Geraldine J Mann School, Niagara Falls NY

Original Research by School Decision on Geraldine J Mann School

Geraldine J Mann School is a small primary-and-elementary school in Niagara Falls serving children from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. The school is located in a city that has seen prolonged population decline but is investing in tourism and downtown revitalization, with public parks, the library system, and bus transit anchoring civic life. The surrounding neighborhoods vary in walkability, from very walkable older areas to car-dependent outlying zones.

The school's enrollment is small to mid-sized for its grade band, with about half of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is majority white, with meaningful Asian, Hispanic, Black, and two-or-more-races enrollment; a small number of American Indian and Pacific Islander students are also present. Data on students with IEPs or English learners was not available.

On state assessments administered in the most recent school year, the school shows a mixed profile across tested grades. In math, proficiency rose from third to fifth grade, with about half of third-graders meeting standards, roughly matching that in fourth grade, and edging past that in fifth. Sixth grade math proficiency drops significantly, with only a minority meeting standards. In English language arts, fourth grade stands out as the school's strongest subject area, with a substantial majority proficient. Third grade ELA proficiency is weaker. Fifth and sixth grades in ELA show moderate proficiency at the midpoint or below. In science, tested only in fifth grade, about half the class met standards. Assessment participation rates were strong overall, typically near or above nine-tenths of students tested.

When the school's overall proficiency is measured across all tested subjects and grades, it sits above the midpoint among the other districts in Niagara County. This suggests the school is performing closer to the stronger end of the county comparison set, though it is not at the top.

The school is part of the Niagara Falls City School District. The district has recently undertaken significant changes that may interest families. In January 2023, voters approved a substantial capital projects referendum funding facility improvements across the district, with the state reimbursing a large share so that school taxes would not increase. At the school's sister primary campus, Bloneva Bond, a year-round instructional greenhouse was added where younger students learn to grow food and plants. Beginning in 2025-2026, the district launched Say Yes Niagara Falls, a partnership bringing tuition assistance and support programs to students. Starting in 2026-2027, a last-dollar scholarship covering remaining tuition after federal and state aid will be available for four-year college, two-year college, and certificate or apprenticeship programs. These are lasting, tangible benefits that reduce college affordability barriers for district families.

A parent considering this school may want to look into the performance dip in sixth-grade math further with the school, as that is a substantial shift from the upper elementary trend. The school serves a neighborhood with moderate housing affordability, and the city itself is economically stressed but undergoing reinvestment. For families valuing a small, early-grade setting with improving district support structures and nearby public parks and library access, Mann provides a foundational path. The school does not serve high school grades and so has no graduation rate.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 353%

School 53% · District 31% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 457%

School 57% · District 34% · ▲ 23 pts above district

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

Grade 560%

School 60% · District 29% · ▲ 31 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 628%

School 28% · District 28% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 338%

School 38% · District 26% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 463%

School 63% · District 34% · ▲ 29 pts above district

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

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 37% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 639%

School 39% · District 32% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Science

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 28% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 5100%

School 100% · district not reported

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

This schoolNIAGARA FALLS 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-income30%Higher-income53%23 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income52%Higher-income80%28 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income49%Higher-income53%5 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income39%Higher-income39%0 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income53%Higher-income53%0 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income41%Higher-income85%44 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income47%Higher-income88%40 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income21%Higher-income47%26 pp gap