Sayville Middle School, Sayville NY

Original Research by School Decision on Sayville Middle School

Sayville Middle School serves about six hundred students in grades six through eight within a suburban Long Island school district. The school sits on Johnson Avenue in Sayville, a waterfront hamlet on the South Shore of Long Island with a small, walkable downtown of shops and restaurants. Student enrollment remains relatively stable, with roughly equal numbers across the three grade levels. A small share of the enrolled population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly white; small groups of students identify as Hispanic, Asian, and other racial backgrounds.

Test performance shows a mixed picture that varies considerably by grade and subject. In grade six, students demonstrate stronger results: about three quarters of sixth graders meet proficiency in mathematics, and roughly two thirds meet the standard in English language arts. Seventh grade performance drops noticeably, with about two thirds meeting the math standard and roughly half meeting the ELA standard. By eighth grade the pattern continues to decline, with fewer than one third meeting the math proficiency target and about half meeting the ELA standard. A substantially higher share of students in eighth grade also achieved proficiency in science. The state testing data does not carry details about special education populations or English learner counts, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about supports available for those groups.

Participation rates in testing show a declining trend across grades; participation is solid in grade six but drops significantly by grades seven and eight. This pattern sometimes reflects student absences on test days, scheduling considerations, or other logistical factors, and is worth clarifying with the school.

When positioned against other districts in Suffolk County, Sayville Middle School's overall proficiency index falls below the midpoint of the county comparison set. This means students here are performing lower than the central tendency of other district middle schools in the same county.

The broader Sayville Union Free School District has recently invested in expanding curriculum breadth. The district launched a Universal Pre-K program and is undertaking a five-year academic expansion plan that includes additional STEM opportunities, expanded music and arts, and more World Language instruction at the elementary level. A Capital Reserve Fund approved by voters will set aside savings for future facility improvements without borrowing. The 2025-2026 budget kept the tax levy increase below the district's allowable cap despite rising insurance and BOCES costs, a concrete fiscal data point for families considering property ownership.

Sayville itself is a built-out, mature residential area rather than a rapidly growing one. Home prices in the area are substantial, with median listings in the high six figures. New rental apartments have been built, and the downtown continues revitalization efforts through the Greater Sayville Chamber of Commerce. The LIRR Sayville Station on the Montauk Branch provides rail service to Manhattan, and local parks and the waterfront define community life. Street life is active along Main Street, especially in summer months.

A parent or family considering this school should understand that grade-level proficiency shows a clear decline as students move through the building, and that eighth grade results, in particular, are weaker across subjects. Whether this reflects curriculum progression, demographic shifts within cohorts, or other factors is a question to explore directly with school leadership. The school's location in a stable, affluent residential area with a strong community identity offers a certain peer and housing environment, though the academic trajectory by eighth grade warrants careful attention.

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Academic performance

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

New York Regents Exams

1 course 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	106	99.0%

Math

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 70% · ▼ 70 pts below district

▼ 51 pts below state median · ▼ 49 pts below county median

Grade 675%

School 75% · District 75%

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 767%

School 67% · District 67%

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 829%

School 29% · District 29%

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 73% · ▼ 73 pts below district

▼ 54 pts below state median · ▼ 47 pts below county median

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 746%

School 46% · District 47% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 855%

School 55% · District 55%

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Science

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 70% · ▼ 70 pts below district

▼ 42 pts below state median · ▼ 40 pts below county median

Grade 867%

School 67% · District 67%

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 40 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 898%

School 98% · district not reported

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

This schoolSAYVILLE UNION FREE 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-income57%Higher-income64%7 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income14%Higher-income49%35 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income43%Higher-income78%35 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income50%Higher-income68%18 pp gap