The top reported proficiency rate is 22% in Math. The lowest is 17% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Oakside School
Oakside School serves grades one through three in Peekskill, a small Hudson River city north of New York City that has reinvented itself from an industrial center into a walkable downtown hub of mixed-use development, arts venues, and specialty commerce. The school sits in a residential neighborhood away from the downtown core, which itself has seen recent investment including new affordable housing and mixed-use projects on remediated brownfield sites.
The school enrollment is small to moderate for its grade span, with the vast majority of students identifying as Hispanic, and a substantial share of families qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body also includes smaller numbers of Black and White students, along with a handful of Asian students and students identifying as multiracial. Data on the number of students with individualized education plans or English learners was not available.
Oakside's state test results in grade three show that students are underperforming proficiency benchmarks in both math and English language arts. In math, fewer than half of third-graders reached proficiency, while in ELA, the proficiency rate was noticeably lower, with roughly one-third meeting the standard. Both subjects show average scale scores well below the state baseline. The school does not currently serve grade four, so fourth-grade test data does not apply. Science testing at the early elementary level is not part of New York's regular assessment cycle for these grades.
Compared to other districts in Westchester County, Oakside's overall proficiency index sits in the bottom quartile, well below the county median. This positioning reflects the broad academic challenges evident in the test data and suggests that parents considering the school should look closely at what targeted interventions or support structures the school has in place to address proficiency gaps.
The Peekskill City School District, which serves the entire city through four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, has recently undergone significant changes. In late 2023, voters approved a major capital project that is now underway, funding renovations to Peekskill High School including a new entrance, renovated gym, and additional classrooms, as well as a new roof at Hillcrest Elementary and outdoor classrooms at Oakside and the high school. Construction began in May 2025 and is expected to continue for roughly eighteen months with no impact on property taxes, as New York State will reimburse a substantial share of costs. The district also launched full-day prekindergarten in the 2023-2024 school year through state grant funding, available by lottery to city residents with four-year-olds. Additionally, full state funding of Foundation Aid realized in the FY2024 state budget delivered new education dollars to Peekskill after years of the district contending it received insufficient state aid, enabling program stability in areas like arts, social-emotional supports, and dual language instruction.
Housing in the Peekskill area reflects a modest upward market value trend and moderate rental costs compared to regional benchmarks. The community offers accessible transit via the Metro-North Hudson Line station, a well-used park system, and the Field Library, which is relocating to a more downtown location. Growth and downtown revitalization efforts, including pro-housing certification, are reshaping the city's character, though the school buildings themselves remain situated in residential neighborhoods rather than the downtown mixed-use core.
For families weighing Oakside, the combination of low current proficiency levels, active capital improvements to the school building, new district funding, and nearby urban amenities constitute the lived context. A parent may want to discuss with the school what academic supports, reading and math interventions, or partnerships with families are being deployed to close the proficiency gap, and what role the outdoor classroom and renewed facilities may play in instruction.
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