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Belle Sherman School

Q: Is Belle Sherman School a good school?

Belle Sherman School ranks 1386 th of 2445 New York elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1386^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,445 New York Elementary Schools

Better than 43% of New York elementary schools

Summary

Belle Sherman School is an elementary school in Ithaca, New York, serving 319 students in grades PK-5. It is part of the Ithaca City School District, which is ranked 377 out of 874 school districts in New York and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Belle Sherman School has shown relatively strong academic performance, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math generally exceeding the New York state averages across grades 3-5. The school's English Language Learner students have consistently ranked very highly, with a 5-star rating in recent years. However, the school's Special Education and Low Socioeconomic Status students have struggled, ranking in the bottom 10% of New York elementary schools. The school has relatively high spending per student at $28,395 and a low student-teacher ratio of 9 to 9.3 students per teacher.

When comparing Belle Sherman School to other nearby elementary schools in the Ithaca City School District, Caroline Elementary School and South Hill School consistently outperform Belle Sherman in academic proficiency rates, while Beverly J. Martin Elementary School struggles the most academically. The school's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, suggesting inconsistent performance, and its mixed comparisons to nearby schools indicate there may be opportunities for improvement.

347

Students ?

9.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$27,738

Per pupil spending ?

29.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

501 Mitchell St
Ithaca, NY 14850-6148

(607) 274-2206

District: Ithaca City School District

Students who attend Belle Sherman School usually attend:

Middle:	Boynton Middle School
	Dewitt Middle School
High:	Ithaca Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.4%

Asian:

19.6%

Hispanic:

11.8%

See top rated New York elementary schools

Compare Belle Sherman School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 90th percentile in 2015 → 43rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 47 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Near the bottom of Ithaca City School District's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school51%

District avg58%

New York avg55%

1,386^th of 2,445

New York public elementary schools ?

Bottom 43%▼ down 47 pts since 2015

From top 10% (2015) to bottom 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New York Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 8Elementary Schools in the Ithaca City School District

377^th of 874Ithaca City School District among New York districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	43.0	1386 of 2445	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	56.8	980 of 2445	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.4	966 of 2439	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.5	1033 of 2434	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.7	787 of 2201	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.7	882 of 2413	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.4	704 of 2395	70.6%	★★★★☆
2017	68.0	719 of 2386	69.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	82.7	326 of 2366	86.2%	★★★★☆
2015	86.5	236 of 2352	90.0%	★★★★★
2014	82.5	308 of 2345	86.9%	★★★★☆
2013	87.0	215 of 2325	90.8%	★★★★★
2012	75.4	542 of 2320	76.6%	★★★★☆
2011	77.1	467 of 2286	79.6%	★★★★☆
2010	76.3	484 of 2263	78.6%	★★★★☆
2009	69.5	731 of 2257	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	72.4	633 of 2227	71.6%	★★★★☆
2007	74.1	575 of 2219	74.1%	★★★★☆
2006	76.4	466 of 2206	78.9%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2024	54.4	367 of 927	60.4%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	34.2	514 of 696	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.5	549 of 662	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.3	543 of 605	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	9.0	632 of 671	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	26.8	362 of 430	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	7.6	520 of 548	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	35.4	448 of 601	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	83.7	78 of 1117	93.0%	★★★★★
2024	93.0	25 of 1066	97.7%	★★★★★
2023	46.6	438 of 1001	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.7	409 of 1027	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	74.5	73 of 454	83.9%	★★★★☆
2019	69.5	116 of 860	86.5%	★★★★☆
2018	62.5	215 of 938	77.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	31.6	1723 of 2409	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	60.3	859 of 2413	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.9	930 of 2403	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.5	877 of 2401	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.5	912 of 1955	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.9	1128 of 2357	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.8	928 of 2338	60.3%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2023	70.3	311 of 1429	78.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	14.0	1959 of 2098	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	32.6	1437 of 2078	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.3	1305 of 2041	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.4	1408 of 2099	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.4	1042 of 1678	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.3	1401 of 2032	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.1	1529 of 2045	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	49.2	1207 of 2407	49.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.0	1067 of 2411	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.0	966 of 2400	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.0	1196 of 2400	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	69.4	541 of 1961	72.4%	★★★★☆
2019	69.2	641 of 2358	72.8%	★★★★☆
2018	72.4	559 of 2340	76.1%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	28.4	201 of 287	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.4	121 of 289	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.2	87 of 180	51.7%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	14.4	2088 of 2134	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	30.5	1518 of 2110	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.6	1102 of 2016	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.7	976 of 2031	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.9	443 of 1044	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.2	743 of 1859	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.0	468 of 1941	75.9%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	42.3	840 of 1402	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.2	631 of 1392	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.1	511 of 1337	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.7	662 of 1399	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.4	407 of 1224	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.2	518 of 1338	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.8	425 of 1408	69.8%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

