Charles a Mulligan Elementary School, Central Islip NY

Original Research by School Decision on Charles a Mulligan Elementary School

Charles A. Mulligan Elementary is a neighborhood public school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Central Islip, a mixed-use community on Long Island undergoing active transit-oriented revitalization. The school sits on Broadway in the heart of a diverse residential area where the majority of the population traces roots to Puerto Rico, Central America, Italy, and Ireland, and where institutional anchors like the federal courthouse complex and Touro University occupy nearby former hospital grounds.

The school enrolls approximately a thousand students, with a substantially high share qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller African American, Asian, and multiracial populations; white enrollment is minimal. This composition reflects Central Islip's demographics closely.

On state testing, Mulligan's proficiency rates run below the midpoint among Suffolk County's public-school districts. In math, roughly two-fifths of third graders and about a quarter each of fourth and fifth graders reached proficiency, though sixth grade showed a marked improvement to just under a half. English language arts results follow a similar pattern: third grade proficiency in the low third, fourth and fifth grades in the low to mid-thirties, and sixth grade at just under one-half. Fifth grade science proficiency stands near the lower end as well. These numbers represent real academic challenges. A parent evaluating Mulligan should look directly to the school about what reading and math support services are available, whether there are targeted intervention programs for struggling learners, and how the school approaches acceleration for students ready to move ahead.

The absence of data on special education enrollment rates and English learner support does not necessarily reflect weak service; it may simply be unreported. Similarly, state testing data for kindergarten through second grade is not available because New York does not administer standardized state assessments in those grades. What matters operationally is whether the school has robust early literacy and numeracy programs in the primary grades.

Central Islip Union Free School District is stable in property tax terms, keeping annual levy increases within New York's cap at modest levels, which provides predictability for families budgeting long-term housing costs. The district does face a significant constraint: a proposed charter high school was approved by SUNY in October 2025 despite Board of Regents decline and community opposition, setting up ongoing legal and funding pressure. The district estimated substantial per-pupil funding loss, and families should be aware this uncertainty may affect school programs and operational stability over the next several years.

The wider Central Islip setting is a working asset. The community has access to the LIRR Main Line via the Central Islip station, which connects to New York City and elsewhere on Long Island. Housing is actively being developed: new mixed-use construction on Carleton Avenue and affordable-housing projects are underway, with state backing through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative. The commercial corridor remains car-dependent with low walkability, though planned improvements to parks, retail, and streetscaping are underway. Family anchors include the Central Islip Public Library, the Recreation Village Park with pool and fields, and the Fairfield Properties Ballpark. Larger parks lie a short drive away. Employment options span health care, retail, court services, education, and manufacturing, with many residents commuting to jobs elsewhere on Long Island or into New York City.

Mulligan itself is a full-service elementary school with no unusual restrictions or alternative mission. It offers the standard grade span for early elementary instruction through sixth grade. No information on specialized programs, gifted tracks, bilingual pathways, or arts and electives was provided in available data, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about program breadth, especially given the school's highly diverse student enrollment.

For families choosing this school, the fit hinges on comfort with a school serving a predominantly low-income, immigrant, and student-of-color population in a community actively revitalizing around transit and mixed-use development; willingness to engage with below-midpoint test proficiency and the question of what academic support and challenge the school can offer; and understanding that the district is navigating real funding pressure from charter competition. The school fills a genuine neighborhood role in an area where educational access and family stability matter greatly.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 340%

School 40% · District 39%

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

Grade 429%

School 29% · District 42% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 33% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 646%

School 46% · District 34% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 332%

School 32% · District 32%

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

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 39% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 39% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 635%

School 35% · District 33% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 528%

School 28% · District 25% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Social studies

Grade 582%

School 82% · district not reported

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

This schoolCENTRAL ISLIP 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-income35%Higher-income25%10 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income27%Higher-income28%1 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income38%Higher-income29%10 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income41%Higher-income22%19 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income15%Higher-income43%28 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income30%Higher-income44%14 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income46%Higher-income25%21 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income31%Higher-income24%7 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income32%Higher-income24%7 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income50%Higher-income37%13 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income19%Higher-income42%24 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income15%Higher-income31%17 pp gap