Laurel Park Elementary School, Brentwood NY

Original Research by School Decision on Laurel Park Elementary School

Laurel Park Elementary is a small elementary school in Brentwood serving students from kindergarten through fifth grade. The school sits in a densely populated, diverse suburb in central Long Island where a very substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and where the student body is almost entirely Hispanic. This enrollment profile reflects the neighborhood itself, a moderately priced residential area with a mix of single-family homes and commercial strips, anchored by the LIRR station and local shopping centers.

The academic profile across recent state testing shows proficiency rates that sit below the midpoint among districts in Suffolk County. In math, students scored highest in fourth grade, with a smaller share reaching proficiency in third and fifth grades. English language arts results were similar, with third grade outpacing the other grades. Fifth-grade science testing also showed proficiency below the district median. These results suggest the school is facing headwinds in fundamental skills, and a parent may want to look into further detail with the school about interventions and support structures currently in place.

Brentwood Union Free School District, the parent district, is in a growth phase driven by affordable single-family housing demand. The district held tax levies flat for several consecutive years, restraining property tax increases for homeowners. For the coming school year, voters approved a substantial budget that includes funding to add classroom space at four elementary schools, including infrastructure improvements to air conditioning and security. Laurel Park appears positioned to benefit from this expansion investment.

The district has also built out a Graduation PLUS+ initiative that broadens dual-enrollment and college-credit pathways for high schoolers, including a new research course with Syracuse University. While this program targets older grades, it signals the district's intent to open academic doors beyond traditional K-12 completion. Additionally, all students in the district receive free breakfast and lunch under the Community Eligibility Provision, removing meal costs as a household expense.

The immediate neighborhood context matters here too. Brentwood is minimally walkable and car-oriented, with shopping and daily commerce concentrated in auto-oriented strip retail. The public library sits in the older central area near bus stops and the LIRR station, which does anchor transit access. A major adaptive-reuse housing project, Joseph's Village, is slated to begin construction in the area in 2026, converting a former school building into affordable units, some designated supportive housing. This development signals continued demographic change and investment in the area.

Laurel Park is a school in a community under demographic stress, with test results that fall below regional averages. At the same time, the district is making visible investments in physical plant expansion and college-readiness pathways, and the immediate housing market remains affordable relative to the broader county. The fit depends on whether a family is looking for a neighborhood school in an economically diverse area and is prepared to engage with the school on academic support, or whether test-score performance above regional median is a priority consideration.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 329%

School 29% · District 35% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 446%

School 46% · District 41% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 35% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 333%

School 33% · District 34% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 35% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 38% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 30% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 586%

School 86% · district not reported

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

This schoolBRENTWOOD UNION FREE 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-income34%Higher-income17%17 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income31%Higher-income40%9 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income27%Higher-income71%44 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income30%Higher-income17%13 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income47%Higher-income40%6 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income35%Higher-income100%65 pp gap