English Language Learner (2025)93rd percentile+50 vs school

Hispanic (2023)78th percentile+18 vs school

African American (2024)60th percentile~ school

Male (2025)50th percentile+7 vs school

White (2025)40th percentile-3 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)30th percentile-13 vs school

Female (2025)28th percentile-15 vs school

Asian (2025)26th percentile-17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)7th percentile-37 vs school

Special Education (2025)2nd percentile-41 vs school

By subject vs New York (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts54%~ state avg

Math50%-8 vs state

Science44%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Belle Sherman School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				NY State Assessments English Language Arts (2025)			NY State Assessments Math (2025)			NY State Assessments Science (2025)	% Completely Immunized (2020)	% Polio (2020)	% Measles (2020)	% Mumps (2020)	% Rubella (2020)	% Diphtheria (2020)	% Hepatitis B (2020)	% Varicella (2020)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 3rd Grade	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 4th Grade	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 5th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 3rd Grade	NY State Assessments Math 4th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 5th Grade	NY State Assessments Science 5th Grade	% Completely Immunized All Grades	% Polio All Grades	% Measles All Grades	% Mumps All Grades	% Rubella All Grades	% Diphtheria All Grades	% Hepatitis B All Grades	% Varicella All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Belle Sherman School	Public	PK, KG-5	501 Mitchell St	Ithaca	14850	Tompkins County	Ithaca City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(607) 274-2206	347	35	9.9	29.1%	168 (48.4%)	33 (9.5%)	41 (11.8%)	68 (19.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	35 (10.1%)	43	1386^th of 2445 public elementary schools	43.3%		56.8	980^th of 2445 public elementary schools	59.9%	406	58.8	52.1	50.0	51.9	52.1	44.2	43.9	98.3	98.6	100.0	100.0	100.0	98.6	99.4	99.4	$27,738	$1,034	$26,704
South Hill School	Public	PK, KG-5	520 Hudson St	Ithaca	14850	Tompkins County	Ithaca City School District	No	No	No	No	(607) 274-2129	363	35	10.4	24.2%	248 (68.3%)	10 (2.8%)	25 (6.9%)	25 (6.9%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (14.0%)	74.4	571^st of 2445 public elementary schools	76.6%		68.7	684^th of 2445 public elementary schools	72.0%	113	81.8	61.2	69.8	81.8	59.7	63.3	70.7	97.5	97.8	100.0	100.0	100.0	97.8	98.3	100.0	$27,017	$515	$26,502
Beverly J Martin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	302 W Buffalo St	Ithaca	14850	Tompkins County	Ithaca City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(607) 274-2209	258	31	8.3	60.5%	107 (41.5%)	57 (22.1%)	41 (15.9%)	14 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	35 (13.6%)	20.8	2052^nd of 2445 public elementary schools	16.1%		28.1	1803^rd of 2445 public elementary schools	26.3%	249	24.0	51.9	38.9	20.0	42.9	26.5	35.3	41.8	41.9	42.6	42.6	42.6	41.8	42.3	42.4	$30,027	$2,740	$27,287
Fall Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	202 King St	Ithaca	14850	Tompkins County	Ithaca City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(607) 274-2214	217	21	10.2	36.9%	136 (62.7%)	16 (7.4%)	29 (13.4%)	8 (3.7%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (12.4%)	45.6	1312^th of 2445 public elementary schools	46.3%		40.2	1441^st of 2445 public elementary schools	41.1%	129	56.3	56.3	65.6	51.5	38.7	43.8	46.9	98.5	98.5	100.0	100.0	100.0	99.5	99.0	100.0	$29,080	$1,105	$27,974
