Polk Street School, Franklin Square NY

Original Research by School Decision on Polk Street School

Polk Street School sits on a residential street in Franklin Square, a postwar bedroom hamlet in Nassau County on Long Island, serving children from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. The school is one of three elementary buildings in the Franklin Square Union Free School District, and students who complete sixth grade here move on to the Sewanhaka Central High School District for their secondary years.

Franklin Square itself is a largely built-out suburb, predominantly single-family homes on tree-lined streets roughly twenty miles east of Manhattan, close enough to the Queens border that the city feels accessible without the density. The commercial spine runs along Hempstead Turnpike, where local retail, healthcare offices associated with Northwell Health, and national chains cluster together. Two town parks offer pools, sports fields, and playgrounds, and residents draw on two public library branches. Rail commuters reach the Long Island Rail Road from stations in nearby Garden City and Stewart Manor. New development arrives mostly as scattered teardown-and-rebuild construction rather than large projects, though the UBS Arena and new LIRR stations at Belmont Park in adjacent Elmont are cited publicly as amenities the surrounding market is watching.

On state assessments, Polk Street shows a mixed but generally solid picture relative to its neighbors. Compared to districts across Nassau County, the school's overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint of that group, which is meaningful context for a county that includes some of the higher-performing districts in New York State. Across the tested grades, results are strongest in third-grade math and ELA and in sixth grade, with fourth grade also coming in well. Fifth grade is the softer spot in both math and ELA, and the fifth-grade science result follows a similar pattern. Parents who want to understand what is behind that particular dip would be well served asking the school directly. Trend data across years was not available in what was provided, so it is not possible to characterize whether performance is improving or flat.

Roughly a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a relatively modest economic need share by statewide standards. The school's student body is racially and ethnically mixed, with white and Hispanic students each making up substantial portions, Asian students a meaningful share, and smaller numbers of Black and multiracial students. Data on English learner enrollment and students with individualized education programs was not included in what was provided; families with children who may need those services should inquire with the district.

On the housing side, the zip code's typical home value is well above the New York State median and considerably above the national one, and it has been rising over the past year. Nassau County's broader market carries a high median list price, homes have been moving relatively quickly, and the price-to-income ratio points to a market where buying is a significant financial commitment. Rental data for this specific zip code was not available.

The district has been active on two fronts that families should know about. Publicly reported coverage describes a capital improvement bond put before voters in October 2025, aimed at facility, safety, and infrastructure upgrades across all three district buildings, with New York State Building Aid expected to offset a portion of costs; the final outcome of that vote was not confirmed in the materials available here. Separately, recent annual budgets have carried modest tax levy increases while staying within the Nassau County cap, and the district has publicly stated a commitment to preserving programs and small class sizes through those budgets. Whether the bond ultimately passed, and what it means for specific facilities at Polk Street, is worth confirming with the district.

Because this school serves only pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, there is no graduation rate and no AP or dual-enrollment pathway to evaluate here. Those measures belong to the Sewanhaka district, which picks up where Franklin Square leaves off.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 363%

School 63% · District 69% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 470%

School 70% · District 69% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 553%

School 53% · District 60% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 665%

School 65% · District 70% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 373%

School 73% · District 66% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Grade 463%

School 63% · District 62% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 553%

School 53% · District 53% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 666%

School 66% · District 62% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 555%

School 55% · District 57% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 5100%

School 100% · District 98% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

This schoolFRANKLIN SQUARE 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-income76%Higher-income72%4 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income36%Higher-income79%43 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income44%Higher-income57%13 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income46%Higher-income70%24 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income54%Higher-income67%13 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income46%Higher-income84%38 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income37%Higher-income62%25 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income31%Higher-income74%43 pp gap