The top reported proficiency rate is 43% in Math. The lowest is 29% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Grandview Elementary School
Grandview Elementary is a small, densely enrolled school serving kindergarten through grade three in Monsey, a predominantly Orthodox Jewish community in Rockland County that has grown rapidly over the past two decades. About four in five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly Hispanic and Black, reflecting the broader diversity of the East Ramapo Central School District. The school sits at a crossroads between the district's public system and a community where private religious schools historically have served many families.
Academically, Grandview's performance is weak. Third-grade students showed proficiency rates of roughly two in five in math and about three in ten in English language arts in the 2024-25 state assessments, with participation nearly universal. These results place the school in the bottom quartile of Rockland County districts on overall proficiency. A parent evaluating the school would want to understand the specific supports the school is offering to close these gaps, and the district is implementing a major instructional shift toward the science of reading model beginning in the 2025-26 school year, which could affect how the school teaches early literacy going forward. The school does not report counts for students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent with a child in either group would want to ask the school directly about the availability of services and how many students are receiving them.
Monsey itself is a car-dependent community with mixed walkability, though parts are walkable to shops and restaurants along the main commercial corridors. Route 59 carries the heaviest traffic in Rockland County and has historically lacked pedestrian infrastructure, though a state study has recommended and begun work on completing the sidewalk network. The area offers community parks including a recently expanded children's play area, and a layered transit system that includes county buses, a park and ride to Manhattan, and private coach service tailored to the community. Housing values are above the state benchmark and have grown steadily; the area is experiencing rapid residential development driven by housing demand within the Orthodox community, with mixed-use zoning recently approved to accommodate this growth.
The district itself is in a period of significant change. For the first time in roughly a decade, property taxes rose in 2024-25, as the state Education Department directed a tax levy increase beyond what voters approved, earmarking the extra revenue for public schools. This marks a reversal of the district's long pattern of frozen levies and directly affects any family's school costs. The district remains under state-monitor oversight, an unusual governance arrangement in which state-appointed monitors approve budgets, financial plans, and major policies. This structure reflects years of fiscal and governance challenges and means major district decisions are subject to state review.
Whether Grandview is right for a family depends on what they are looking for. The school serves a densely enrolled, economically stretched population with deep community ties. Parents should have clear conversations with the school about reading instruction changes, the availability of specialized services, and the school's specific academic improvement plans. The district's shift to science-of-reading instruction and its elevated fiscal oversight are both recent developments that could shape the school's direction, and a parent considering enrollment would benefit from understanding those currents.
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