LAMS, Mill Road named among top schools in NY by U.S. News and World Report

Linden Avenue Middle School and Mill Road Elementary School are being recognized among the top schools in New York, according to U.S. News and World Report.

The publication released its 2027 lists for Best Middle Schools and Best Elementary Schools in each state Thursday, and both Red Hook Central School District institutions made the list. Previously, U.S. News and World Report ranked Red Hook High School the top high school in the region in their annual list.

The middle and elementary school rankings focused heavily on mathematics and reading/language arts state assessment proficiency and performance, with demographics factoring into the calculations. The publication did not create a national ranking for those school levels.

“We are incredibly proud to share this recognition with our faculty, staff, students and families, whose partnership, dedication, hard work and care for one another made it possible,” LAMS Principal Dr. Stacie Fenn Smith said. “I am also grateful for the support of our Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. Janet Warden, whose commitment to our schools, gives us the resources and encouragement to do this work well.”

LAMS ranked 560th among New York middle schools and Mill Road was 910th among elementary schools.

In addition to the math and ELA exams factoring into the rankings, both schools feature extensive facilities and resources not found at all schools of their sort, such as the STEAM Innovation and Little Engineers rooms in Mill Road, the Piano Lab and flight simulators in LAMS; and a broad range of outdoor equipment and enrichment areas, including Mill Road’s garden and LAMS’ playground facilities.

“We are incredibly excited to receive this recognition and to be named among the top-ranked elementary schools in the region,” Mill Road Principal Dr. Brian Boyd said. “Our strong achievement in reading and mathematics is certainly something to celebrate, but we are just as proud of the engaging experiences our students have through STEAM, outdoor learning, and opportunities to collaborate, problem-solve, and learn from one another.

“This recognition is a wonderful reflection of our outstanding faculty and staff and their commitment to creating meaningful learning experiences for every child,” he said.

That these schools would earn recognition at the same time as Red Hook High School is no coincidence, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Janet Warden said.

“Our elementary and middle schools provide students a firm foundation for learning with instruction that takes a future-focused approach that prepares them to strive in high school and beyond graduation,” Warden said. “We are proud of the experience our students receive throughout their continuum at Red Hook. I am grateful to have principals who truly care and create enriching and supportive learning environments, and I thank the staff in each building who have worked hard to earn these national recognitions.”