Solvay Middle School, Syracuse NY

Original Research by School Decision on Solvay Middle School

Solvay Middle School serves grades five through eight in Syracuse and is part of the Solvay Union Free School District. The school enrolls about midway through the range typical for its grade band. More than half the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, and the enrollment is predominantly white, with a smaller representation of Hispanic and Black students and a very small population of students of other racial backgrounds.

The school's state test results show a mixed picture. In seventh grade, performance is notably stronger: about half of students meet proficiency in math and roughly two in five in English language arts. Eighth-grade science shows solid results, with about half the students proficient. Fifth and sixth grade results are considerably lower. Fifth graders showed proficiency rates in the low double digits in math and below a third in English language arts, though science performed better at roughly two in five students. Sixth grade follows a similar pattern, with math proficiency around one in four and English language arts roughly one in three, also while science results were not reported for that grade. Eighth grade shows proficiency in math and English language arts in the range of about a quarter to a third.

These results place Solvay Middle School below the midpoint of overall proficiency when compared with other public school districts in Onondaga County. A parent may want to look into further with the school what factors account for the relative strength in seventh grade and science, and whether targeted support exists for fifth and sixth graders in math and reading.

Test participation is generally solid, with most grades showing participation rates in the low to high eighties, though eighth grade math participation drops to around three-fifths, which is lower and worth asking the school about.

The district approved a substantial capital project in late 2024 with overwhelming community support, indicating committed investment in facility upgrades. The district also offers a full-day pre-kindergarten program at no cost to residents, using a Core Knowledge curriculum aligned to state standards. These are meaningful supports for families in the district. Voters also approved a 2025-26 budget that included a property tax increase, a fiscal matter families in the community would have weighed.

Housing in the 13209 zip code area shows a home value in the moderate range and monthly rent that is stable and affordable by national standards. The rental market appears more stable than the sales market; days on market have moderated, though pending listings have risen substantially, which may reflect both buying interest and inventory constraints. The broader Onondaga County real estate market is experiencing modest shifts, with fewer new listings and higher pending inventory overall.

Syracuse, where the school is located, is a mid-sized upstate city in the midst of significant regional development. The area has benefited from a recognizable downtown with cultural institutions, parks, and civic anchors, though walkability is concentrated in pockets rather than spread evenly. Major employment is anchored by health care and higher education. The region is entering a major growth phase driven by a planned semiconductor manufacturing campus in nearby Clay, expected to create substantial employment and trigger housing expansion. This growth context may shape the school community's trajectory in coming years.

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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	21	95.0%
Science	14	93.0%

Math

Grade 512%

School 12% · District 12%

▼ 39 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 622%

School 22% · District 22%

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 747%

School 47% · District 47%

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

Grade 826%

School 26% · District 25% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 34% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 630%

School 30% · District 30%

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 741%

School 41% · District 41%

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 834%

School 34% · District 33% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 42% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 854%

School 54% · District 52% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 589%

School 89% · district not reported

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 874%

School 74% · district not reported

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

This schoolSOLVAY 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 4Lower-income11%Higher-income33%22 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income29%Higher-income41%11 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income22%Higher-income48%26 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income37%Higher-income47%10 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income26%Higher-income47%21 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income20%Higher-income56%36 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income8%Higher-income18%10 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income17%Higher-income36%19 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income40%Higher-income59%19 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income20%Higher-income40%20 pp gap