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James Monroe Upper School

Public Grades 9-12

1227^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,234 New York High Schools

Better than 1% of New York high schools

Summary

James Monroe Upper School is a public high school in Rochester, New York, serving 649 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Rochester City School District. Despite increased funding and smaller class sizes, the school has consistently struggled with low academic performance, high poverty rates, and chronic absenteeism issues.

James Monroe Upper School has ranked among the lowest-performing high schools in New York state, with a four-year graduation rate declining from 84.3% to 52.0% in recent years, well below the state average. The school's dropout rate has been high, ranging from 4.5% to 13.6%, and its chronic absenteeism rate has reached as high as 84.7%. Across Regents exams, students have consistently scored well below the district and state averages, with proficiency rates often in the single digits. Interestingly, the school's homeless student population has shown some of the strongest performance relative to other subgroups.

While other schools in the Rochester City School District, such as East Upper High School and Joseph C. Wilson Magnet High School, also struggle with low performance, they generally outperform James Monroe Upper School on key metrics. The increased funding and smaller class sizes at James Monroe Upper School have not translated into improved outcomes, suggesting the need for a more comprehensive, evidence-based approach to address the complex needs of the student population.

809

Students ?

9.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$35,308

Per pupil spending ?

88.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

164 Alexander St
Rochester, NY 14607-3695

(585) 232-1530

District: Rochester City School District

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

49.1%

African American:

44.1%

White:

3.3%

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Compare James Monroe Upper School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 3rd percentile in 2015 → 1st in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the New York average (22% vs 66% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (1st percentile)

!Graduation rate below the New York average (49% vs 83%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school22%

District avg28%

New York avg66%

1,227^th of 1,234

New York public high schools ?

Bottom 1%▼ down 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of New York High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 8High Schools in the Rochester City School District

859^th of 874Rochester 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2019	6.3	1419 of 1439	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.6	1415 of 1438	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	7.8	1429 of 1455	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	8.0	1410 of 1429	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	7.6	1396 of 1407	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	7.7	1391 of 1401	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	7.7	1359 of 1373	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	3.6	1313 of 1337	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	7.4	1232 of 1295	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	4.4	1219 of 1243	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	2.7	1199 of 1224	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	2.4	1163 of 1185	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	3.0	1100 of 1123	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	5.0	1053 of 1095	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	3.3	1227 of 1234	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.5	1229 of 1242	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	2.8	1209 of 1228	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	2.4	1181 of 1190	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	2.6	509 of 519	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	2.5	1186 of 1207	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	2.4	1192 of 1210	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	4.5	1201 of 1221	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	9.8	1212 of 1255	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	6.5	1218 of 1255	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	7.3	1158 of 1237	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	3.1	1178 of 1217	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	3.8	1164 of 1198	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	7.1	1126 of 1165	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	14.7	987 of 1117	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	6.5	1057 of 1086	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	12.9	921 of 1027	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	7.1	955 of 1002	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	21.8	799 of 986	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	49.7	595 of 935	36.4%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	8.4	702 of 713	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.4	676 of 690	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.2	650 of 671	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.7	587 of 593	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.4	673 of 686	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.1	660 of 679	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	9.0	385 of 413	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	18.7	622 of 669	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	17.5	604 of 637	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	24.6	502 of 583	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.0	401 of 481	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.3	521 of 565	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	23.3	462 of 546	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	4.5	1195 of 1206	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.7	1209 of 1219	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.4	1175 of 1197	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	2.9	1141 of 1155	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	2.2	1180 of 1193	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	2.2	1165 of 1176	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	5.6	874 of 885	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.7	858 of 865	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.5	835 of 851	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.4	757 of 760	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.0	800 of 815	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.0	781 of 791	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	20.6	547 of 607	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	41.3	315 of 564	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	55.3	170 of 531	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	12.8	485 of 498	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	2.9	1172 of 1179	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.0	1150 of 1170	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	2.5	1144 of 1155	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	2.0	1099 of 1101	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	2.5	1160 of 1179	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	2.0	1147 of 1154	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	4.3	1187 of 1201	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.2	1192 of 1211	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.0	1174 of 1191	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	1.9	1146 of 1154	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	2.7	1169 of 1190	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	3.2	1160 of 1176	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2025	9.9	1132 of 1149	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.1	1122 of 1144	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.2	1118 of 1130	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	14.0	983 of 1038	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.4	1105 of 1132	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.5	1083 of 1095	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New York percentile	Rating
2024	4.2	762 of 781	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

