Best Schools in Jefferson County, NY
Jefferson County, NY has 53 public schools (9 high, 8 middle, 26 elementary) serving 20,661 students. On average they score 54% on state proficiency tests against a projected 59%, so schools in Jefferson County underperform expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in Jefferson County, NY
The top high schools in Jefferson County, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Thousand Islands High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Thousand Islands Central School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 247 Students
2. Sandy Creek High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Sandy Creek Central School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 213 Students
3. South Jefferson High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
South Jefferson Central School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 553 Students
4. Indian River High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Indian River Central School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 781 Students
5. Alexandria Central High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Alexandria Central School District • Public • Grades 7 - 12 • 229 Students
6. Gouverneur High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Gouverneur Central School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 467 Students
7. General Brown Junior-senior High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
General Brown Central School District • Public • Grades 7 - 12 • 661 Students
8. Watertown Senior High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Watertown City School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1083 Students
9. Carthage Senior High School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Carthage Central School District • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 815 Students
Best Middle Schools in Jefferson County, NY
The top middle schools in Jefferson County, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Thousand Islands Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Thousand Islands Central School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 209 Students
2. Clarke Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
South Jefferson Central School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 435 Students
3. Indian River Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Indian River Central School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 672 Students
4. Carthage Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Carthage Central School District • Public • Grades 5 - 8 • 899 Students
5. Sandy Creek Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Sandy Creek Central School District • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 186 Students
6. Gouverneur Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Gouverneur Central School District • Public • Grades 5 - 8 • 472 Students
7. Case Middle School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Watertown City School District • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 626 Students
8. Harold T Wiley School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Watertown City School District • Public • Grades 5 - 6 • 574 Students
Best Elementary Schools in Jefferson County, NY
The top elementary schools in Jefferson County, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Bashaw Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Thousand Islands Central School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 125 Students
2. Evans Mills Primary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Indian River Central School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 3 • 375 Students
3. Philadelphia Primary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Indian River Central School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 3 • 114 Students
4. Black River School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Carthage Central School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 4 • 460 Students
5. Theresa Primary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Indian River Central School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 3 • 187 Students
6. Mannsville Manor Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
South Jefferson Central School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 319 Students
7. Maynard P Wilson Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
South Jefferson Central School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 520 Students
8. Alexandria Central Elementary School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Alexandria Central School District • Public • Grades Pre K - 6 • 231 Students
9. Indian River Intermediate School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Indian River Central School District • Public • Grades 4 - 5 • 544 Students
10. Sherman School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Watertown City School District • Public • Grades KG - 4 • 320 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in Jefferson County, NY
County-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
Jefferson County, NY has a total population of 116,721 with 25% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 92%, and 26% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in Jefferson County, NY
K-12 Students
High School Graduates
Adults 25+ with HS diplomas
College Graduates
Adults 25+ with a Bachelor’s degree or higher
Demographics statistics provided by Best Neighborhood Jefferson County, NY.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
21.51 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
3.47 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
18.03 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Jefferson County, NY.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Jefferson County, NY.
ISP Report Card
Internet Infrastructure Grade
Average Download Speed
Speed Most Residents Can Get
Digital Connectivity Index
ISP Connectivity Demand Report
To read more about these statistics, please visit Jefferson County, NY Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in Jefferson County, NY
How many schools are in Jefferson County, NY?
Jefferson County, NY has 53 public schools: 9 high schools, 8 middle schools and 26 elementary schools, serving 20,661 students in total.
How do schools in Jefferson County perform on state tests?
On average, 53 schools in Jefferson County score 54% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 59%, so on average schools in Jefferson County underperform expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Jefferson County?
Every public school gets a SchoolGrade from A+ to F based on the share of students at or above the state proficiency bar. The Impact Grade compares that result with what we would expect given the school’s student and community context, so schools that outperform their circumstances stand out. Schools cannot pay to change a grade. Read the full methodology.
Best Schools in Cities Near Jefferson County, NY
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 57%
- Projected: 66%
- Impact Grade: Underperforms Expectations
- Actual: 65%
- Projected: 65%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 57%
- Projected: 61%
- Impact Grade: Underperforms Expectations
- Actual: 51%
- Projected: 47%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 52%
- Projected: 50%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 43%
- Projected: 42%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 50%
- Projected: 48%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 48%
- Projected: 46%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 47%
- Projected: 45%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 46%
- Projected: 40%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
Cities, towns and school districts in Jefferson County
20 places in Jefferson County with graded public schools. Each link opens that place's ranked schools.
Cities and towns (20)
- Watertown (9)
- Carthage (4)
- Philadelphia (4)
- Clayton (3)
- Adams (2)
- Alexandria Bay (2)
- Dexter (2)
- Adams Center (1)
- Antwerp (1)
- Belleville (1)
- Black River (1)
- Brownville (1)
- Calcium (1)
- Cape Vincent (1)
- Chaumont (1)
- Evans Mills (1)
- La Fargeville (1)
- Mannsville (1)
- Sackets Harbor (1)
- Theresa (1)
School districts (6)
- Indian River Central School District (8 schools)
- Watertown City School District (8 schools)
- Carthage Central School District (5 schools)
- South Jefferson Central School District (4 schools)
- Thousand Islands Central School District (4 schools)
- General Brown Central School District (3 schools)