Maurice W Downing Primary School, Malverne NY

Original Research by School Decision on Maurice W Downing Primary School

Maurice W Downing Primary School serves kindergarten through second grade in Malverne, a small, one-square-mile residential village in Nassau County's Town of Hempstead. The school sits within the Malverne Union Free School District, which operates four schools spread across Malverne, Lynbrook, Rockville Centre, West Hempstead, and the Lakeview area.

The school enrollment is small, drawing from a community of modest economic diversity. About one in seven students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body reflects the demographic profile of the broader Nassau County suburbs: roughly one-third Black students, one-third Hispanic, about one-quarter white, and smaller shares of Asian, multiracial, and Native American students. The specific counts of students receiving special education services or learning English as an additional language were not available.

State test results from 2009-10, the most recent data on record, show the school performing respectably in math. Third-grade students reached proficiency in math at a rate above three-quarters; fourth graders were closer to seven in ten. Fourth-grade science proficiency was strong, with about four in five students proficient. English language arts results were notably lower. Both third and fourth grades hovered around six in ten students proficient in ELA, well below the math performance. The school's overall proficiency index placed it above the midpoint of Nassau County's school districts, though the ELA results suggest a particular area where the school may want to focus.

These test results are more than a decade old, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about recent performance data and any instructional changes since then. The state testing regime has shifted, making direct year-to-year comparison difficult, and the school's profile may have evolved considerably.

Malverne itself is a quiet, walkable suburban village known for tree-lined streets and historic single-family homes. The village has earned the nickname "The Mayberry of Long Island" for its small-town, close-knit feel. Most working residents commute to Manhattan or elsewhere in Nassau County; the Malverne LIRR station and local bus service make that commute feasible. The public library and several parks anchor civic life. The housing market is active and appreciating; the median home value in the area is substantial, and the community attracts families seeking a stable suburban setting.

For families choosing Downing, the primary question is not whether there are robust or novel programs; it is whether this small primary school in a family-oriented village offers the early-grades foundation and peer environment they seek. The ELA performance gap noted in the older data is worth clarifying with current school leadership, particularly if literacy development is a priority for your family.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 383%

School 83% · District 57% · ▲ 27 pts above district

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

Grade 471%

School 71% · District 56% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 359%

School 59% · District 50% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

Grade 459%

School 59% · District 57% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Science

Grade 483%

School 83% · district not reported

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

This schoolMALVERNE 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-income50%Higher-income64%14 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income44%Higher-income69%25 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income83%Higher-income83%0 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income52%Higher-income86%34 pp gap