High school

Homeless (2025)10th percentile+9 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)7th percentile+6 vs school

Asian (2025)7th percentile+6 vs school

White (2024)2nd percentile~ school

African American (2025)2nd percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)1st percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)1st percentile~ school

Male (2025)1st percentile~ school

Female (2025)1st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)1st percentile~ school

By subject vs New York (2024-2025) ?

Common Core English Language Arts40%-35 vs state

Global History and Geography34%-42 vs state

U.S. History and Government27%-48 vs state

Common Core Algebra II25%-50 vs state

Earth and Space Sciences15%-41 vs state

Life Science Biology14%-44 vs state

Living Environment13%-44 vs state

Earth Science12%-53 vs state

Geometry9%-51 vs state

Algebra I9%-47 vs state

Common Core Geometry3%-21 vs state

Chemistry0%-65 vs state

★

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Schools Near James Monroe Upper School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Regents Chemistry (2025)	Regents Common Core Algebra II (2025)	Regents Common Core English Language Arts (2025)	Regents Common Core Geometry (2025)	Regents Earth Science (2025)	Regents Global History and Geography (2025)	Regents Living Environment (2025)	Regents Physics (2025)	Regents U.S. History and Government (2025)	Regents Algebra I (2025)	Regents Life Science Biology (2025)	Regents Geometry (2025)	Regents Earth and Space Sciences (2025)	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	Regents Chemistry End of Course	Regents Common Core Algebra II End of Course	Regents Common Core English Language Arts End of Course	Regents Common Core Geometry End of Course	Regents Earth Science End of Course	Regents Global History and Geography End of Course	Regents Living Environment End of Course	Regents Physics End of Course	Regents U.S. History and Government End of Course	Regents Algebra I End of Course	Regents Life Science Biology End of Course	Regents Geometry End of Course	Regents Earth and Space Sciences End of Course	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 7th Grade	NY State Assessments English Language Arts 8th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 7th Grade	NY State Assessments Math 8th Grade	NY State Assessments Science 8th 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
James Monroe Upper School	Public	9-12	164 Alexander St	Rochester	14607	Monroe County	Rochester City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(585) 232-1530	809	81	9.9	88.1%	27 (3.3%)	357 (44.1%)	397 (49.1%)	17 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.1%)	3.3	1227^th of 1234 public high schools	0.6%		3.5	1229^th of 1242 public high schools	1.0%	2	0.0	25.0	40.4	3.0	12.5	34.0	13.2		26.7	9.1	13.9	9.1	15.2						99.2	99.8	100.0	100.0	100.0	99.6	99.9	100.0	$35,308	$2,440	$32,868
School Without Walls	Public	9-12	480 Broadway	Rochester	14607	Monroe County	Rochester City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(585) 546-6732	258	31	8.3	88.8%	38 (14.7%)	127 (49.2%)	76 (29.5%)	11 (4.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	30.2	862^nd of 1234 public high schools	30.1%		7.7	1175^th of 1242 public high schools	5.4%	313			66.4			66.7			66.7	18.2									94.8	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	94.8	100.0	100.0	$37,877	$2,575	$35,302
Rochester Early College International High School	Public	9-12	85 Adams St	Rochester	14608	Monroe County	Rochester City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(585) 324-9010	458	48	9.6	87.6%	32 (7.0%)	264 (57.6%)	119 (26.0%)	33 (7.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.0%)	8.9	1153^rd of 1234 public high schools	6.6%		6.9	1184^th of 1242 public high schools	4.7%	31	10.0	44.2	42.9	13.6	34.4	33.3	34.2		30.7	20.7	18.0	4.3	33.3						98.5	98.5	98.5	98.5	98.5	98.5	98.5	98.5	$36,932	$1,773	$35,159
