East Aurora Middle School, East Aurora NY

Original Research by School Decision on East Aurora Middle School

East Aurora Middle School serves about five grades at the middle point of the K-8 span, enrolled at roughly the mid-size range for a suburban middle school. The school sits on a separate campus south of the village of East Aurora proper, in a rural-fringe setting, rather than downtown where the library and civic anchors are.

The school's academic picture shows a mixed but generally solid foundation in math and English language arts. In math, the upper grades show real strength: eighth graders reach a high proficiency mark, and fifth graders perform well above the midpoint. Sixth grade math, however, represents a marked dip, with about half the tested cohort meeting proficiency. Seventh grade rebounds to solid performance. In English language arts, fifth graders also perform well, while sixth and seventh grades sit around the middle range or slightly below; eighth grade strengthens again. Science proficiency at fifth grade is moderate, and eighth grade science shows high performance, though the eighth-grade sample for science is small. Overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places this school in the top quartile when compared to other districts across Erie County.

The school's student body is predominantly white, and about one in seven students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, somewhat below the county average. Data on special education enrollment and English learner populations was not available. Participation rates on state assessments vary considerably by grade, ranging from about half the eighth-grade cohort to about four-fifths of the fifth-grade cohort, a pattern that may reflect different test administration policies or scheduling by grade band.

The district as a whole completed a voter-approved capital project in 2022 that brought renovations to all three district schools, including the middle school, funded through a referendum that carried a property tax increase for residents. That infrastructure work has played out over multiple phases, with some later phases running substantially over their original cost estimates. The district also adopted the Character Strong social-emotional learning curriculum beginning in the 2021-2022 school year and introduced restorative discipline practices alongside it, a pedagogical shift that shapes the culture of student support across the school system.

The broader community context is a compact, historically anchored village with a walkable Main Street, declining population over recent decades, and an aging demographic. Two major employers, Fisher-Price and Moog Inc., ground the local economy. Housing values in the area have risen moderately, and the market shows increased supply and slightly softer demand than it did a year prior.

A parent evaluating this school might look into the sixth-grade math dip with the school directly, to understand whether it reflects curriculum sequencing, teaching approach, a particular cohort, or assessment administration differences that resolve as students progress. The strength in upper grades, especially in eighth-grade math and science, suggests the school provides a viable academic foundation 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
Math	46	100.0%
Science	45	100.0%

Math

Grade 579%

School 79% · District 79%

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 39 pts above county median

Grade 656%

School 56% · District 56% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 775%

School 75% · District 74% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 892%

School 92% · District 88% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 55 pts above state median · ▲ 67 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 583%

School 83% · District 83%

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

Grade 670%

School 70% · District 69% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 768%

School 68% · District 67% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

Grade 879%

School 79% · District 76% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 45 pts above county median

Science

Grade 567%

School 67% · District 67%

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Grade 890%

School 90% · District 88% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 57 pts above state median · ▲ 60 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 597%

School 97% · district not reported

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 895%

School 95% · district not reported

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

This schoolEAST AURORA 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 5Lower-income56%Higher-income88%32 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income50%Higher-income73%23 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income15%Higher-income75%60 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income63%Higher-income81%19 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income65%Higher-income82%17 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income38%Higher-income59%21 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income55%Higher-income78%23 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income88%Higher-income93%5 pp gap