School 42-abelard Reynolds, Rochester NY

Original Research by School Decision on School 42-abelard Reynolds

Abelard Reynolds serves pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in a neighborhood setting on Lake Avenue in Rochester. The school enrolls a small population, almost all of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a clear sign of economic hardship in the catchment area. The student body is majority Black, with substantial Hispanic and multiracial populations, smaller shares of white and Asian students, and very few others. The school is part of the Rochester City School District, which in the 2024-25 school year underwent its largest restructuring in decades: closing schools, shifting to a middle-school model, and realigning grades.

Academic performance at Abelard Reynolds is markedly low. In the most recent state testing data available, math proficiency across grades three through six hovered between about one in seven and one in six students meeting or exceeding state standards. English language arts showed a similar pattern, except for fourth grade, where about one in three students met proficiency. Science proficiency in grade five fell below one in fifteen. These gaps are stark. The school sits in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency compared to other districts in Monroe County.

The one brighter spot in the data is grade four English language arts, where the proficiency rate was noticeably higher. This grade-specific strength might reflect an effective teacher, a cohort effect, or a particular program emphasis. Whether that strength can be extended to other grades or sustained is a question worth asking the school directly.

Test participation rates were generally good, ranging from high eighties to mid-nineties, so the low proficiency numbers reflect actual student performance, not widespread opt-out. This is important context: the struggles appear to be in learning, not in data avoidance.

The district context matters. Rochester City is navigating major structural change and budget contraction following the loss of federal COVID relief funding and enrollment decline. Schools in this moment may have less staff capacity and tighter resources than before. Abelard Reynolds, serving a high-poverty neighborhood, likely faces compounded challenges in meeting students' academic and social needs.

The school's pre-K through sixth configuration puts it at the early end of the grade spectrum and outside the middle-school model the district recently established. This may mean Abelard Reynolds is positioned differently in the district's current alignment than some other schools.

For a family considering this school, the academic data warrants serious attention. A parent would want to discuss with the school directly what supports exist for students who are struggling, what interventions are in place, whether the fourth-grade ELA success points to teachable lessons, and how the school plans to close such large proficiency gaps. The school's enrollment suggests it serves a particular neighborhood; families should also understand whether assignment here is by choice, proximity, or lottery outcome. The broader district context of instability and resource pressure is a realistic backdrop for any school within it.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 316%

School 16% · District 25% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 43 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

Grade 418%

School 18% · District 17% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 41 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 514%

School 14% · District 13% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 37 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 614%

School 14% · District 18% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 315%

School 15% · District 22% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 37 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 19% · ▲ 12 pts above district

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

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 19% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 37 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 617%

School 17% · District 20% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Science

Grade 57%

School 7% · District 14% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 557%

School 57% · district not reported

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 36 pts below county median

This schoolROCHESTER 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-income12%Higher-income33%22 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income31%Higher-income38%7 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income15%Higher-income50%36 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income11%Higher-income50%39 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income14%Higher-income25%11 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income16%Higher-income27%12 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income9%Higher-income57%48 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income11%Higher-income33%23 pp gap