The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in Science. The lowest is 34% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Falconer Middle/high School
Falconer Middle/High School is a six-through-twelve public school serving a mid-sized student population in a close-knit manufacturing village on the edge of Jamestown in Chautauqua County. The school itself sits at the center of the village, adjacent to parks and civic spaces, rather than on a remote campus. It is the secondary school for Falconer Central School District, which also runs an elementary school and a pre-K to twelve pathway.
The academic profile is defined by weak proficiency across core subjects. In recent state testing, math proficiency ranged from about a quarter to mid-forties across grades six through eight. English language arts showed similar patterns, with sixth grade in the low twenties and grades seven and eight in the high thirties to low forties. Science was the stronger subject, with eighth-grade proficiency in the mid-fifties. Across tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among the county's eighteen school districts. This is a meaningful gap that a parent would want to investigate further with the school: what instructional supports are in place, and what pathways exist for students who enter high school below grade level.
Participation rates in state testing reveal another pattern worth noting. While sixth and seventh grade participation was strong, eighth grade math testing saw notably lower participation, and by eighth grade science and ELA, participation had dropped further. A parent may want to ask the school directly what accounts for these drops and whether students are being moved to alternative assessments.
The school serves about half the student body through free or reduced price lunch eligibility, reflecting the economic character of the community. The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of Black and Hispanic students and very few Asian students or students of other racial backgrounds. State data on special education and English learner enrollment was not available. A graduation rate for the high school grades was not provided.
Falconer itself is a village of mixed character: a residential core with a Main Street commercial district and a longstanding manufacturing base anchored by Truck-Lite and other industrial employers. Housing is affordable relative to state benchmarks, with values reflecting modest appreciation and inventory activity in the county. The village is walkable and compact, centered on parks, a public library, and the Chadakoin River. Downtown recovery is underway following fires that destroyed much of the historic core; the village recently won state funding for Main Street redevelopment. The workforce blends blue-collar manufacturing jobs with service and office work.
The district recently completed a capital improvements project funding renovations at all three schools. The auditorium and high school restrooms have been newly completed. At the same time, a 2024 state audit found that the district had repeatedly levied more property taxes than legally necessary, accumulating surplus fund balance well above the statutory limit and missing opportunities to lower homeowners' tax burden. This is a financial management issue that has lived consequences for families' property tax bills.
The school's low proficiency numbers, combined with lower participation in some grades' testing, suggest that the academic environment here may be challenging. For students working below grade level, or families seeking strong baseline instruction in math and ELA, this is not the school's demonstrated strength. For families in the Falconer community with limited mobility to choose elsewhere, understanding what intervention and support structures exist in the building becomes especially important.
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