area of Staten Island, a commercial zone distinct from typical residential neighborhoods.

In summary, this is a full-span charter school serving a predominantly low-income, diverse student population with proficiency levels that are substantially below midpoint across tested grades and subjects. The dual enrollment college pathway is a meaningful offering for families planning to complete high school here. A parent considering enrollment should understand that the school's test results will require engagement with the school to understand their child's specific trajectory and support options, and should factor the dual enrollment option as a significant advantage if the student intends to complete grades nine through twelve at the school.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=90%Cohort of 47 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

1,253 schools plotted. 14 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

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
Social Studies	40	73.0%
Math	39	13.0%
Ela	28	68.0%
Science	20	15.0%

Math

Grade 356%

School 56% · district not reported

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 443%

School 43% · district not reported

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 526%

School 26% · district not reported

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 38 pts below county median

Grade 644%

School 44% · district not reported

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

Grade 734%

School 34% · district not reported

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

Grade 821%

School 21% · district not reported

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

English language arts

Grade 349%

School 49% · district not reported

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 443%

School 43% · district not reported

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 530%

School 30% · district not reported

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

Grade 638%

School 38% · district not reported

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 737%

School 37% · district not reported

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 831%

School 31% · district not reported

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Science

Grade 521%

School 21% · district not reported

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 80%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 24 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-income48%Higher-income50%2 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income39%Higher-income64%24 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income26%Higher-income47%21 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income36%Higher-income50%14 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income30%Higher-income53%23 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income27%Higher-income42%15 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income55%Higher-income67%12 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income41%Higher-income55%14 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income24%Higher-income33%10 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income39%Higher-income67%27 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income30%Higher-income47%17 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income11%Higher-income46%35 pp gap