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Adams Commercial Historic District Adams NY Jul 10Photo: Doug Kerr from Upstate New York · CC BY-SA 2.0
B
Schools in Adams · South Jefferson Central School District

Adams’s public schools outscore 55% of New York districts

The grade covers the public school district serving Adams, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. In Adams, 36% of tested students are proficient in math, below the New York average (46%). Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within New York, not nationally.

K–12Where will my kid go?

From New York state tests taken in spring 2022, when 93% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading proficiency
42%
▼ 7 pts vs NY 49%
2021–22
Math proficiency
36%
▼ 10 pts vs NY 46%
2021–22
Graduate on time
95–100%
▲ 8–13 pts vs NY 87%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$20.0K
▼ 42% vs NY $34.6K
FY2024
Students per teacher
12.2
NY 11.2 · larger classes
Schools in town
0
1,788 students on the public path
In brief

Adams’s schools, in brief

Better than its incomes would predict

Among the 986 New York towns with household incomes within a quarter of Adams’s, its schools beat 76%, higher than their 55% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓

Results trail the state

In spring 2022, 42% of tested students were proficient in reading and 36% in math, against 49% and 46% statewide; 93% of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓

Graduation

95–100% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 87% across New York (the state reports Adams’s rate as a range). Districts ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $20,041 per student, against $34,607 across New York (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

Two elementary schools, then one middle and one high school

Which elementary school depends on the address; from grade 6 the district’s path is Clarke Middle School, then South Jefferson High School. See the path ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Adams’s grade

C Test scoresA Graduation

B: better than 55% of New York school districts. Graduation is above the New York average; test scores are below it.

New York school districts we grade (1,013)Better than 55%
Lower resultsHigher results
New York towns with similar household incomes (986)Better than 76%
B−BA fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 877 test results and a graduating class of 151 could put Adams anywhere from B− to B. The tests are from spring 2022, when 93% of Adams’s students in the tested grades sat them (899 in math, 855 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Adams, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
PK–52 elementary schoolsDepends on your addressC− to C
6–8Clarke Middle SchoolSouth Jefferson Central School DistrictC−
9–12South Jefferson High SchoolSouth Jefferson Central School DistrictA

Adams’s public schools are run by South Jefferson Central School District, which also serves Adams, Ellisburg, Lorraine and Mannsville and others. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

The district

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

South Jefferson Central School DistrictGrades PK–12 · 4 schools · 1,788 students · 12.2 per teacher (NY 11.2)
$20,041NY $34,607 · FY2024
B
Test scores · 2021–22

Well below the state in reading

Reading42%
State average 48.9% · 855 students tested
Math36%
State average 46.5% · 899 students tested

Adams vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the New York towns that share Adams’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
AdamsBSouth Jefferson Central

Every school in Adams

4 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with New York’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

Also serving Adamsin other towns
Maynard P Wilson Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Adams Center
C
477 students11:1Rate it →
Mannsville Manor Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Mannsville
C−
338 students13:1Rate it →
Clarke Middle School
Middle · Grades 6–8
C−
399 students11:1Rate it →
South Jefferson High School
High · Grades 9–12
A
574 students14:1Rate it →

Questions about Adams’s schools

Are Adams’s schools good?

They sit near the middle of New York: the public schools Adams children attend outscore 55% of New York’s school districts on tests and graduation, a B Schools grade. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 76%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Adams in?

South Jefferson Central School District, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 1,788 students in 4 schools (2024–25).

Where do Adams kids go to high school?

South Jefferson High School, with 574 students; its own test results earn an A.

What is Adams’s graduation rate?

95–100% of the class of 2023 in South Jefferson Central School District graduated in four years, against 87% across New York.

How much does Adams spend per student?

$20,041 in South Jefferson Central School District (FY2024), against $34,607 across New York. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Adams families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Adams → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within New York. Stars are from neighbors.