Stamford Central School, Stamford NY

Original Research by School Decision on Stamford Central School

Stamford Central School serves the village of Stamford, a small rural Catskill community of several thousand residents that brands itself the "Queen of the Catskills." The school is a combined PK-12 facility located centrally on River Street rather than on a remote campus, a design that weaves it into the fabric of downtown alongside the library and village offices.

The school's enrollment is modest, roughly in the low hundreds across all grades. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic circumstances of the rural area. The student population is predominantly white, with small representations of Hispanic students and other races. No data was available on the count of students with IEPs or English learners.

On the most recent state tests, Stamford's performance shows uneven ground. In mathematics, results vary considerably by grade: Grade 3 and Grade 8 students achieved solid proficiency, while Grade 4 and Grade 5 students showed lower proficiency rates. Grade 6 and 7 math results sat in the middle. In English language arts, the same volatility appears. Grade 6 showed full proficiency, but Grade 5 and Grade 8 performed substantially below that mark. Grade 3 and 4 ELA students reached proficiency in the high sixties to low seventies. Science test results in Grade 5 and Grade 8 were moderate to solid.

Across all tested subjects and grades, Stamford's overall proficiency index ranks in the top quartile among districts in Delaware County, a meaningful position in a rural region where baseline performance often runs lower. However, the grade-to-grade swings in proficiency rates warrant attention from a parent considering this school. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is unclear whether these swings reflect a pattern or fluctuation. A parent may want to follow up with the school on whether these differences tie to particular staffing, curriculum choices, or changes in student composition year to year.

The district itself faces real fiscal and structural uncertainty. In May 2026, voters rejected the proposed budget by a narrow margin despite its staying within state tax cap limits. District leaders attributed the failure to flat state aid not covering rising costs, a squeeze that could force a contingency budget with staff and program cuts if voters do not approve spending at a revote. Additionally, the district is studying a possible merger with neighboring Jefferson Central School District, a development that could reshape school locations and governance. These are consequential long-term considerations for any family moving into the area.

Housing values in the zip code area are moderate and have appreciated modestly. The village itself is experiencing a revitalization push backed by a state NY Forward downtown grant awarded in April 2026, tied to expanding housing supply and restoring public spaces. The broader community trend has been population decline over recent decades, though the downtown investment may shift that trajectory.

The school has no published high school graduation rate in the available data, nor were detailed program offerings provided. The village is car-dependent and remote from larger urban areas, a reality that shapes daily life and access to services. For families, Stamford Central offers a small-town, integrated learning environment in a rural resort community with active outdoor and arts culture, paired with the uncertainty of a district in fiscal transition and a local economy still rebuilding after COVID and other disruptions.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

60-79%Cohort of 18 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

1,253 schools plotted. 14 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

New York Regents Exams

4 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
Social Studies	28	71.0%
Ela	24	71.0%
Science	19	63.0%
Math	9	44.0%

Math

Grade 372%

School 72% · District 72%

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

Grade 453%

School 53% · District 53%

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 578%

School 78% · District 78%

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 56% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Grade 765%

School 65% · District 61% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 892%

School 92% · District 86% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 55 pts above state median · ▲ 49 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 372%

School 72% · District 72%

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 471%

School 71% · District 71%

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

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 44%

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 6100%

School 100% · District 100%

▲ 54 pts above state median · ▲ 60 pts above county median

Grade 759%

School 59% · District 56% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 854%

School 54% · District 50% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Science

Grade 572%

School 72% · District 72%

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Grade 877%

School 77% · District 71% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 44 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

This schoolSTAMFORD 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 4Lower-income75%Higher-income60%15 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income43%Higher-income46%3 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income67%Higher-income50%17 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income20%Higher-income75%55 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income50%Higher-income60%10 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income57%Higher-income91%34 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income44%Higher-income88%43 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income80%Higher-income100%20 pp gap