The top reported proficiency rate is 97% in Social studies. The lowest is 59% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Pines Elementary School
Pines Elementary sits on Holly Drive in Smithtown, serving prekindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Hauppauge Union Free School District. The school enrolls a sizable group of students for an elementary building of its type, drawn from a residential Suffolk County township on Long Island's North Shore. The student body is predominantly white, with Hispanic students making up the next largest share, followed by smaller Asian, multiracial, and Black populations. A relatively modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, pointing to a community that sits well above median income thresholds, consistent with the broader Smithtown housing market. Data on English learner enrollment and students with IEPs was not available in what we reviewed.
On the New York State Testing Program, the school's academic results show a clear upward pattern by grade. Third graders land at a solid majority proficient in both math and ELA, a respectable starting point. By fourth grade, math proficiency rises noticeably while ELA holds in roughly the same range. By fifth grade, the results are genuinely strong: the great majority of students tested scored proficient or above in both math and ELA, and the overall proficiency index places Pines in the top quartile relative to districts across Suffolk County. That is a meaningful position in a county with 74 districts. Fifth-grade science proficiency is more moderate, with just under three in five students reaching the proficient threshold, so families curious about science preparation may want to explore that further with the school. Social studies testing data for recent years was not available; only a very old result appeared in the records. No multi-year trend data was present, so whether these scores have been rising, falling, or holding steady cannot be determined from what we have.
One detail worth flagging: participation rates on state assessments were notably lower than one might expect, particularly in grades four and five across both subjects. The tested counts represent well under half of the grade enrollment in some cases. That gap does not diminish the results of those who tested, but it does mean the proficiency figures describe a subset of the grade rather than the full group, and a parent trying to gauge how all students are performing would want to ask the school directly about opt-out patterns.
The Hauppauge district offers a state-funded, full-day Universal Pre-Kindergarten program for eligible four-year-olds, allocated by lottery, which is worth knowing for families with younger children. The district also passed a capital bond referendum in late 2023 to renovate instructional and athletic facilities, primarily at the middle and high school levels. That investment carries a lasting property-tax consequence, adding to the already high cost of homeownership in this area, which any family entering the market would factor in.
Smithtown itself is a suburban bedroom community, car-dependent in daily life but with real civic texture. The LIRR's Port Jefferson Branch runs three stations through the township, connecting commuters to Manhattan. Extensive parkland, including Caleb Smith State Park Preserve and Sunken Meadow State Park, defines the outdoor character of the place. A multi-branch public library system serves the township's hamlets. Publicly reported, the town's first comprehensive plan since the mid-twentieth century calls for transit-oriented development around the rail stations and denser housing near hamlet downtowns, a signal that the community is actively managing growth pressure while retaining its single-family base.
Home values in the Smithtown zip code are well above the state midpoint and substantially above national norms, and they have continued appreciating. Rents similarly reflect a premium market. Suffolk County as a whole is seeing modest year-over-year price growth with homes moving relatively quickly by recent standards, though pending sales have pulled back compared to prior periods. For a family weighing entry into this district, the housing cost is the sharpest filter.
Graduation rate data does not apply to Pines, which serves only elementary grades. Program-level details, staffing ratios, attendance figures, and chronic absenteeism data were not available in what we reviewed.
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