The East Greenbush Central School District is proud to announce that five of its schools have earned recognition in the prestigious U.S. News & World Report 2026 Best Elementary Schools and Best Middle Schools rankings. Those schools include:
- Howard L. Goff Middle School
- Bell Top Elementary School
- Genet Elementary School
- Red Mill Elementary School
- Donald P. Sutherland Elementary School
This marks the third consecutive year that Goff Middle School has been named to the U.S. News & World Report Best School Rankings, a testament to its sustained high-quality instruction.
District-Wide Success
This recognition follows the earlier announcement in August that Columbia High School was selected for the 2026 Best High Schools Report, meaning the entire K-12 academic journey in East Greenbush CSD has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report.
“It is humbling and rewarding to receive this mark of excellence on behalf of the programmatic and academic hard work that our staff and students put forth each and every day,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kurtis Kotes. “Our entire district cares deeply about providing the best opportunities for the young people of the community and this is one indicator that our work is being recognized.”
All East Greenbush CSD schools are in good standing according to the NYS Education Department.
Understanding the Rankings
The 2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings are based on state assessment data and evaluate schools using a formula that incorporates test results with socioeconomic demographics. The primary ranking factors are weighted equally (25% each) across four key areas:
- Math Proficiency
- Math Performance
- Reading Proficiency
- Reading Performance
“Recognizing schools that consistently deliver high-quality education, U.S. News’ 2026 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings showcase institutions that empower students from a variety of backgrounds,” said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., managing editor for Education at U.S. News. “This data-rich resource helps parents choose schools that are truly making a difference in children’s academic journeys.”
More Recognition of Our Schools
In recent years, our schools have received many accolades:
- Voted ‘Best School District’ in the Capital Region in the Times Union Best of the Capital Region (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
- Red Mill (2011) and Green Meadow (2021) named National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education
- Columbia named a Recognition School in 2019 and 2020 and a Reward School in 2018
- Columbia received state sportsmanship award from NYSPHSAA in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 out of nearly 800 member schools
Congratulations to each of our award winning schools!