Mcvey Elementary School, East Meadow NY

Original Research by School Decision on Mcvey Elementary School

McVey Elementary School is a kindergarten-through-fifth-grade public school of about eight-hundred-thirty students in East Meadow, a post-World War II suburban hamlet in central Nassau County. The school's current test performance sits in the top quartile when measured against other districts in the county—an overall proficiency index well above the county median across all tested subjects and grades.

Math proficiency is notably strong. Third graders show proficiency in the high range, fourth graders hold solid mid-to-high performance, and fifth graders test near the top of the school's math results. English language arts proficiency varies more by grade. Third and fifth graders perform in the high range, while fourth graders drop to a lower proficiency level, suggesting a possible need for closer attention at that transition. Science proficiency data is available only for fifth grade, where it falls noticeably below the ELA and math results for that cohort. A parent may want to look into the school's science curriculum and support with the district to understand the gap.

The school enrolls a mixed student population. Asian students make up the largest racial or ethnic group, followed by white and Hispanic students, with smaller numbers of Black and other groups. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a population of moderate economic need. Data on special education and English learner enrollment was not available, so a family interested in those services should ask the school directly about identification rates and support.

East Meadow itself is a car-oriented suburban community built on gridded blocks of single-family homes, with commercial life concentrated along busy arterials like Hempstead Turnpike rather than a town center. The hamlet's defining civic anchor is Eisenhower Park, a very large county park with golf courses, athletic facilities, an aquatic center, and playgrounds. Housing values in the East Meadow zip code are in the mid-to-high range for Long Island, and rents for new construction have climbed into the moderate-to-high tier. The community has remained largely stable in population and development; recent growth skews toward age-restricted and apartment conversions rather than new single-family sprawl.

The East Meadow Union Free School District recently passed a significant capital improvement bond, approved by voters in March 2026. The bond funds security upgrades district-wide, including new controlled-entry vestibules at every school building; athletic facility improvements at the high school; renovations to playgrounds at all five elementary schools; and new sensory playgrounds at two of those elementary schools for students with special needs. At its height, the bond will increase property taxes for the average homeowner in the district by a noticeable annual amount, paid over roughly a generation, though existing debt expiration during the bond's life may offset some of those increases in certain years. For a family considering a move to the area, this is a durable tax consideration tied directly to school infrastructure and safety.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 393%

School 93% · District 90% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 488%

School 88% · District 86% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 595%

School 95% · District 90% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 391%

School 91% · District 83% · ▲ 9 pts above district

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

Grade 478%

School 78% · District 75% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 594%

School 94% · District 87% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 578%

School 78% · District 77% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

This schoolEAST MEADOW 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-income91%Higher-income91%0 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income78%Higher-income79%0 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income87%Higher-income98%11 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income92%Higher-income94%3 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income84%Higher-income89%5 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income94%Higher-income95%1 pp gap