The top reported proficiency rate is 75% in Science. The lowest is 30% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Spencer-van Etten Elementary School
Spencer-Van Etten Elementary School is a public elementary school serving prekindergarten through fourth grade in the rural hamlet of Van Etten, in the northeastern corner of Chemung County. The school sits on Langford Street, a short walk from the small civic core of the hamlet, in a community of car-dependent, low-density residential character where most families own single-family homes or mobile homes.
The school's enrollment is small, drawn from a town and hamlet with a flat population and an old housing stock. About half of enrolled students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting modest household incomes in the area. The enrollment spans roughly equal cohorts across the grade band, with the largest concentration in fourth grade. The student body is predominantly white, with very small numbers of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds.
State test results show proficiency rates below the state midline across both mathematics and English language arts. In the most recent testing year, fourth-grade English language arts proficiency was notably low. Third-grade math proficiency was in the lower-middle range, and fourth-grade math slightly higher. The one science result available, from fourth grade in a prior year, showed a stronger proficiency rate. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint among Chemung County's four districts, though the school's individual grade-level results are uneven and warrant parent inquiry about student support and remediation strategies.
Test participation rates have been consistently high, with most students tested, and there is no indication of widespread exclusion of any population from state assessments. Nonetheless, a parent considering this school should ask directly about the reasons behind the gaps in reading proficiency, what interventions are in place for students not yet meeting state standards, and what the school's track record is for supporting students into middle school and beyond.
The district is undergoing significant facility modernization. Voters narrowly approved a major capital project in December that will modernize all buildings, upgrade playgrounds and athletic fields, and modernize mechanical and electrical systems, with construction beginning in spring 2027 and completion expected by fall 2028. This improvement is being funded through state aid and existing reserves with no added property tax burden. In addition, the district has pursued a multi-year strategy of moderating property tax increases, using surplus funds to reduce the levy in recent years and staying within the state tax cap, a pattern that affects housing affordability and cost of living in the community.
Van Etten itself is a settled, slow-growth rural town where most working residents commute to jobs elsewhere in the Elmira-Ithaca labor market. Civic anchors include the public library at the town municipal building, the elementary school itself, and local churches. The elementary campus is near the hamlet center, though the district's high school is in the separate community of Spencer, some miles away. For families seeking a small-town elementary experience in a rural setting with a close-knit, nearly all-white peer group and reasonable property costs, this school offers that context; for families prioritizing high academic attainment in reading and mathematics, the current proficiency data suggests a parent may want to look into this further with the school.
See more original research from School Decision →