N  I  A  G  A  R  A      G  A  Z  E  T  T  E       niagara-gazette.com

Published: June 05, 2009 12:12 am     

BUSINESS FIRST: L-P ranks high, Falls low in annual report

Lewiston-Porter School District is the top district in Niagara County and No. 11 in Western New York, according to annual rankings compiled by Business First.

The publication analyzed 97 school districts in the eight Western New York counties, based on four years of test data compiled by the New York State Education Department. Each district’s rating reflects the collective performance of its public elementary, middle and high schools. The results were released Thursday afternoon.

Lew-Port Superintendent Christopher Roser said the district is very excited about its ranking but not completely satisfied.

“Quite frankly, 11 is not good enough,” he said. “We want more and we think Lewiston-Porter is capable of more.”

Still, in a district where academics and student performance is often overshadowed by bickering among school board members and internal lawsuits, being the top ranked school in Niagara County delivers some sense of vindication, Roser said.

“It shows that Lewiston-Porter is really on the right track with things it’s been doing over the past few years and what we can accomplish when we work together,” he said.

Lew-Port also ranked seventh in Business First’s socioeconomic climate sub-ranking, which assesses districts where students enjoy the highest standards of living.

Roser, who has only served the district since October, said the credit goes to a unified team of administrators, teachers, students and parents.

“Our principals have shown strong leadership and set a good direction, and that leadership has been especially well-received by the teachers,” he said. “And the students and parents believe in that message and what we’re all about.”

After Lew-Port, the highest ranking Niagara County district was Wilson at 18th. Niagara-Wheatfield finished 23rd, moving up three spots from last year.

For the sixth straight year, Williamsville was awarded the top ranking overall. Rounding out the top five were Clarence, Amherst, East Aurora and Orchard Park. Grand Island finished seventh, moving up three rankings from last year.

Once again, Niagara Falls ranked near the bottom of the list at 92nd, and once again, district officials discounted the results.

“It’s still comparing apples to oranges,” Interim Superintendent Cynthia Bianco said about the district’s ranking, which is one spot higher than last year.

Since Business First began ranking districts 18 years ago, Falls officials have protested the method used unfairly compares districts with different demographics and challenges. Bianco pointed out the Falls district has had numerous academic successes over the past year, including three of its elementary grades posting a 100 percent passing rate on the state math exam.

“We compare our growth, which is substantial, to like districts,” Bianco said. “We’re doing very well when you look at those comparisons.”

Full details on the rankings are available in Business First’s 2009-10 Guide to Western New York Schools, which hits newsstands today.