School Of The Arts	Public	7-12	45 Prince St	Rochester	14607	Monroe County	Rochester City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(585) 242-7682	1,065	96	11.1	68.4%	245 (23.0%)	447 (42.0%)	306 (28.7%)	38 (3.6%)	2 (0.2%)	4 (0.4%)	23 (2.2%)	35.7	800^th of 1234 public high schools	35.2%		33.8	810^th of 1242 public high schools	34.8%	10	46.3	71.2	80.7	22.2	22.2	65.6	27.1	30.8	58.4	52.7	47.1	51.3	43.6	44.9	48.9	37.7	15.7	19.1	99.4	99.5	99.9	99.9	99.9	100.0	99.5	99.9	$33,368	$2,139	$31,229
Monroe Correctional Facility	Public	8-12	107 N Clinton Ave	Rochester	14604	Monroe County	Rochester City School District	No	No	No	No	(585) 753-3065	35	24	1.4		1 (2.9%)	27 (77.1%)	6 (17.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.9%)								(n/a)
Vertus Charter School	Public, Charter	9-12	21 Humboldt St	Rochester	14609	Monroe County	Vertus Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(585) 747-8911	348			82.5%	4 (1.1%)	229 (65.8%)	114 (32.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24.7	931^st of 1234 public high schools	24.6%		13.2	1085^th of 1242 public high schools	12.6%	154		33.3	56.7		36.2	62.5	45.7		56.1	46.5		30.0															$20,305	$1,052	$19,253
East Upper High School	Public	9-12	1801 E Main St	Rochester	14609	Monroe County	Rochester City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(585) 288-3130	814	96	8.4	84.9%	59 (7.2%)	414 (50.9%)	322 (39.6%)	12 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (0.9%)	12.3	1105^th of 1234 public high schools	10.5%		10.3	1136^th of 1242 public high schools	8.5%	31	18.4	48.9	56.3	13.0	8.0	52.1	33.7		46.3	18.6	24.1	19.8	31.8						99.7	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	99.7	$42,535	$2,292	$40,243
Joseph C Wilson Magnet High School	Public	9-12	501 Genesee St	Rochester	14611	Monroe County	Rochester City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(585) 328-3440	868	88	9.9	88.2%	62 (7.1%)	509 (58.6%)	211 (24.3%)	61 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (2.8%)	4.7	1212^th of 1234 public high schools	1.8%		3.7	1228^th of 1242 public high schools	1.1%	16	10.3	20.6	33.3	0.0	15.8	36.2	20.9		42.5	13.7	10.5	25.0	31.3						99.1	99.8	100.0	100.0	100.0	99.8	99.8	99.5	$37,219	$2,106	$35,112
Brighton High School	Public	9-12	1150 Winton Rd S	Rochester	14618	Monroe County	Brighton Central School District	No	No	No	No	(585) 242-5000	1,164	102	11.4	24.3%	742 (63.7%)	114 (9.8%)	80 (6.9%)	118 (10.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	94 (8.1%)	83.2	82^nd of 1234 public high schools	93.4%		80.3	118^th of 1242 public high schools	90.5%	36	93.0	100.0	92.9	42.2	83.9	91.5	90.1	81.6	93.4	86.6		75.3							99.2	99.3	100.0	100.0	100.0	99.4	99.5	99.8	$26,422	$474	$25,948
Padilla High School	Public	9-12	950 Norton St	Rochester	14621	Monroe County	Rochester City School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(585) 467-3131	1,342	135	9.9	86.9%	97 (7.2%)	752 (56.0%)	418 (31.1%)	28 (2.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (3.3%)	2	1230^th of 1234 public high schools	0.3%					(n/a)	8.3	45.5	27.3	0.0	5.1	19.5	16.6		15.8	7.6	15.2	0.0	8.2														$35,640	$2,189	$33,451

Frequently Asked Questions about James Monroe Upper School

What is the racial makeup of James Monroe Upper School?

Students at James Monroe Upper School are 49% Hispanic, 44% African American, 3% White, 2% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

How many students attend James Monroe Upper School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 809 students attended James Monroe Upper School.

Is James Monroe Upper School a good school?

James Monroe Upper School ranks in the bottom 0.6% of New York high schools.

What district is James Monroe Upper School in?

Rochester City School District

What schools feed into James Monroe Upper School?

Rate James Monroe Upper School!

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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.