Onondaga Hill Middle School, Syracuse NY

Original Research by School Decision on Onondaga Hill Middle School

Onondaga Hill Middle School serves students in grades 5 through 8 in the Westhill Central School District, a school system serving the upscale suburbs south and east of Syracuse. The school sits in the 13215 zip code area on Onondaga Road, part of the residential ring surrounding the city proper.

The school enrolls a student body of about mid-size for a suburban middle school, with a composition that is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Black, Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a generally more affluent base relative to many districts but not exclusively so. Data on special education enrollment and English learner status was not available.

Academic performance shows uneven results across grade levels and subjects. In math, fifth and sixth graders show proficiency rates in the mid-60s range, seventh grade reaches toward the low 70s, but eighth grade drops sharply to the mid-30s range. This eighth-grade math dip is notable and substantial. English language arts proficiency is lower overall: fifth grade sits in the upper 50s, sixth grade in the low 50s, seventh and eighth grades fall to the mid-40s range. Science proficiency testing is limited to fifth and eighth grade in the data; both show proficiency in the low-to-mid 40s. Within Onondaga County's districts, the school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint, meaning its combined performance across tested subjects and grades is stronger than the median district in the county, though this aggregate masks the grade-level variation noted above. Testing participation was generally solid in lower grades but declined notably in eighth grade, particularly for science.

The school does not serve high school grades, so no graduation rate is available. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet school. No data on staffing, attendance, or discipline was provided.

A recent capital project, approved by voters in 2026, will bring air conditioning to the building, addressing a long-standing comfort concern. The district is also undertaking broader facility planning, including the eventual relocation of the transportation center away from the high school campus, which may have indirect effects on the middle school's operational environment over time.

In the broader context of Syracuse and Onondaga County, the region is entering a significant growth phase driven by Micron Technology's semiconductor investment nearby, which is spurring housing development and workforce-related educational expansion. The school is located in an area experiencing modest housing market activity, with home values and rents reflecting suburban pricing patterns typical for the region. Parents considering this school may want to explore further with the district office why eighth-grade math proficiency shows such a decline compared to seventh grade, as understanding whether this reflects curriculum transition, testing dynamics, or instructional factors would help set realistic expectations for students moving into high school.

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Academic performance

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

New York Regents Exams

2 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
Science	44	95.0%
Math	43	100.0%

Math

Grade 566%

School 66% · District 66%

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Grade 664%

School 64% · District 64%

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

Grade 771%

School 71% · District 70% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 835%

School 35% · District 35%

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 557%

School 57% · District 57%

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

Grade 654%

School 54% · District 54%

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 745%

School 45% · District 45%

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 849%

School 49% · District 49%

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

Science

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 43%

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

Grade 845%

School 45% · District 45%

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

Social studies

Grade 598%

School 98% · district not reported

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 890%

School 90% · district not reported

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above 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 5Lower-income40%Higher-income65%25 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income38%Higher-income61%23 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income23%Higher-income54%31 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income38%Higher-income54%16 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income52%Higher-income72%20 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income41%Higher-income73%32 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income36%Higher-income84%48 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income17%Higher-income43%26 pp gap