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Public middle school · Utica City School District · Utica, New York

Senator James H Donovan Middle School

Senator James H Donovan Middle School rates 5.2, right at the middle of Utica City School District's middle schools, whose rated median is 4.9.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
5.2this school

5.2 on a one-to-ten scale; the Utica City School District median is 4.9.

#3,816 of 4,744 schools in New York · Utica City School District: 2 middle schools rated, median 4.9

The brief

An Utica City School District middle school where students score 9 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 3,816 of 4,744 schools in New York and 10 of 13 in Utica City School District.

Senator James H Donovan Middle School is listed in Utica City School District, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math47%12 points below the New York average of 59%2025 NYSED
Reading37%16 points below the New York average of 53%2025 NYSED
Proficiency has held near 42% across the 3-year record (2023–2025).2025 NYSED; 46 test records from NY state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
5.7
40% of the rating
Academics
4.7
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
5.3
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 6 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 34% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 33% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 NYSED · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 NYSED · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 13502; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Senator James H Donovan Middle School and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$59,530
Median home value
$149,600
Median rent
$965/mo
College educated
25%
Homeownership
60.2%
Poverty rate
20.1%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 13502; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
27
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
40
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
3,427/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Utica. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Utica), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
84.1%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 7.6Compare →
  2. 6.3Compare →
  3. 5.9Compare →
  4. 5.5Compare →
  5. Senator James H Donovan Middle Schoolthis school
    5.2
  6. 5.2Compare →
  7. 4.6Compare →
  8. not ratedCompare →
Seven grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and four rate higher than Senator James H Donovan Middle School among the rated peers.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Senator James H Donovan Middle School serve?

Senator James H Donovan Middle School serves students in grades 7th through 8th.

How many students attend Senator James H Donovan Middle School?

Senator James H Donovan Middle School has an enrollment of approximately 763 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Senator James H Donovan Middle School?

The student-teacher ratio at Senator James H Donovan Middle School is 12.5:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Senator James H Donovan Middle School rank in NY?

Senator James H Donovan Middle School ranks #3,816 of 4,744 schools in NY.

What is Senator James H Donovan Middle School's MySchoolScout rating?

Senator James H Donovan Middle School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.2 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Senator James H Donovan Middle School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Senator James H Donovan Middle School has 34% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 33% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Senator James H Donovan Middle School a charter school?

No, Senator James H Donovan Middle School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Senator James H Donovan Middle School a Title I school?

No, Senator James H Donovan Middle School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Senator James H Donovan Middle School?

84.1% of students at Senator James H Donovan Middle School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
7th – 8th
Enrollment
763
Student-teacher ratio
12.5:1
Teachers (FTE)
61
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Small City
County
Oneida County
Rank in district
#10 of 13
Schools in district
13
District spending per student
$21,812
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
40.4%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 13502)
33,241
Area average commute
18.9 min
Area median age
37.8

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, New York State Education Dept., and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.