Peru Middle School, Peru NY - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Peru Middle School

Peru Middle School serves about six through eight grade students in a rural-suburban setting in southeastern Clinton County, roughly eleven miles south of Plattsburgh. The school sits within the hamlet of Peru on a shared campus with the elementary and high school buildings and a career-technical program, giving the district a consolidated presence near the community's center.

Academic performance sits below the midpoint when measured against the other districts in Clinton County. On state math assessments, the school shows variation across the three grades: sixth grade proficiency is near the midpoint, but seventh grade drops markedly, and eighth grade sits between them. English language arts follows a similar pattern, with sixth grade stronger than seventh and eighth. Eighth grade science proficiency is slightly above the overall pattern. Across all subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among county districts, though the numbers themselves span a range from the low forties to just above fifty percent. A parent reading these results should recognize that roughly half or fewer than half of students in each grade reach proficiency on state tests. Testing participation rates are solid across most grades and subjects, though eighth grade math and science show notably lower participation, which a parent may want to look into further with the school.

The enrollment is small, with a balance across the three grades. Roughly half the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a working- and lower-income community. The student population is predominantly white, with very small numbers of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. Data on special education and English learner enrollment was not available.

Peru itself is a working agricultural landscape, surrounded by apple orchards and dairy farms, with a compact hamlet center anchored by Main Street and I-87 access nearby. The town is car-dependent and low-density, though most residents own their homes. Housing values are below the state average and remain relatively affordable. The district in 2021 rebranded its athletics identity from Indians to Nighthawks, a change that shapes the community's daily life. For the 2025-26 school year, the district adopted a budget within the state tax cap, with a modest levy increase that reflects the ongoing tax burden families would factor into a housing decision.

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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
Math	33	97.0%
Science	27	100.0%

Math

Grade 653%

School 53% · District 53% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median

Grade 733%

School 33% · District 33%

▼ 20 pts below state median

Grade 841%

School 41% · District 40% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 641%

School 41% · District 41%

▼ 4 pts below state median

Grade 740%

School 40% · District 40%

▼ 7 pts below state median

Grade 840%

School 40% · District 39%

▼ 9 pts below state median

Science

Grade 845%

School 45% · District 44% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median

This schoolPERU 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-income59%28 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income35%Higher-income49%14 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income39%Higher-income40%1 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income45%Higher-income68%23 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income24%Higher-income48%24 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income37%Higher-income47%10 pp gap