Fayetteville Elementary School, Fayetteville NY

Original Research by School Decision on Fayetteville Elementary School

Fayetteville Elementary School serves kindergarten through fourth grade in a small village on the eastern edge of Syracuse that has become known for high household incomes and education levels. The school sits in the historic village core, making it accessible to the walkable downtown—a setting distinct from the more suburban campuses of the district's middle and high schools. Enrollment is around mid-range for its grade span, with a student body that is predominantly white and draws from a relatively affluent area, though about a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

On recent state assessments, the school's proficiency profile shows strength in math and science paired with softer performance in English language arts. In fourth-grade math, proficiency reaches a solid proportion of students. Third-grade math sits lower, suggesting either grade-level variation or a transition point worth monitoring. English language arts proficiency is notably lower across both tested grades, running substantially below math in the same cohorts. The school's most recent science data, from a few years back, showed strong results in fourth grade. A parent may want to ask the school directly about reading instruction, especially since the district has recently adopted a new science-of-reading curriculum (Benchmark Advance) beginning in the 2025-26 school year, which may or may not have had time to affect current-year results. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among districts across Onondaga County, a meaningful standing that reflects the higher-performing peer group in this affluent area.

The housing market around Fayetteville is tight and appreciating. Median home values have climbed, and demand remains high relative to available inventory, with homes typically selling briskly. The area is marketed as combining historic charm—brick sidewalks, Greek Revival homes, and a fine library—with modern suburban retail and residential development. The Towne Center is a substantial commercial node, and nearby Green Lakes State Park draws substantial recreational traffic. Families here tend to be established and education-conscious.

Within the broader Fayetteville-Manlius Central School District, two recent referendums have committed the district to major capital work. A high school modernization and expansion project approved in 2021 is phasing in tax increases through the mid-2020s. A second facilities project, approved in 2024, addresses aging infrastructure and safety upgrades across all six district buildings, including the elementary school. These are lasting financial and building-condition changes that affect the entire household footprint in the district.

The elementary school itself has thin data on special populations and classroom staffing, so those details were not available to characterize here. The school participates fully in state assessments and shows strong participation rates, suggesting consistent testing access. For families considering this school, the main read is a higher-performing institution in a high-income, high-demand area with solid math and science work, though English language arts remains an area to probe, particularly given the district's recent curriculum shift in that domain.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 366%

School 66% · District 79% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 480%

School 80% · District 81% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 359%

School 59% · District 72% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 467%

School 67% · District 75% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Science

Grade 491%

School 91% · district not reported

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

This schoolFAYETTEVILLE-MANLIUS CENTRAL 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-income38%Higher-income65%27 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income52%Higher-income71%19 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income38%Higher-income74%36 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income60%Higher-income86%26 pp gap