Original Research by School Decision on Uriah Hill School
Uriah Hill School is a public pre-kindergarten program in Peekskill, part of the Peekskill City School District in Westchester County. It serves only four-year-olds, which shapes almost everything a parent needs to know about what this data can and cannot show.
Because the school serves only pre-kindergarten, there are no state assessment results, no graduation rate, and no chronic absenteeism data to report. New York does not test children at the pre-K level, so the absence of those figures reflects the nature of the program, not a gap in the school's record. Comparisons relative to districts in Westchester County are not applicable here for the same reason.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller shares of Black, white, and multiracial children and a very small Asian enrollment. The school is modestly sized for what it does. A notably small share of enrolled children qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is worth a parent's attention: it may reflect the demographics of families who accessed the lottery in the program's early years, or it may reflect how eligibility is tracked at the pre-K level. IEP and English learner counts were not available in the data.
The program itself launched in the 2023-2024 school year as a full-day pre-K, open by lottery to city residents whose children turn four by December 1, and publicly reported to have received a state grant of more than a modest sum to get started. For families in Peekskill weighing early childhood options, this is the district's formal entry point into public education, and it is free.
The district surrounding this program is in an active period of investment. Voters approved a capital project referendum in late 2023 that covers major renovations at Peekskill High School, a new roof at Hillcrest Elementary, and outdoor classrooms at two schools, with construction beginning in mid-2025. The district has stated that state reimbursement covers the large majority of costs, meaning no property-tax impact is expected. New York State's full funding of Foundation Aid, completed in a recent budget cycle, also delivered meaningful new resources to Peekskill, a district that had long made the case it was underserved by the state funding formula. Publicly reported, this has helped sustain programs including arts, social-emotional supports, and a dual language program at the elementary level.
Peekskill itself is a small Hudson River city that has moved through several economic identities. Its current form is built around specialty commerce, arts, food, and entertainment in a walkable downtown, with a farmers market, galleries, and the Paramount Theatre anchoring the main corridor. Health care and social assistance is the leading employment sector for residents, followed by construction and retail trade. The Metro-North Hudson Line station sits close to downtown, connecting the city to the broader regional labor market.
Housing in the zip code is priced well above both state and national medians, with typical home values reflecting Westchester County's overall premium. Rents carry a cost burden relative to income that a parent planning around a long stay should factor in. The county market has seen inventory grow modestly while the pace of sales remains active, and new development, including income-mixed and affordable apartment buildings built on former brownfield sites downtown, has added housing stock over recent years. Peekskill was among the early municipalities certified under New York State's Pro-Housing Community program, which signals a policy orientation toward continued residential growth.
For a family with a child approaching pre-K age and living in Peekskill, Uriah Hill School represents the district's earliest on-ramp. Because it is the only grade served, there is no academic performance record to evaluate and no program breadth to compare. A parent wanting to understand what comes next for a child who begins here would want to look closely at the district's elementary schools, the dual language program availability, and how students are placed and supported as they move through the system.
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