This New Hyde Park-Area Middle School Among Best In US: Ranking

NEW HYDE PARK, NY — Herricks Middle School has been ranked among the best in New York, according to a new ranking released by U.S. News & World Report.

For the inaugural list, U.S. News published rankings and data on more than 80,000 public elementary and middle schools across the United States.

Schools are ranked at the state and district levels. The best charter schools and best magnet schools ranked as stand-alone categories.

To determine the rankings, the publication used data from the U.S. Department of Education to analyze two areas at each school:

• Math and reading proficiency — or how well students perform on state assessments.
• Math and reading performance — or how well they perform compared with expectations.

The state assessment data used in the rankings are from the 2018-19 school year and, therefore, predates any effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on test-taking.

U.S. News ranked more than 2,200 elementary schools and 1,200 middle schools in New York.

Below are the top elementary schools on Long Island that were ranked in the top 50 for the state. No elementary schools within Herricks Union Free School District made the cut.

• Watson School, Rockville Centre Union Free School District, 9th
• Robert Seaman Elementary School, Jericho Union Free School District, 10th
• Sea Cliff Elementary School, North Shore Central School District, 11th
• Glen Head Elementary School, North Shore Central School District, 12th
• McVey Elementary School, East Meadow Union Free District, 19th
• Old Bethpage School, Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District, 21st
• Lakeville Elementry School, Great Neck Union Free School District, 22nd
• Nassakeag Elementary School, Three Village Central School District, 23rd
• Judy Jacobs Parkway Elementary School, Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District, 36th
• Barnum Woods School, East Meadow Union Free School District, 37th
• North Side School, East Williston Union Free School District, 47th

Here are the top middle schools on Long Island that were ranked in the top 50 for the state. Herricks Middle School snagged the No. 29 spot.

• Jericho Middle School, Jericho Union Free School District, 17th
• Great Neck South Middle School, Great Neck Union Free School District, 24th
• Herricks Middle School, Herricks Union Free School District, 29th
• North Shore Middle School, North Shore Central School District, 30th
• Willets Road School, East Williston Union Free School District, 31st
• Paul J. Gelinas Junior High School, Three Village Central School District, 33rd
• Manhasset Middle School, Manhasset Union Free School District, 40th
• Wheatley School, East Williston Union Free School District, 41st
• Garden City Middle School, Garden City Union Free School District, 47th

Nationally, California has 5,534 ranked elementary schools — the most of any state — followed by Texas at 4,446; New York at 2,211; Florida at 2,128; and Illinois at 2,038 schools.

California also has the most ranked middle schools with 2,319, followed by Texas at 1,942; Illinois at 1,243; New York at 1,219; and Florida at 997.

Check to see where your elementary or middle school ranks at 2021's Best K-8 Schools.

Patch's Michael Woyton contributed to this report.