George Ross Mackenzie Elementary School, Glen Spey NY

Original Research by School Decision on George Ross Mackenzie Elementary School

George Ross Mackenzie Elementary School serves pre-K through grade six in Glen Spey, a small rural hamlet in the Catskills along the Upper Delaware River valley. The school enrolls students from a dispersed, low-density residential community where most families live on acreage in owner-occupied homes, and the setting emphasizes natural landscape over walkable neighborhood density. The school itself sits on Proctor Road and functions as an anchor institution in a hamlet with minimal commercial activity.

The school's enrollment is small, distributed across eight grade levels from pre-K to sixth grade. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting economic diversity in the catchment area. The student population is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Hispanic and multiracial students; the data provided does not include counts for students receiving special education services or English learners.

State test results show a mixed academic picture. In mathematics, proficiency rates range from the mid-fifties to low seventies across grades three through six. Grade four performed strongest in math, while grade five showed the softest results. English language arts results are notably weaker across the board, with proficiency rates in the mid-thirties to mid-sixties. Grade four in particular dropped to under four in ten students proficient in ELA, a significant gap from its stronger math showing. Science and social studies data are more limited: grade five science proficiency stood at just above the midpoint, while older social studies results from the district showed strength but are too dated to reflect current instruction.

Across tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index positions it in the top quartile among districts in Sullivan County, a meaningful strength in the local context. However, the gap between math and ELA performance, and the concentration of lower proficiency in upper elementary grades in reading, suggest that a parent may want to look into the school's literacy instruction and support further with the school.

The district completed a substantial capital renovation project in the 2025-2026 school year, including a new roof for George Ross Mackenzie Elementary, improved facilities, and athletic infrastructure. Voters had approved this bond without raising taxes because existing bonds were paid off before new borrowing began. The district also adopted new instructional programs district-wide, including HMH Math and ELA curricula and a revised physical fitness program, changes that would shape daily classroom experience for students.

Glen Spey itself reflects the character of a quiet, close-knit rural community. Housing values are modest relative to state benchmarks, and the area is largely unchanged by major new development; zoning favors low-density, conservation-oriented residential growth. The Eldred Central School District operates two schools total, with the elementary school and district transportation center based in Glen Spey and the junior-senior high school in nearby Eldred. Families here typically own their homes and cars are essential for access to commerce and services beyond what the hamlet provides.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 361%

School 61% · District 59% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 470%

School 70% · District 70%

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

Grade 557%

School 57% · District 57%

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

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 18 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 364%

School 64% · District 66% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 36%

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

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 38%

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 647%

School 47% · District 47%

▲ 1 pts above state median

Science

Grade 557%

School 57% · District 57%

▲ 15 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 588%

School 88% · district not reported

▼ 4 pts below state median

This schoolELDRED 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-income80%34 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income19%Higher-income58%40 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income42%Higher-income33%8 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income29%Higher-income63%34 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income46%Higher-income73%27 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income53%Higher-income92%38 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income50%Higher-income67%17 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income50%Higher-income75%25 pp gap