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Best Public Schools in Zip Code 12196

At a glance

School

354

Students

Top rankedWest Sand Lake Elementary School545^th of 2,445 New York elementary schools

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Biggest riser

West Sand Lake Elementary School up 425 spots statewide this year

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Summary:

The 12196 zip code is home to a single standout elementary school, West Sand Lake Elementary School, which serves grades K-5 and is part of the Averill Park Central School District. This high-performing school consistently outperforms the district and state averages in academic proficiency, particularly in Math, and has seen a steady improvement in its statewide ranking, moving from 1141 out of 2439 New York elementary schools in 2022-2023 to 545 out of 2445 in 2024-2025.

West Sand Lake Elementary School's strong academic performance is likely attributed to its relatively low student-teacher ratio of 16.8 and higher-than-average spending per student of $23,068. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school achieved 70.21% proficiency in 3rd grade ELA, compared to 63.64% for the district and 54.15% for the state, and 82.98% proficiency in 3rd grade Math, compared to 71.08% for the district and 59.7% for the state. The school's 4-star rating from SchoolDigger further underscores its excellence.

Despite serving a diverse student population, with 25.26% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, West Sand Lake Elementary School continues to excel academically. This suggests the school is providing a high-quality education and the necessary resources and support to help all students succeed, regardless of their socioeconomic background. Overall, West Sand Lake Elementary School stands out as a shining example of educational excellence in the 12196 zip code.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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 (2025)	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
West Sand Lake Elementary School	Public	K-5	24 Meeler Rd	West Sand Lake	12196	Rensselaer County	Averill Park Central School District	No	No	No	Yes	(518) 674-7175	354	23	15.0	24.9%	323 (91.2%)	2 (0.6%)	15 (4.2%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.1%)	75.2	545^th of 2445 public elementary schools	77.7%		57.3	970^th of 2445 public elementary schools	60.3%	425	70.2	58.8	69.1	83.0	74.5	71.2	58.2	98.5	99.0	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.0	99.0	98.5	$24,652	$906	$23,746

Cities Near Zip Code 12196

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
West Sand Lake	1.51 mi	1	134^th
East Greenbush	2.98 mi	3	53^rd
Averill Park	3.24 mi	3	280^th
Troy	3.77 mi	18	583^rd
Castleton	4.36 mi	4	180^th

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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.