The top reported proficiency rate is 98% in Social studies. The lowest is 59% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Highview Elementary School
Highview Elementary sits on Highview Avenue in Nanuet, a suburban hamlet in Rockland County about nineteen miles north of Manhattan. It serves third and fourth graders within the Nanuet Union Free School District, which is publicly reported to be the smallest of Rockland County's eight districts. Because the school covers only these two grades, there is no graduation rate to report and no high school pathway data -- those simply do not apply here.
On the New York State Testing Program, Highview's results are strong. In math, a large majority of students in both grades scored at the proficient-or-above level, placing the school's overall proficiency index in the top quartile relative to districts in Rockland County. ELA results are noticeably lower than math, with roughly three in five students reaching proficiency in each tested grade -- a real gap worth a follow-up conversation with the school, particularly for families whose children may need reading support. A fourth-grade science assessment from a few years back showed nearly all students reaching proficiency, though that result is not recent. A social studies figure in the data dates back two decades and is not meaningfully current; more recent social studies results were not available.
The student body is racially and ethnically mixed. White students make up the largest single group, followed by Hispanic students, then Asian and Black students, with smaller numbers of students identifying as two or more races. A meaningful share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting real economic diversity within what is otherwise a relatively affluent Rockland County suburb. Data on English learners and students with IEPs was not reported, so families seeking detail on those support structures should ask the district directly.
Nanuet's housing market sits well above the state median and substantially above the national one, and rents are high enough that the rent-to-income ratio is a real strain for many households. Home values have edged upward over the past year, though the pace is slower than recent state trends. Mortgage costs run considerably higher than rent in the area, a dynamic that shapes who can afford to buy in. Families considering a move to the district should factor in that this is a genuinely expensive market by most measures.
The community itself is car-dependent in daily life -- Route 59 carries most of the retail and commercial activity, and the hamlet lacks a traditional walkable downtown. That is actively changing. Clarkstown rezoned roughly forty acres around the commuter rail station for dense residential and mixed-use development, several apartment projects are underway or planned, and a library renovation bond passed in late 2024 to fund an expansion of the Nanuet Public Library, which is within walking distance of the school buildings. The rail station on Prospect Street connects to the Pascack Valley Line, offering access toward Hoboken and onward to New York City -- a real draw for commuting households.
On the district side, a capital bond passed in 2021 funded facility upgrades including new STEM classrooms and labs, a turf field, and deferred maintenance; it was structured to replace a retiring bond so property tax costs stayed flat. A subsequent budget vote created a capital reserve fund for future projects. These moves suggest a district that has been investing in its physical plant while managing taxpayer cost, though program-level details -- staffing ratios, intervention services, extracurriculars at the elementary level -- were not in the available data.
For a family with a third or fourth grader, Highview offers strong math outcomes and solid science results within a diverse peer group, in a district small enough that individual kids are less likely to get lost. The ELA picture is something to watch. The neighborhood is in active transition, with infrastructure investment and new housing reshaping the area around the school over the coming years.
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