Cherry Road Elementary School, Syracuse NY

Original Research by School Decision on Cherry Road Elementary School

Cherry Road Elementary is a small school serving second through fourth grade in Syracuse, part of Westhill Central School District. With an enrollment of around three hundred and seventy students spread across three grade levels, it sits in a stable residential area of the city and draws students who are predominantly white, though a meaningful share of the school's families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, signaling economic diversity within the catchment.

State test results from the most recent year show mixed performance. In math, the school's proficiency rates sit around the midpoint: roughly sixty percent of third-graders and sixty-seven percent of fourth-graders meet the state standard. English language arts is softer, with roughly forty-nine percent of third-graders and sixty percent of fourth-graders proficient. A science result from several years back showed stronger ground there, with the school hitting a higher mark. Across tested subjects and grades, the school ranks in the top quartile of districts in Onondaga County on overall proficiency, a meaningful position that reflects reasonably solid performance relative to peers, though the district as a whole operates in a competitive regional context.

What shapes the school's character is its size and grade band. Cherry Road is not a massive elementary, which means families find a contained, intimate setting where younger elementary students can build foundational skills without the bustle of a K-5 or K-6 building. The school's recent approval for air conditioning through a district capital referendum means improved classroom conditions ahead, a practical gain after the vote passed decisively despite concerns about gradual tax increases.

The broader district context matters. Westhill is pursuing infrastructure improvements and planning a new transportation center on a property it purchased several years ago, which will eventually free up space at the high school campus. The district is also preparing to open Universal Pre-Kindergarten classrooms at another school site in a few years, expanding early-education options for families in the area.

The neighborhood itself is residential and moderately walkable, part of Syracuse's network of distinct districts rather than the denser downtown core. Housing in the 13219 zip code is moderate in cost by regional standards, with home values trending modestly upward and a housing market showing steady activity. The area sits reasonably close to downtown Syracuse and its civic anchors, including parks and the regional healthcare and education employment base that anchors the local economy.

For families seeking a small, traditional elementary school with solid math performance, a manageable peer group, and the stability of a district making deliberate facility investments, Cherry Road offers a straightforward fit. Parents focused on stronger English language arts results or concerned about the softer reading performance relative to math may want to explore how the school approaches literacy instruction directly with staff.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 361%

School 61% · District 61%

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

Grade 467%

School 67% · District 66% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 349%

School 49% · District 49%

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 460%

School 60% · District 59% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 486%

School 86% · district not reported

even with state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

This schoolWESTHILL CENTRAL 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-income32%Higher-income58%26 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income40%Higher-income68%28 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income36%Higher-income72%36 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income47%Higher-income75%28 pp gap