Friendship Central School, Friendship NY

Original Research by School Decision on Friendship Central School

Friendship Central School serves all grades from pre-K through 12 in a single consolidated building located on Main Street in the small rural hamlet of Friendship, in the center of Allegany County in New York's Southern Tier. The school enrolls a small student body drawn from a community experiencing gradual population decline. The setting is decidedly rural and car-dependent, with the school itself positioned as part of the town's civic core rather than on a separated campus, near the public library and historical society.

Academically, state testing results from the most recent year show performance that falls below the midpoint among the county's districts. In math, proficiency rates across grades 3 through 8 range from the low 30s percent through the low 70s, with grade 5 performing strongest and grades 7 and 8 notably weaker. English language arts results are similarly uneven, with proficiency rates spanning from the high 20s to the mid-60s; grade 8 shows particular difficulty, while grade 5 performs comparatively well. Science proficiency data is available only for grades 5 and 8, with grade 5 at about half of students meeting proficiency and grade 8 at roughly one-third. Across all tested subjects and grades combined, the school's overall proficiency index places it below the median for its county.

The population served is economically stressed. Nearly seven in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting substantial family economic hardship in the area. The student body is predominantly white, with very small numbers of students of color. Data on students receiving special education or English learner services was not available. A high share of students likely have transportation needs given the rural setting and dispersed home locations.

The district faced a 2022 audit by New York State's Comptroller that found mismanagement of the fund balance and reserves, resulting in property taxes that were higher than necessary. School officials acknowledged the finding and committed to corrective action. This matters to residents because it bears directly on how local tax levels are set and district funds managed.

High school students graduate at a rate comparable to or slightly below typical district rates statewide, though specific data was not provided. The school offers the full K-12 pathway under one roof, which eliminates school transitions in the middle grades. The location on Main Street places the school within walking distance of other community institutions, though the overall setting remains low-density and rural in character. Parents may want to inquire with the school about course offerings at the high school level, including any advanced or dual-credit pathways, as well as details about academic support services for students in the lower-performing grades.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=80%Cohort of 24 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

1,253 schools plotted. 14 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

New York Regents Exams

4 courses reported · 2024-25

End-of-course exams required for a New York Regents diploma. Each row shows the cohort size and the share of students scoring at the proficient level or higher.

Course	Students tested	% proficient
Ela	26	96.0%
Social Studies	25	88.0%
Science	23	70.0%
Math	15	73.0%

Math

Grade 361%

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

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

Grade 453%

School 53% · District 42% · ▲ 11 pts above district

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

Grade 571%

School 71% · District 67% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Grade 650%

School 50% · District 50%

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

Grade 739%

School 39% · District 39%

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 841%

School 41% · District 41%

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

English language arts

Grade 339%

School 39% · District 35% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 447%

School 47% · District 39% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 564%

School 64% · District 60% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Grade 638%

School 38% · District 38%

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

Grade 736%

School 36% · District 36%

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

Grade 824%

School 24% · District 24%

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Science

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 47% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 835%

School 35% · District 35%

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

This schoolFRIENDSHIP 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-income25%Higher-income67%42 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income43%Higher-income60%17 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income67%Higher-income60%7 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income29%Higher-income57%28 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income44%Higher-income20%24 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income42%Higher-income100%58 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income50%Higher-income60%10 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income67%Higher-income80%13 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income41%Higher-income71%30 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income50%Higher-income20%30 pp gap