It has a big city name. But New York School has a small town problem — the eastern Lawrence School been losing population for years.

New York is nestled in one of Lawrence’s oldest neighborhoods, just a few blocks east of the city’s downtown. The school was named after New York Street, where it was built in 1937.

The school’s campus at 936 New York St., had an enrollment of 142 in fall 2003, making it the smallest of Lawrence’s kindergartern through grade six attendance centers.

It also has a lot of students from low-income families. The Kansas State Board of Education Report Card, which reports socioeconomic information about each school in the state, shows that 84.5 percent of New York School students are economically disadvantaged.

The school is also one of the most racially diverse schools in Lawrence. Here is the building’s ethnicity breakdown: white, 37.21 percent; African American, 47.29 percent; Hispanic, 5.43 percent; other, 10.08 percent.

According to the state’s latest Report Card for New York School, fifth-grade students showed an increase in reading and fourth-graders increased in math scores over the previous year.
New York School students scored lower than their peers in the district and across the state in reading but higher in math.
The number of the school’s fifth-graders who were “proficient,” “advanced,” or “exemplary” in reading went from 46.8 percent to 60 percent on the state test.
The Lawrence district’s overall reading score for fifth-graders, showed that 74.2 percent were either proficent, advanced or exemplary in reading. The overall state score was 68.7 percent for those categories.
New York School’s fourth-graders tested in math showed an increase from 46.2 percent to 78.5 percent between 2002 and 2003 for students scoring either proficient, advanced or exemplary.
That compared with 73.3 percent for the entire district and 73.5 percent for the state.

The school’s regular hours are 8:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. The school has a before-school program from 7 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. and an after-school program from 3:45 p.m. to 6 p.m. with the school district and with the Boys & Girls Club, 841-6854.

The school’s staff includes a total of 41 teachers and support staff.
In 1994, Carolyn Landgrebe, (now retired) was named master teacher.

New York School’s principal is Sharen Steele, who plans to retire at the end of the 2003-2004 school year after 15 years at the school.
She will be replaced by Nancy DeGarmo, who has been a K-8 principal and transportation director for Lyndon public schools.
To arrange a visit, call 785-832-5780.