Francis X Hegarty Elementary School, Island Park NY

Original Research by School Decision on Francis X Hegarty Elementary School

Francis X Hegarty Elementary is a public school serving pre-kindergarten through fourth grade in Island Park on Long Island. The school enrolled a student body of mixed composition, with about half white, a substantial share Hispanic, and smaller populations of Black and Asian students. About a third of the enrollment qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating moderate economic diversity within the school community.

The academic picture is mixed. In math, about three-fifths of third and fourth graders reached proficiency on state assessments, with fourth grade slightly ahead. In English language arts, performance was lower, with less than half of third graders proficient and a majority of fourth graders reaching the standard. Science showed notably stronger results on the most recent available test, with nearly all tested fourth graders proficient, though that data is from a few years prior and science testing patterns are less frequent. Overall, the school's proficiency index places it above the midpoint among districts in Nassau County, but the numbers suggest uneven strength across subjects and grades. Math is relatively solid; early literacy appears to be an area where outcomes lag.

A parent may want to learn more directly from the school about what is driving the reading results in grade three and whether the district's recent shift to science-of-reading instruction in K-3 is showing early momentum. The school serves only the youngest grades, so there is no graduation rate or high school data to review.

The Island Park Union Free School District itself faces a significant and ongoing property tax structure that bears on any family considering a move to the area. A major power plant that historically funded close to half the district budget was phased off the tax rolls following a settlement, shifting burden to homeowners. The district has cushioned this impact with state aid increases tied to a recent property-assessment settlement, and has held the tax levy flat over two recent years. However, the underlying economics changed in 2022 and remain a lasting consideration for anyone weighing whether to relocate into the Island Park area for schools.

The district has also invested in updated literacy instruction aligned to the science of reading, with new decodable texts, screening tools, and professional development for K-3 teachers. This is district-level curriculum work meant to strengthen early reading—work that should eventually reflect in test scores if implementation is strong and sustained.

Housing in the Island Park area sits at a moderately high price point for Long Island, with a median home value above comparable baselines and rents high relative to median household income. The market has experienced some recent softening in buyer demand, though listing prices have continued to edge upward.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 358%

School 58% · District 57% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 461%

School 61% · District 60% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 46% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 464%

School 64% · District 63% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 496%

School 96% · district not reported

▲ 11 pts above state median · even with county median

This schoolISLAND PARK 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-income35%Higher-income59%24 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income50%Higher-income74%24 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income40%Higher-income76%37 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income35%Higher-income79%44 pp gap