K C Heffernan Elementary School, Marcellus NY

Original Research by School Decision on K C Heffernan Elementary School

K C Heffernan Elementary is a regular public elementary school serving prekindergarten through third grade in Marcellus, a small village southwest of Syracuse. The school is part of the Marcellus Central School District and sits on a shared campus with the district's middle and high schools.

The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly white, with a small share of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. About one in six students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school's economic profile in the lower range for its community context. The school does not report data on students with disabilities or English learners, which is typical for schools that serve early elementary grades and may reflect the student population served or the way the district reports this data.

In the most recent state testing window, third-grade students showed proficiency rates in the upper range in math and in the mid-to-high range in English language arts. The state tested only third graders at this school; no results are reported for grades in prekindergarten through second, which aligns with state policy, as New York does not administer state tests in those grades. The fifth-grade results shown in the data reflect that no fifth graders attend this school, since it serves only through third grade.

Compared to other districts in Onondaga County, the overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades places this school in the bottom quartile, a measure that reflects the current cohort of tested students but does not provide context on gains over time or on how this particular grade cohort may progress. A parent may want to look into the school's approach to early literacy and numeracy, the supports available for students who are not yet meeting grade-level expectations, and the trajectory of performance over time.

The broader Marcellus community is a small, residential bedroom village with an active downtown core. The village features pedestrian-friendly public spaces, a library that serves as a civic anchor, and easy access to natural areas including Nine Mile Creek and Baltimore Woods. The district itself has recently completed a substantial capital improvement project that replaced infrastructure across all three school buildings, including full roof replacements, heating system upgrades, and facility safety enhancements. The district has also undertaken a low-cost bond refinance to fund approved capital work over the long term. Operating budgets have grown with steady year-over-year increases in the school tax levy, a consideration for families evaluating the cost of living in the area.

Housing in the Marcellus area is moderately priced relative to the state and national context, with median home values in the mid-range and active market activity. The area is pursuing managed growth through downtown revitalization initiatives and affordable senior housing development, maintaining a mix of residential, agricultural, and commercial character.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 379%

School 79% · District 79%

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 83% · ▼ 83 pts below district

▼ 51 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 374%

School 74% · District 74%

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 74% · ▼ 74 pts below district

▼ 54 pts below state median · ▼ 42 pts below county median

Science

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 72% · ▼ 72 pts below district

▼ 42 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

This schoolMARCELLUS 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-income57%Higher-income80%23 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income54%Higher-income88%35 pp gap