First place is beginning to feel like home for Smallwood Drive School.
The Amherst school stands at the top of Business First's rankings of Western New York elementary schools -- the same position it occupied last year and in 2005. (It was No. 2 in 2006.)
Business First graded 289 elementary schools, using four years of test results from the New York State Education Department. The rankings cover every school that participates in statewide testing for fourth graders.
Full details will be available in Business First's 2008-09 Guide to Western New York Schools, which hits newsstands on Friday. Highlights are available today (Tuesday) at the newspaper's website: buffalo.bizjournals.com.
BUSINESS FIRST'S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RANKINGS
(EACH SCHOOL IS FOLLOWED BY THE DISTRICT IN WHICH IT'S LOCATED; SEE BOTTOM OF PAGE FOR ABBREVIATIONS)
1. Smallwood Drive School (Amherst)
2. South Davis ES (Orchard Park)
3. Immaculate Conception School (East Aurora)
4. Ledgeview ES (Clarence)
5. Harris Hill ES (Clarence)
6. Charlotte Avenue ES (Hamburg)
7. Maple East ES (Williamsville)
8. Christian Central Academy (Williamsville)
9. Eggert Road ES (Orchard Park)
10. St. John Lutheran School (Niagara-Wheatfield)
11. Ellicott Road ES (Orchard Park)
12. Nardin Academy ES (Buffalo)
13. Christ the King School (Amherst)
14. St. Gregory the Great School (Williamsville)
15. Southern Tier Catholic School (Olean)
16. Country Parkway ES (Williamsville)
17. Nativity of Our Lord School (Orchard Park)
18. Armor ES (Hamburg)
19. St. Peter's Lutheran School (Niagara-Wheatfield)
20. Willow Ridge ES (Sweet Home)
21. Sheridan Hill ES (Clarence)
22. St. Bernadette School (Orchard Park)
23. Maple West ES (Williamsville)
24. P.S. 64 Frederick Law Olmsted (Buffalo)
25. Forest ES (Williamsville)
26. Heim ES (Williamsville)
27. Dodge ES (Williamsville)
28. Errick Road ES (Niagara-Wheatfield)
29. St. Stephen School (Grand Island)
30. St. Francis of Assisi School (Tonawanda)
31. Kadimah School of Buffalo (Amherst)
32. St. John the Baptist School (Alden)
33. Tapestry CS (Buffalo)
34. Big Tree ES (Frontier)
35. St. Peter School (Lewiston-Porter)
36. Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary School (Iroquois)
37. Kaegebein School (Grand Island)
38. Immaculate Conception School (Wellsville)
39. Highland ES (Evans-Brant)
40. Clinton ES (West Seneca)
41. Cayuga Heights ES (Depew)
42. St. Mary's School (Williamsville)
43. Covenant Academy (Kenmore-Tonawanda)
44. Boston Valley ES (Hamburg)
45. Mullen ES (Tonawanda)
46. Alden IS (Alden)
47. Central Christian Academy (Dunkirk)
48. St. Peter & Paul School (Hamburg)
49. DeWitt Clinton ES (Lockport)
50. Pinehurst ES (Frontier)
51. Charles A. Upson ES (Lockport)
52. Charles A. Lindbergh ES (Kenmore-Tonawanda)
53. Maplemere ES (Sweet Home)
54. Southwestern ES (Southwestern)
55. Huth Road School (Grand Island)
56. Clarence Center ES (Clarence)
57. Highland ES (Tonawanda)
58. St. Christopher's School (Sweet Home)
59. Attica ES (Attica)
60. William Street School (Lancaster)
