SAC member Michael Gallo: Ticonderoga shows inconsistent test results; graduation rate fell to 83%

Michael Gallo, a member of the Hague School Advisory Committee and chair of the local board finance committee, told an audience in Hague that Ticonderoga schools had mixed results on state proficiency tests but a worrying decline in the high‑school graduation rate. He told attendees that third and sixth graders outperformed the state average in some subjects, but that the district’s composite proficiency across grades 3–8 was roughly 36% — “about 10% or so below the state average,” he said.

Gallo highlighted the graduation‑rate drop as a concrete concern: “If 6 more kids had graduated in 2024, just 6 more, the score would have been 92%,” he said, warning that the 2024 rate of 83% puts the district below the state average. He said the committee used New York State Department of Education performance reports to compare Ticonderoga with nearby districts (Lake George, Bolton) and the state, and framed the findings as a call for local involvement rather than a final diagnosis.

The SAC presentation and subsequent audience questions covered possible drivers — from staff turnover to higher shares of students with special needs — and the limits of per‑pupil comparisons because of accounting choices. Gallo urged residents to attend school board meetings, review the committee’s handouts, and press for sustained, community‑wide action to lift student outcomes.