J Fred Sparke School, Levittown NY

Original Research by School Decision on J Fred Sparke School

J Fred Sparke School serves kindergarten and first grade in Levittown, an unincorporated residential hamlet in the Town of Hempstead on western Long Island. The school sits within the Island Trees Union Free School District, which covers parts of Levittown and neighboring areas.

The school enrolls a modest population for its grade band, with about a third of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is diverse: roughly a third white, a third Hispanic, and just over a quarter Asian, with small counts of Black and multiracial students. The school's racial and economic composition reflects the broader Levittown area, which remains a built-out, largely owner-occupied mid-century suburb where single-family homes predominate and commercial activity concentrates along Hempstead Turnpike.

On state tests from the data available, the school showed solid performance. In third grade, around nine in ten students met or exceeded proficiency in math and roughly eight in ten in English language arts. Fourth grade results dipped slightly, with about four in five proficient in math and just over three in four in English, while science proficiency reached notably higher levels. These grades represent snapshots from several years ago, so current performance would require a more recent assessment. A parent may want to check the school's current test results and ask the district about recent trends.

Levittown itself is a car-oriented suburb developed in the years after World War II as mass-produced housing for returning veterans. The neighborhood retains its planned residential character with tree-lined blocks, neighborhood parks, playgrounds, and pools woven through the community. The Town of Hempstead zoning preserves the original low-density layout, which limits commercial sprawl and major redevelopment. The community is served by bus transit along Hempstead Turnpike and by Long Island Rail Road stations within short driving distance, though most daily life relies on cars. The Levittown Public Library anchors civic life alongside parks and seasonal community pools.

Housing values in the area are substantial. Recent median home prices and rental costs reflect the broader Nassau County market, which has grown modestly year-over-year. The region faces affordability pressures: homes cost roughly eight times median household income, and rental costs consume roughly half of a typical resident's income. However, the area maintains high homeownership rates, suggesting established families with roots in place.

The Island Trees district itself has navigated several financial pressures. Voters approved a capital bond in 2021 that funded facility upgrades including a new auxiliary gymnasium and field replacement, which carry multi-year property-tax repayment impacts. The district's budget and tax levy have climbed steadily over recent years, with annual increases near or just above a few percent, directly affecting what homeowners pay.

State testing data was not available for the school's kindergarten students, as New York does not test that grade. The school does not serve middle or high school grades, so no graduation rate applies.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 390%

School 90% · District 68% · ▲ 21 pts above district

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

Grade 480%

School 80% · District 80%

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

English language arts

Grade 381%

School 81% · District 53% · ▲ 28 pts above district

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

Grade 475%

School 75% · District 74% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 495%

School 95% · district not reported

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

This schoolISLAND TREES 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-income89%Higher-income80%9 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income42%Higher-income83%41 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income100%Higher-income88%12 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income67%Higher-income83%16 pp gap