61. Iroquois IS (Iroquois)
62. Queen of Heaven School (West Seneca)
63. St. Aloysius Regional School (Springville-Griffith Institute)
64. Holy Family Catholic School (Jamestown)
65. Starpoint IS (Starpoint)
66. Pratt ES (Barker)
67. Stella Niagara Education Park (Lewiston-Porter)
68. Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament School (Lancaster)
69. Bemus ES (Bemus Point)
70. Ohio School (North Tonawanda)
71. Main Street ES (East Aurora)
72. Fillmore Central School (Fillmore)
73. Windermere Boulevard School (Amherst)
74. East ES (West Seneca)
75. Washington Hunt School (Lockport)
76. DeSales Catholic ES (Lockport)
77. St. Joseph School (Batavia)
78. Clymer Central School (Clymer)
79. Lewiston-Porter Intermediate Education Center (Lewiston-Porter)
80. Winchester ES (West Seneca)
81. West Street ES (Niagara-Wheatfield)
82. Pembroke IS (Pembroke)
83. Holy Ghost Lutheran School (Niagara-Wheatfield)
84. St. Vincent DePaul School (Iroquois)
85. Heritage Heights ES (Sweet Home)
86. George Southard ES (Lockport)
87. Brant ES (Evans-Brant)
88. St. Mark School (Buffalo)
89. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary School (Clarence)
90. Northern Chautauqua Catholic School (Dunkirk)
91. Ellicottville ES (Ellicottville)
92. West ES (West Seneca)
93. Alfred-Almond ES (Alfred-Almond)
94. Wyoming Central School (Wyoming)
95. Holy Family School (LeRoy)
96. Lyndonville ES (Lyndonville)
97. Cleveland Hill ES (Cleveland Hill)
98. Union Pleasant ES (Hamburg)
99. Ben Franklin ES (Kenmore-Tonawanda)
100. Mount St. Joseph Academy (Buffalo)
101. Geraldine J. Mann School (Niagara Falls)
102. North Tonawanda Catholic School (North Tonawanda)
103. Blasdell ES (Frontier)
104. Sheldon ES (Attica)
105. Herbert Hoover ES (Kenmore-Tonawanda)
106. St. Benedict's School (Amherst)
107. Allendale ES (West Seneca)
108. Alexander Hamilton ES (Kenmore-Tonawanda)
109. William T. Hoag ES (Evans-Brant)
110. John T. Waugh ES (Evans-Brant)
111. Thomas Marks ES (Wilson)
112. Gilmore School (North Tonawanda)
113. St. Amelia School (Kenmore-Tonawanda)
114. Pine Valley ES (Pine Valley)
115. Byron-Bergen ES (Byron-Bergen)
116. Windom ES (Orchard Park)
117. St. Peter & Paul School (Williamsville)
118. Alexander ES (Alexander)
119. Union East ES (Cheektowaga)
120. Cuba ES (Cuba-Rushford)
121. A.J. Schmidt ES (Evans-Brant)
122. Fourteen Holy Helpers School (West Seneca)
123. Chautauqua Lake ES (Chautauqua Lake)
124. St. Mary's ES (Lancaster)
125. Cloverbank ES (Frontier)
126. Thomas A. Edison ES (Kenmore-Tonawanda)
127. Colden ES (Springville-Griffith Institute)
128. W.H. Stevenson ES (Wilson)
129. Rushford ES (Cuba-Rushford)
130. Glendale ES (Sweet Home)
131. Ronald L. Sodoma ES (Albion)
132. Northwood ES (West Seneca)
133. North Collins ES (North Collins)
134. Wolcott Street School (LeRoy)
135. Colonial Village ES (Niagara-Wheatfield)
136. Thomas Jefferson ES (Kenmore-Tonawanda)
137. Kendall ES (Kendall)
138. Arcade ES (Yorkshire-Pioneer)
139. Drake School (North Tonawanda)
140. Akron PS (Akron)
