Saltzman East Memorial Elementary School, Farmingdale NY

Original Research by School Decision on Saltzman East Memorial Elementary School

Saltzman East Memorial Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Farmingdale, a small, walkable incorporated village on Long Island. The school enrolls a diverse student body, with roughly half of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, and racial and ethnic composition that is diverse, with substantial shares of Hispanic, white, and black students alongside Asian and other backgrounds.

The school's most recent state test results show a mixed performance profile. In math, third grade students reached about half proficiency, while fourth graders performed better, with the majority meeting proficiency standards; fifth grade math was in between. In English language arts, fifth graders performed strongest, with most meeting proficiency. Third grade ELA was the softest result, with less than half of students proficient. Science proficiency in fifth grade was at roughly the midpoint. Across tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among the 74 districts in Suffolk County. This is a workable result but not exceptional. Student participation rates on the state assessments were generally strong, suggesting the tested enrollment represents the school population well.

The most recent data available does not include information on whether the school receives federal Title I support, rates of students with Individual Education Plans, or the share of English learners in the building. These are figures a parent exploring the school would reasonably want to understand directly from the district.

Farmingdale as a place has undergone sustained revitalization over roughly two decades. The downtown, centered on Main Street and the Village Green, is highly walkable, home to independent shops, restaurants, and bars, and has been repeatedly recognized as Long Island's best downtown. The Long Island Rail Road station, fully restored in recent years, sits within easy walking distance of Main Street and offers commuter rail access to Penn Station in roughly an hour. The broader area is experiencing housing growth driven by transit-oriented apartment projects near the station, including Jefferson Plaza and other adaptive reuse of former industrial space. A state Pro-Housing award in 2025 signals continued public investment in downtown walkability and housing supply.

Housing values in the Farmingdale area have risen modestly in recent years and sit above state benchmarks. Rental costs are moderate for the region. The market for single-family homes and rental apartments has shown steady activity.

The Farmingdale Union Free School District, which operates this school, holds four elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. In January 2025, voters approved a significant capital bond for roof replacement and electrical upgrades across all six district buildings, with work expected to begin in the 2025-26 school year; state aid covers more than half the cost, and local homeowners will pay an additional property tax amount through the bond's duration. A separate proposition for an expanded Career and Technical Education and Fine and Performing Arts facility did not pass. The district has maintained steady budget passage in recent years with modest annual tax increases, suggesting fiscal stability.

The school's academic picture is realistic for a mid-tier suburban elementary: many students are meeting grade-level benchmarks, but a substantial share are working below proficiency in key subjects. A parent considering this school would benefit from asking the school directly about special education services, English learner support, and how the school identifies and supports students who are struggling to reach proficiency in math and ELA, particularly in the lower elementary grades. The walkable downtown and transit access make Farmingdale itself an appealing residential choice for families working in Brooklyn or Manhattan, and the school serves a diverse, economically mixed community.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 350%

School 50% · District 61% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 466%

School 66% · District 69% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 560%

School 60% · District 62% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 50% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 454%

School 54% · District 60% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 573%

School 73% · District 68% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 561%

School 61% · District 55% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

Social studies

Grade 596%

School 96% · district not reported

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

This schoolFARMINGDALE 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-income32%Higher-income67%35 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income51%Higher-income58%7 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income57%Higher-income91%34 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income45%Higher-income60%15 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income59%Higher-income76%17 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income49%Higher-income73%24 pp gap