The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Homer Senior High School
Homer Senior High School is a public high school serving grades 9 through 12 in the small historic village of Homer, in Cortland County, New York. The school draws about five hundred fifty students from Homer and surrounding areas.
The school's academic standing is difficult to assess from available state data. New York administers state proficiency testing in math, English language arts, and science to grade 8; Homer Senior High School does not have results for these assessments because the school serves only high school grades. State testing data specific to the high school grades was not available. Without these data, a reader cannot see how students here perform on state measures or how the school compares to peers on academic proficiency.
The school's enrollment is predominantly white, at roughly nine in ten students. About a quarter of the student body is small: about six students identify as Asian, three as Black, twenty-two as Hispanic, and fourteen as two or more races. A substantial share of students, about two in five, qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rough proxy for economic need. The distribution reflects the character of Homer and surrounding areas, which are rural and predominantly white.
Homer sits at the center of a small village with a walkable downtown built around a historic village green and tree-lined Main Street. The locale has Victorian commercial buildings, 19th-century homes, and a mixed civic and religious landscape. Main Street hosts outdoor events and is being improved with new streetscapes and pathways as part of a state downtown revitalization initiative the village won in 2023. Schools in the district sit within the village rather than on separate campuses, integrated into neighborhood life alongside civic anchors like the Phillips Free Library and Town Hall.
The district faces a significant fiscal strain that affects the school directly. For several years the district has operated with a structural deficit, and it is reducing staffing at the end of the 2025-26 school year to balance its budget for 2026-27. Recovery will take several budget cycles, meaning families should expect tighter resources, larger classes, and reduced staffing in the near term. Alongside this, property tax increases have been steep: the district has proposed tax levy increases that are among the highest in the region, putting pressure on homeowners' tax bills. In 2021, by contrast, voters approved a substantial capital improvement project addressing aging infrastructure and safety across all district buildings with no additional tax impact through state aid and reserves, a lasting facilities upgrade underway.
Housing in the 13077 zip code centered on Homer is moderately priced relative to New York State and the nation overall, though home values have appreciated in the past year. The median home value is below the state average but above the national average, and monthly mortgage costs are lower than rent. The area has modest unemployment and median household income slightly above national levels.
A parent weighing this school should expect a high school that sits within a small, walkable historic village with community anchors and a strong sense of place. Academic performance data at the high school level is not available to the public, so direct assessment of proficiency or outcomes would require asking the school and district directly. The immediate near-term context includes real fiscal pressure and staffing changes that will shape class offerings and resources. The longer-term facilities picture has been improved by a recent capital project. For families considering relocation, property tax pressures and the district's budget challenge are material factors.
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