141. Potters Road School (West Seneca)
142. Cassadaga ES (Cassadaga Valley)
143. Seneca ES (Salamanca)
144. Maryvale IS (Cheektowaga-Maryvale)
145. Eden ES (Eden)
146. Robert Morris School (Batavia)
147. John Kennedy School (Batavia)
148. Newfane IS (Newfane)
149. Fredonia ES (Fredonia)
150. Meadow School (North Tonawanda)
151. Delevan ES (Yorkshire-Pioneer)
152. Springville ES (Springville-Griffith Institute)
153. St. Matthew Lutheran School (North Tonawanda)
154. Brocton ES (Brocton)
155. Andover School (Andover)
156. Riverview ES (Tonawanda)
157. Sherman ES (Sherman)
158. Lincoln ES (Jamestown)
159. Cattaraugus Campus ES (Cattaraugus-Little Valley)
160. Fletcher ES (Tonawanda)
161. Allegany ES (Allegany-Limestone)
162. Harvey C. Fenner ES (Falconer)
163. Boardmanville ES (Olean)
164. Franklinville ES (Franklinville)
165. Southtowns Catholic School (Frontier)
166. Henry J. Kalfas Magnet School (Niagara Falls)
167. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School (West Seneca)
168. Woodrow Wilson ES (Cheektowaga-Sloan)
169. West Valley Central School (West Valley)
170. Elba ES (Elba)
171. Our Lady of Pompeii School (Lancaster)
172. Portville ES (Portville)
173. St. Paul School (Kenmore-Tonawanda)
174. St. John the Baptist School (Kenmore-Tonawanda)
175. Theodore Roosevelt ES (Kenmore-Tonawanda)
176. St. Joseph School (Buffalo)
177. St. Mary's of the Lake School (Frontier)
178. Maple Avenue School (Niagara Falls)
179. St. Leo's School (Sweet Home)
180. Forestville ES (Forestville)
181. D.B. Bunce ES (Pavilion)
182. Harold O. Brumsted ES (Holland)
183. John E. Pound ES (Lockport)
184. Oakfield-Alabama ES (Oakfield-Alabama)
185. Seventy-Ninth Street School (Niagara Falls)
186. Royalton-Hartland ES (Royalton-Hartland)
187. Silver Creek ES (Silver Creek)
188. Prince of Peace School (Niagara Falls)
189. St. John Vianney School (Orchard Park)
190. Sinclairville ES (Cassadaga Valley)
191. Anna Merritt ES (Lockport)
192. Holley ES (Holley)
193. Our Lady of Mount Carmel School (Niagara Falls)
194. Letchworth ES (Letchworth)
195. Scio Central School (Scio)
196. King Center CS (Buffalo)
197. Jackson School (Batavia)
198. Robert H. Jackson ES (Frewsburg)
199. G.N. Chapman ES (Randolph)
200. Hyde Park School (Niagara Falls)
201. Panama K-6 School (Panama)
202. P.S. 67 Discovery School (Buffalo)
203. Westfield ES (Westfield)
204. Buffalo United CS (Buffalo)
205. Belfast School (Belfast)
206. Whitesville Central School (Whitesville)
207. Spruce School (North Tonawanda)
208. St. Joseph School (Gowanda)
209. Carlyle C. Ring ES (Jamestown)
210. Roy Kelley ES (Lockport)
211. Christian Academy of Western New York (Lockport)
212. Washington West ES (Olean)
213. Our Lady of Victory School (Lackawanna)
214. Oak Orchard School (Medina)
215. South Buffalo CS (Buffalo)
216. St. Andrew's Country Day School (Kenmore-Tonawanda)
217. Warsaw ES (Warsaw)
218. Perry ES (Perry)
219. Rovillus R. Rogers ES (Jamestown)
220. P.S. 81 (Buffalo)
221. Gowanda ES (Gowanda)
222. Milton J. Fletcher ES (Jamestown)
