Saint James Elementary School, Saint James NY

Original Research by School Decision on Saint James Elementary School

Saint James Elementary School is a kindergarten-through-fifth-grade public school in the Smithtown Central School District, located in the historic hamlet of Saint James on Long Island's North Shore. The school serves a diverse student body, with an enrollment distributed across all six grades and a student population that is predominantly white, with meaningful representation of Hispanic students and smaller populations of Asian students. About one in six students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating modest overall economic need.

State test results show mixed performance across subjects and grades. In mathematics, students in grade four perform strongest, with proficiency well above half. Third and fifth graders show lower proficiency rates, with third grade notably below half. Reading (ELA) results follow a similar pattern: fifth graders reach near two-thirds proficiency, while fourth graders fall below three-fifths, and third graders land just above half. Science testing, available only for fifth grade, shows proficiency near half. A note of context: the school's data comes from relatively small tested cohorts in each grade and subject, which can make year-to-year comparisons more volatile. The school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint when compared to other schools in Suffolk County, reflecting strength in grade four but suggesting room for improvement, especially in the younger tested grades.

The hamlet itself is small, historic, and car-dependent. Saint James retains deep colonial roots and many period landmarks, and the historic district clusters around Lake Avenue near the LIRR station, though the schools themselves sit on separate campuses away from this commercial core. The neighborhood is residential, tree-lined, and quiet, with a slower pace than more developed Long Island areas. Walkability is limited; most errands require a car, though the lake-adjacent setting and county parks provide recreational anchors.

The housing market in the immediate Saint James area reflects the broader Suffolk County landscape of elevated property values. Home values are substantial, and the market shows moderate inventory with days on market relatively short. Affordability remains a challenge relative to household income in the area. A significant story unfolding nearby is the ongoing revitalization of Lake Avenue with new infrastructure, alongside a large controversial subdivision development at Flowerfield that would introduce mixed uses including medical, hospitality, and assisted-living facilities, a shift that concerns some residents who value the hamlet's rural and historic character.

At the district level, Smithtown Central has recently completed a major bond-funded facility upgrade cycle addressing HVAC, fire safety, and building envelope work across the system. The district's property tax levy has grown steadily and now runs at or near the state cap ceiling, a trend families considering the area should weigh as part of their housing and education decision.

A parent considering Saint James Elementary should recognize a small, established school in a quiet residential community with solid county-level standing on state assessments, anchored in a district making visible infrastructure investments, and situated in a hamlet at a crossroads between preservation and development. The school's profile suits families drawn to a traditional suburban elementary setting and who are comfortable in a higher-cost housing market. The testing data suggests strength in the middle grades and an opportunity to build on proficiency in the youngest cohort.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 342%

School 42% · District 67% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 472%

School 72% · District 71% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 560%

School 60% · District 67% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 352%

School 52% · District 62% · ▼ 11 pts below district

even with state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 458%

School 58% · District 59%

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 566%

School 66% · District 66%

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Science

Grade 549%

School 49% · District 56% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 598%

School 98% · district not reported

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

This schoolSMITHTOWN 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 3Lower-income24%Higher-income61%37 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income43%Higher-income65%22 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income18%Higher-income82%64 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income13%Higher-income52%40 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income53%Higher-income80%27 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income46%Higher-income65%19 pp gap