Harry Hoag School, Fort Plain NY

Original Research by School Decision on Harry Hoag School

Harry Hoag School serves pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in Fort Plain, a small, historic village in Montgomery County in the Mohawk Valley of Upstate New York. The school sits on High Street in the village center, part of the Fort Plain Central School District.

The school enrolls a small population of elementary and early-middle-grades students. A substantial share qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting economic conditions in the district. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller percentages of Hispanic, multiracial, Black, and Asian students; the school serves very few students from racial minority backgrounds overall. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available.

In mathematics, the school shows a profile that varies considerably by grade. Students in fifth grade performed at the highest level, with a majority reaching proficiency. Fourth-grade results were lower, and third and sixth grades fell well below the midpoint for proficiency. In English language arts, fifth grade again led, with a strong majority meeting the standard. Third, fourth, and sixth grades all showed proficiency rates below half. Fifth-grade science proficiency fell short of the mathematics result for that grade. The one available social studies result, from a prior assessment period, was substantially higher than current mathematics and literacy results.

Across tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency sits above the midpoint among districts in Montgomery County, a fact worth noting given that several grade-level results fall into the low range. Fifth grade is clearly a stronger-performing cohort across all subjects tested. The dip in sixth grade across both mathematics and English language arts may reflect either a cohort characteristic or a transition effect; a parent may want to look into this further with the school.

Fort Plain itself has pursued downtown revitalization over sprawl, with the village anchored by historic architecture along Canal and Main Streets and now a stopping point on the Empire State Trail, a multi-use recreational path crossing the state. The local economy centers on health care, education, and manufacturing. Housing values are modest relative to the state benchmark, and the village has remained small and stable rather than rapidly growing.

The district has navigated significant recent changes. Voters rejected a proposed merger with neighboring Canajoharie Central School District twice, most recently in June 2026, leaving Fort Plain as an independent district. In October 2024, residents approved a scaled-back capital project to repair and improve both Harry Hoag and the Jr./Sr. High School, funded through state building aid and reserves with no expected local tax impact. These votes reflect the district's ongoing efforts to sustain and improve its buildings while managing fiscal pressures.

Parents considering Harry Hoag should recognize a small-town elementary school setting with strong fifth-grade performance in both literacy and mathematics, but with notably lower proficiency in early elementary and sixth grades. The school and village occupy a cohesive, walkable community center rather than a separated campus.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 336%

School 36% · District 35% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 23 pts below state median

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 38%

▼ 21 pts below state median

Grade 563%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 12 pts above state median

Grade 628%

School 28% · District 28%

▼ 17 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 337%

School 37% · District 36% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 15 pts below state median

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 38%

▼ 15 pts below state median

Grade 567%

School 67% · District 67%

▲ 12 pts above state median

Grade 632%

School 32% · District 32%

▼ 14 pts below state median

Science

Grade 549%

School 49% · District 49%

▲ 7 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 587%

School 87% · district not reported

▼ 5 pts below state median

This schoolFORT PLAIN 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-income38%Higher-income36%2 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income30%Higher-income53%23 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income56%Higher-income88%32 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income22%Higher-income44%23 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income39%Higher-income29%11 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income33%Higher-income47%13 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income47%Higher-income94%47 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income22%Higher-income35%14 pp gap