Gardnertown Leadership Academy Elementary School, Newburgh NY

Original Research by School Decision on Gardnertown Leadership Academy Elementary School

Gardnertown Leadership Academy Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Newburgh, a city undergoing active waterfront and downtown revitalization. The school enrolls a population that is majority Hispanic and Latino, with substantial Black and white enrollment and smaller populations of Asian and multiracial students. About half the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic diversity and modest-income share of the neighborhood.

The school's academic performance in 2024-25 shows a pattern of challenge across tested subjects. In mathematics, proficiency among third graders sits in the low to mid range; by fourth grade it drops further, and fifth-grade performance recovers slightly but remains below the majority mark across the state. English language arts results follow a similar trajectory, with third grade at roughly one-third proficiency and fourth grade improving modestly to just above two-fifths, while fifth-grade reading proficiency reaches above four-tenths. Science testing appears only in fifth grade, where proficiency stands at around one-third. These results place the school in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency when measured against other districts in Orange County. The school participates fully in state testing; participation rates are strong, suggesting that the proficiency figures represent a genuine picture of student performance rather than an artifact of testing logistics.

A parent weighing this school should know that these academic results suggest students here are struggling to meet grade-level standards in core subjects at rates that exceed the statewide norm. Neither the strength of instruction nor the underlying barriers to achievement are visible in the data presented here. The school may have specific supports or interventions in place that are not captured in testing alone; direct conversation with school leadership about curriculum, teaching approaches, and targeted assistance for students not yet proficient would be a natural next step.

The school is physically located on Plattekill Turnpike in Newburgh and is part of the Newburgh City School District, which has been navigating fiscal constraints and staffing reductions in recent years. A significant new Career and Technical Education Center at the district's high school, opening in summer 2026, represents a committed investment in hands-on pathways; however, this facility serves only high school students and does not directly affect the elementary experience. The district also held property tax levies relatively flat over several recent years, a tax-stability pattern that matters for families weighing housing and schooling costs together. A February 2026 state audit did identify weaknesses in the district's financial management and budgeting practices, prompting a Corrective Action Plan; families may want to track how those improvements unfold.

Newburgh itself is a walkable city with growing downtown vitality centered on Broadway, its main corridor, and the Hudson River waterfront. Civic anchors like Downing Park, the Newburgh Free Library, and Washington's Headquarters anchor daily life, and the city has been investing in pedestrian infrastructure and waterfront access. The housing market in the area is moderately priced relative to state benchmarks and has seen modest annual appreciation. A new free shuttle connecting Newburgh to Metro-North's Hudson Line at Beacon (begun January 2026) provides transit access for commuters, though some attractions require a car.

For a family considering this school, the academic performance data suggests students face real challenges meeting standards, and there is no evidence from the available information of distinctive programs, partnerships, or instructional models that would offset that pattern. The school itself is small to mid-sized for its grade band. Parents should seek direct conversation with school leadership about how instruction is organized, what interventions are in place for students not meeting standards, and what the school's strategic priorities are for improving outcomes.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 350%

School 50% · District 39% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 42% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 48% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 60%

School 0% · District 26% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▼ 45 pts below state median · ▼ 43 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 333%

School 33% · District 34% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 40% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 48% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 60%

School 0% · District 31% · ▼ 31 pts below district

▼ 46 pts below state median · ▼ 44 pts below county median

Science

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 34% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Social studies

Grade 595%

School 95% · district not reported

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

This schoolNEWBURGH CITY 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-income31%Higher-income35%4 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income33%Higher-income48%15 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income45%Higher-income46%1 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income50%Higher-income73%23 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income47%Higher-income52%5 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income24%Higher-income44%20 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income53%Higher-income35%18 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income48%Higher-income76%28 pp gap