223. St. Margaret School (Buffalo)
224. CS for Applied Technologies (Kenmore-Tonawanda)
225. Westminster Community CS (Buffalo)
226. Hinsdale Central School (Hinsdale)
227. Limestone ES (Allegany-Limestone)
228. Wellsville ES (Wellsville)
229. East View ES (Olean)
230. Catholic Academy of West Buffalo (Buffalo)
231. Samuel G. Love ES (Jamestown)
232. Niagara Street School (Niagara Falls)
233. Ivers J. Norton ES (Olean)
234. St. Ambrose School (Buffalo)
235. Genesee Valley ES (Genesee Valley)
236. P.S. 72 Lorraine ES (Buffalo)
237. Friendship Central School (Friendship)
238. Harry F. Abate ES (Niagara Falls)
239. Our Lady of Black Rock (Buffalo)
240. Little Valley Campus ES (Cattaraugus-Little Valley)
241. Bolivar-Richburg ES (Bolivar-Richburg)
242. Tuscarora ES (Niagara-Wheatfield)
243. School 5 (Dunkirk)
244. School 7 (Dunkirk)
245. Mary Queen of Angels School (Cheektowaga)
246. P.S. 32 Bennett Park Montessori School (Buffalo)
247. Trinity Catholic Academy (Buffalo)
248. Trinity Lutheran School (West Seneca)
249. Ripley Central School (Ripley)
250. Community CS (Buffalo)
251. Canaseraga School (Canaseraga)
252. Holmes ES (Kenmore-Tonawanda)
253. Clinton V. Bush ES (Jamestown)
254. Martin Road ES (Lackawanna)
255. P.S. 93 Southside ES (Buffalo)
256. School 3 (Dunkirk)
257. P.S. 19 Native American Magnet (Buffalo)
258. P.S. 89 Lydia Wright School of Excellence (Buffalo)
259. P.S. 3 D'Youville-Porter Campus (Buffalo)
260. P.S. 65 Roosevelt Early Childhood Center (Buffalo)
261. Global Concepts CS (Lackawanna)
262. P.S. 54 George Blackman School of Excellence (Buffalo)
263. Enterprise CS (Buffalo)
264. P.S. 45 International School (Buffalo)
265. P.S. 69 Houghton Academy (Buffalo)
266. P.S. 95 Waterfront ES (Buffalo)
267. School 4 (Dunkirk)
268. P.S. 33 Bilingual Center (Buffalo)
269. P.S. 27 Hillery Park ES (Buffalo)
270. P.S. 18 Antonia Pantoja School of Excellence (Buffalo)
271. P.S. 53 Community School (Buffalo)
272. P.S. 91 Build Academy (Buffalo)
273. P.S. 43 Lovejoy Discovery (Buffalo)
274. P.S. 78 Montessori (Buffalo)
275. P.S. 96 Campus West School (Buffalo)
276. P.S. 31 Harriet Ross Tubman School (Buffalo)
277. P.S. 61 Early Childhood Center (Buffalo)
278. P.S. 39 Martin Luther King Multicultural Institute (Buffalo)
279. P.S. 80 Highgate Heights ES (Buffalo)
280. Pinnacle CS (Buffalo)
281. P.S. 74 Hamlin Park ES (Buffalo)
282. P.S. 99 Stanley Makowski Early Childhood Center (Buffalo)
283. P.S. 6 Buffalo ES of Technology (Buffalo)
284. P.S. 11 Poplar Citizenship Academy (Buffalo)
285. P.S. 37 Futures Academy (Buffalo)
286. P.S. 59 Charles Drew Science Magnet (Buffalo)
287. P.S. 76 Herman Badillo Bilingual Academy (Buffalo)
288. P.S. 17 Early Childhood Center (Buffalo)
289. P.S. 82 Early Childhood Center (Buffalo)
ABBREVIATIONS: CS-Charter School, EMS-Elementary-Middle School, ES-Elementary School, HS-High School, IS-Intermediate School, JHS-Junior High School, JSHS-Junior-Senior High School, MHS-Middle-High School, MS-Middle School, PS-Primary School, SHS-Senior High School, VHS-Vocational High School
