PERSELL MIDDLE SCHOOL

PERSELL MIDDLE SCHOOL is a close-knit middle school in JAMESTOWN, New York, operated by JAMESTOWN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT. The school enrolls 373 students in grades 5 through 8. That puts it 30% smaller than the typical public school in New York, which averages around 531 students.

JAMESTOWN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT comprises 9 schools with combined enrollment of 4,370 students; PERSELL MIDDLE SCHOOL is among them.

Demographically, PERSELL MIDDLE SCHOOL shows that 66% of the student body identifies as White. Beyond that, the school reports 18% Hispanic, 12% multiracial, 3% Black. That is noticeably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 86%.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 41 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 9.1:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 10.3:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 76% of students at PERSELL MIDDLE SCHOOL qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Chautauqua County (around 57%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, PERSELL MIDDLE SCHOOL sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 47.2%; this one delivers 49.7%.

In the broader community, Chautauqua County reports that median household earnings sit near $58,351, roughly 25% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 12% of residents live below the federal poverty line. PERSELL MIDDLE SCHOOL is one of 51 public schools in Chautauqua County (combined enrollment of about 17,056 students).

Nearest neighbor: ABRAHAM LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, around 0.6 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), PERSELL MIDDLE SCHOOL ranks 4th on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 40.8%.

Geographically, the school is in a town-center area.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count fell 19%: 459 students in 2018 compared to 373 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 74% to 66% across the same window. Class-load math has pulled in: from 11.0:1 in 2018 to 9.1:1 in 2025.

On this page, members of the PERSELL MIDDLE SCHOOL community share and discuss fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.