Clymer Central School, Clymer NY

Original Research by School Decision on Clymer Central School

Clymer Central School is a single building serving pre-K through grade 12 in a small rural farming town in southwestern Chautauqua County. The school has an enrollment of roughly that size for a rural district, with a student body that is predominantly white, and a substantial share qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The town itself is very low-density, arranged around dairy farming and the Peek'n Peak ski resort, with a tight-knit character and deep Dutch heritage. Most families own their homes.

State test results for the school show mixed performance across grades and subjects. In the elementary grades, proficiency in math and ELA varies considerably: grade 4 students show strong results, while grade 5 shows notably lower proficiency in both subjects. Performance stabilizes somewhat in grade 6 but drops again in grade 7 and 8. Across upper elementary and middle grades, students test at or below fifty percent proficiency in ELA, with science results similarly in the lower range. When placed against other districts in Chautauqua County, Clymer's overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint, but a parent reading the grade-by-grade data would see clear soft spots, particularly in grades 5 and 7 and in ELA across the tested grades. Graduation rate data and chronic absenteeism were not available, making it difficult to assess post-secondary trajectory or engagement patterns.

The district faces significant structural pressures that touch every family decision. Enrollment has declined noticeably over recent years and is projected to continue falling, a reality that is driving an active exploration of merging Clymer Central with two neighboring districts, Sherman and Panama. Voters approved beginning a formal feasibility study in May 2025, and the merger effort had advanced to a community-input and full feasibility study phase by early 2026, with a potential vote to gauge support anticipated in October 2026. Any final consolidation would require separate voter approval in each district. For families with elementary-age children, this uncertainty matters: the shape of the school they attend, the programs available to them, and the tax structure could all shift within a few school years. District property taxes have been held deliberately low during the merger conversation, with proposed increases near zero.

The school is embedded in the town, located on East Main Street rather than on a campus removed from civic life. Clymer Town Park, the library, and the school sit within close proximity to the small Main Street crossroads, reflecting a traditional rural arrangement where school and town are woven together. The Tulip Festival, held twice yearly, is a major community anchor, as is the town park's summer movies series and annual fireworks. The broader area offers Peek'n Peak Resort as a major regional employer and outdoor activity hub. Transit is minimal; families rely on personal vehicles, and regional bus service requires a scheduled call ahead.

Housing in the area is affordable relative to statewide benchmarks, with median home values modest and ownership the dominant tenure. The housing stock is older and predominantly rural, with new activity scattered across acreage and building lots rather than concentrated in subdivisions. Population growth has been slow. A parent choosing this school should expect a small-town K-12 environment, solid community roots, and affordable housing, but should also weigh the current uncertainty around district consolidation and the pattern of uneven academic performance, particularly in the middle grades.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=80%Cohort of 28 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

3 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	36	83.0%
Ela	33	79.0%
Social Studies	29	79.0%

Math

Grade 364%

School 64% · District 64%

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 487%

School 87% · District 87%

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 40 pts above county median

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 38%

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 669%

School 69% · District 69%

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 755%

School 55% · District 53% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 863%

School 63% · District 61% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 355%

School 55% · District 55%

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

Grade 480%

School 80% · District 80%

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Grade 524%

School 24% · District 24%

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

Grade 662%

School 62% · District 62%

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

Grade 739%

School 39% · District 38% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 844%

School 44% · District 45% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 43%

▲ 1 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 833%

School 33% · District 36% · ▼ 2 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

This schoolCLYMER 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-income46%Higher-income64%18 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income100%Higher-income70%30 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income0%Higher-income33%33 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income23%Higher-income50%27 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income24%Higher-income59%36 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income55%Higher-income73%18 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income80%Higher-income90%10 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income17%Higher-income47%30 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income39%Higher-income67%28 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income50%Higher-income77%27 pp gap