Graham School, Mount Vernon NY - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Graham School

Graham School, serving Pre-K through eighth grade in Mount Vernon, is a regular public school facing a clear and difficult academic context. Current state testing data shows that students are underperforming across all tested subjects and grade levels, with overall proficiency rates sitting well below the county median when averaged across subjects and grades. In the most recent testing cycle, math proficiency ranges from the low teens at eighth grade to the high twenties in the upper elementary grades, while English language arts shows a broader band of results, with seventh and eighth graders reaching roughly half proficiency but third through sixth graders remaining in the low thirties. Science proficiency at fifth and eighth grade sits in the low-to-mid twenties. Only a single social studies result is available from 2010, which is too dated to be meaningful.

The school sits within the Mount Vernon School District, which is currently navigating significant structural change and fiscal pressure. In January 2025, the district approved a modified K-8 building reorganization that closed three schools due to years of declining enrollment, costly repairs, and a state designation of fiscal stress. Additionally, voters rejected the proposed district budget for 2026-2027, the first defeat in recent years, which signals continued fiscal strain and potential constraints on programming and services. The New York State Comptroller has labeled the district as in significant fiscal stress for six consecutive years, a fact that may weigh on families considering stability and resources. Graham School itself is not among the three schools that closed, and there is no indication it is slated for closure, though enrollment declines affect the entire district.

The school enrolls a substantial majority of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the socioeconomic profile of Mount Vernon as a dense, walkable, transit-oriented city just north of the Bronx with strong Afro-Caribbean and Latino character. The student body at Graham is predominantly Black, with meaningful representation of Hispanic students and smaller numbers of Asian and white students; the school reflects the broader demographics of its community. The school is small to moderate in size, serving roughly four hundred students across a span of grade levels with particular concentration in the upper elementary and middle school bands.

Mount Vernon itself is undergoing deliberate transit-oriented redevelopment centered on its downtown and three Metro-North stations, with recent and planned housing including mixed-income affordable complexes. The city has strong walkability and civic anchors including the public library, parks system, and recreation facilities. However, the locale brief notes that the Downtown Vision Report identified a high rate of rent-burdened residents and an apparent outflow of young adults due to limited affordable housing, a context that may inform the economic pressures visible in school funding and enrollment trends. Home values in the school's zip code are moderate relative to the county, with the housing market showing modest appreciation but historically high rent burden.

A parent considering Graham School should understand that current academic results are weak and the district environment is under real fiscal and enrollment stress. The school is not closing, but the broader reorganization and budget defeat reflect systemic pressures. The neighborhood setting, walkable community, and diverse peer group are structural strengths. The school's position within a district working to manage significant constraints is a fact to examine directly with the school and district when considering fit and support.

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Academic performance

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

New York Regents Exams

2 courses reported · 2024-25

End-of-course exams required for a New York Regents diploma. Each row shows the cohort size and the share of students scoring at the proficient level or higher.

Course	Students tested	% proficient
Math	22	59.0%
Science	22	64.0%

Math

Grade 327%

School 27% · District 42% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

Grade 426%

School 26% · District 47% · ▼ 21 pts below district

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

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 39% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 39 pts below county median

Grade 621%

School 21% · District 41% · ▼ 20 pts below district

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

Grade 733%

School 33% · District 41% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 812%

School 12% · District 27% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 330%

School 30% · District 41% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 47% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 43% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

Grade 632%

School 32% · District 39% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 752%

School 52% · District 45% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 854%

School 54% · District 53% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Science

Grade 528%

School 28% · District 33% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 823%

School 23% · District 32% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 590%

School 90% · district not reported

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

This schoolMOUNT VERNON 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-income29%Higher-income30%1 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income33%Higher-income30%3 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income36%Higher-income14%21 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income25%Higher-income60%35 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income53%Higher-income50%3 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income49%Higher-income78%29 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income24%Higher-income36%12 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income28%Higher-income20%8 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income25%Higher-income0%25 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income21%Higher-income20%1 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income27%Higher-income50%23 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income10%Higher-income20%11 pp gap