Cayuga Heights Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	110 E Upland Rd	Ithaca	14850	Tompkins County	Ithaca City School District	No	No	No	No	(607) 257-8557	270	27	9.9	27.8%	171 (63.3%)	16 (5.9%)	23 (8.5%)	24 (8.9%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (12.2%)	66.1	793^rd of 2445 public elementary schools	67.6%		56.8	982^nd of 2445 public elementary schools	59.8%	189	61.9	55.3	75.6	47.6	64.6	75.6	66.7	99.1	99.1	100.0	100.0	100.0	99.4	99.4	100.0	$26,855	$338	$26,517
Northeast School	Public	K-5	425 Winthrop Dr	Ithaca	14850	Tompkins County	Ithaca City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(607) 257-2121	347	37	9.4	29.1%	161 (46.4%)	14 (4.0%)	37 (10.7%)	101 (29.1%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (9.2%)	75.4	537^th of 2445 public elementary schools	78.0%		84.4	327^th of 2445 public elementary schools	86.6%	210	59.4	66.1	63.8	81.4	68.3	79.2	81.6	98.4	99.1	99.8	99.5	100.0	99.5	100.0	99.5	$29,444	$859	$28,585
Caroline Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2439 Slaterville Rd	Slaterville Springs	14881	Tompkins County	Ithaca City School District	No	No	No	No	(607) 539-7155	273	29	9.4	27.5%	201 (73.6%)	10 (3.7%)	24 (8.8%)	13 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (8.8%)	71	662^nd of 2445 public elementary schools	72.9%		63.7	808^th of 2445 public elementary schools	67.0%	146	76.2	74.2	70.0	53.7	71.9	65.0	57.5	97.9	98.2	100.0	100.0	100.0	97.9	99.6	99.6	$27,531	$1,351	$26,180
Enfield School	Public	PK, KG-5	20 Enfield Main Rd	Ithaca	14850	Tompkins County	Ithaca City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(607) 274-2221	165	23	7.1	66.7%	107 (64.8%)	15 (9.1%)	18 (10.9%)	9 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (9.7%)	33	1683^rd of 2445 public elementary schools	31.2%		22.3	1994^th of 2445 public elementary schools	18.4%	311	50.0	17.9	51.9	56.7	3.7	48.2	48.2	99.3	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	99.3	100.0	$37,293	$3,371	$33,922
Raymond C Buckley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	284 Ridge Rd	Lansing	14882	Tompkins County	Lansing Central School District	No	No	No	Yes	(607) 533-3020	392	33	11.8	28.6%	297 (75.8%)	12 (3.1%)	30 (7.7%)	20 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (8.2%)	78.4	470^th of 2445 public elementary schools	80.8%		78.7	459^th of 2445 public elementary schools	81.2%	11	70.3	70.3		73.7	79.7			98.5	98.9	99.8	99.8	99.8	98.7	98.9	99.1	$30,445	$908	$29,537
Newfield Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	247 Main St	Newfield	14867	Tompkins County	Newfield Central School District	No	No	No	Yes	(607) 564-9955	318	36	8.8	53.1%	254 (79.9%)	15 (4.7%)	18 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (9.4%)	19	2106^th of 2445 public elementary schools	13.9%		32.2	1682^nd of 2445 public elementary schools	31.2%	424	33.3	31.1	45.5	29.8	35.4	41.7	33.3	99.1	99.1	100.0	100.0	100.0	99.7	99.7	100.0	$35,549	$3,055	$32,494

Frequently Asked Questions about Belle Sherman School

What is the racial makeup of Belle Sherman School?

Students at Belle Sherman School are 48% White, 20% Asian, 12% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 10% African American.

How many students attend Belle Sherman School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 347 students attended Belle Sherman School.

What schools do graduates of Belle Sherman School attend?

Students who attend Belle Sherman School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Boynton Middle School
Middle : Dewitt Middle School
High : Ithaca Senior High School

Is Belle Sherman School a good school?

Belle Sherman School ranks 1386^th of 2445 New York elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Belle Sherman School in?

Ithaca City School District

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the WNYC and the New York State Department of Health and the NY State Education Department.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.