Penn Yan Middle School, Penn Yan NY

Original Research by School Decision on Penn Yan Middle School

Penn Yan Middle School serves roughly students in grades six through eight in a mixed-use village at the northern tip of Keuka Lake, in the heart of the Finger Lakes. The school sits on a shared campus with the district's elementary school and high school, placing it within walking distance of downtown's historic commercial core rather than on an outlying site. This location puts school life close to the economic and civic anchors of the village: the courthouse, local businesses, the public library, and parks.

The student population is predominantly white, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that economic need is a meaningful part of the school's composition. The enrollment is small and stable across the three grades served. State testing data from the most recent year shows proficiency rates that fall below the midpoint among districts in Yates County across tested subjects. In mathematics, performance varies by grade, with sixth and seventh graders showing modest proficiency, but eighth-grade math proficiency drops notably lower. In English language arts, proficiency remains low across all three grades, hovering consistently in the low-to-mid range. Eighth-grade science proficiency sits modestly below the mathematics average for that grade. Overall, across tested subjects and grades, the school's proficiency index places it above the median for its county peers.

A parent may want to look into the school's current support structures and instructional approaches, particularly around the grade-eight performance gap in mathematics and the consistently lower English language arts results. One context here is that state testing data does not tell the full story of what a middle school does: the school offers core academics alongside a peer environment and daily structure that matter substantially for young adolescents, and Penn Yan's scale allows face-to-face relationships between staff and students that larger districts cannot match.

The district itself has made tangible investments in student wellbeing. In 2023 it opened a school-based health center at the elementary school, and dental and behavioral health services have been extended to the middle school and academy, allowing students to access care during the school day without parents having to leave work. This addresses real barriers families face around cost, transportation, and scheduling. The district also recently secured voter approval for a district-wide capital improvement project, with construction planned for 2027. The work includes playground replacement, window and flooring upgrades, LED lighting, and HVAC work across the elementary, middle, and high schools, funded through state aid and district reserves without raising local taxes.

Penn Yan village itself is small, rural, and anchored by agriculture, manufacturing, and healthcare employment. Housing has been constrained by supply, though recent projects aim to add affordable and workforce units. The downtown remains the center of commerce and civic life, with independently owned shops, restaurants, and cultural spaces intact. The area is home to a large Mennonite community. Public transit was interrupted when the county's transit service ended in late 2025, transitioning to a regional service, so families without personal transportation should confirm current transit options.

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Academic performance

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

New York Regents Exams

2 courses reported · 2024-25

End-of-course exams required for a New York Regents diploma. Each row shows the cohort size and the share of students scoring at the proficient level or higher.

Course	Students tested	% proficient
Science	25	96.0%
Math	22	100.0%

Math

Grade 651%

School 51% · District 51%

▲ 6 pts above state median

Grade 755%

School 55% · District 54% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 25%

▼ 12 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 641%

School 41% · District 41%

▼ 5 pts below state median

Grade 740%

School 40% · District 39% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 8 pts below state median

Grade 835%

School 35% · District 35%

▼ 13 pts below state median

Science

Grade 841%

School 41% · District 41%

▲ 8 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 887%

School 87% · district not reported

▲ 9 pts above state median

This schoolPENN YAN CENTRAL 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 6Lower-income31%Higher-income56%26 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income29%Higher-income53%23 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income11%Higher-income54%43 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income38%Higher-income69%31 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income37%Higher-income79%42 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income18%Higher-income33%15 pp gap