makes a huge difference. And the community is very involved, very supportive."

Business First graded 278 elementary schools in the eight counties of Western New York, based on four years of test data from the New York State Education Department.

The rankings cover every school that participates in the statewide testing program for fourth graders. (The threshold will drop to third graders in 2013.)

Second place on this year's went to St. Gregory the Great School, a Catholic school in Williamsville.

Southern Tier Catholic School of Olean, the previous top ranked elementary school, dropped slightly to third place this year.

Private schools that don't take part in the statewide testing program are not included in Business First's rankings.

Full details will be available in Business First's 2012-2013 Guide to Western New York Schools, which hits newsstands on Friday.

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TOP 100 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN BUSINESS FIRST'S RANKINGS (EACH SCHOOL IS FOLLOWED BY THE DISTRICT IN WHICH IT'S LOCATED; SEE BOTTOM OF PAGE FOR ABBREVIATIONS)

1. Ledgeview ES (Clarence)

2. St. Gregory the Great School (Williamsville)

3. Southern Tier Catholic School (Olean)

4. Country Parkway ES (Williamsville)

5. Christ the King School (Amherst)

6. Nardin Academy ES (Buffalo)

7. Maple East ES (Williamsville)

8. St. John Vianney School (Orchard Park)

9. Smallwood Drive School (Amherst)

10. South Davis ES (Orchard Park)

11. Sherman ES (Sherman)

12. Elmwood Village CS (Buffalo)

13. Sheridan Hill ES (Clarence)

14. Christian Central Academy (Williamsville)

15. Maple West ES (Williamsville)

16. Charlotte Avenue ES (Hamburg)

17. P.S. 64 Frederick Law Olmsted (Buffalo)

18. Eggert Road ES (Orchard Park)

19. Charles A. Lindbergh ES (Kenmore-Tonawanda)

20. Big Tree ES (Frontier)

21. Tapestry CS (Buffalo)

22. Our Lady of Pompeii School (Lancaster)

23. Ellicottville ES (Ellicottville)

24. Harris Hill ES (Clarence)

25. St. Peter & Paul School (Williamsville)

26. St. Christopher's School (Sweet Home)

27. Heim ES (Williamsville)

28. Parkdale ES (East Aurora)

29. East ES (West Seneca)

30. St. Stephen School (Grand Island)

31. Forest ES (Williamsville)

32. St. Leo the Great School (Sweet Home)

33. St. Mary's School (Williamsville)

34. St. Aloysius Regional School (Springville-Griffith Institute)

35. West ES (West Seneca)

36. Ellicott Road ES (Orchard Park)

37. St. Peter's Lutheran School (Niagara-Wheatfield)

38. St. Mary's ES (Lancaster)

39. Errick Road ES (Niagara-Wheatfield)

40. Sheldon ES (Attica)

41. St. John Lutheran School (Niagara-Wheatfield)

42. Southtowns Catholic School (Frontier)

43. Dodge ES (Williamsville)

44. Prospect ES (Attica)

45. Pinehurst ES (Frontier)

46. St. Bernadette School (Orchard Park)

47. Armor ES (Hamburg)

48. St. Vincent DePaul School (Iroquois)

49. Byron-Bergen ES (Byron-Bergen)

50. Clinton ES (West Seneca)

51. Holy Ghost Lutheran School (Niagara-Wheatfield)

52. Holy Family School (LeRoy)

53. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary School (Clarence)

54. Alfred-Almond ES (Alfred-Almond)

55. Allendale ES (West Seneca)

56. Immaculate Conception School (East Aurora)

57. Kaegebein School (Grand Island)

58. Mullen ES (Tonawanda)

59. Clarence Center ES (Clarence)

60. Fletcher ES (Tonawanda)

61. Nativity of Our Lord School (Orchard Park)

62. St. Peter School (Lewiston-Porter)

63. Union Pleasant ES (Hamburg)

64. Pembroke IS (Pembroke)

65. Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament School (Lancaster)

66. Starpoint IS (Starpoint)

67. Immaculate Conception School (Wellsville)

68. Cayuga Heights ES (Depew)

69. St. Mark's School (Buffalo)

70. St. Benedict's School (Amherst)

71. William Street School (Lancaster)

72. Huth Road School (Grand Island)

73. Alexander ES (Alexander)

74. St. Andrew's Country Day School (Kenmore-Tonawanda)

75. Maplemere ES (Sweet Home)

76. St. Peter & Paul School (Hamburg)

77. Winchester ES (West Seneca)

78. Eden ES (Eden)

79. St. Francis of Assisi School (Tonawanda)

80. Iroquois IS (Iroquois)

81. Colden ES (Springville-Griffith Institute)

82. Alden PS (Alden)

83. Kadimah School of Buffalo (Amherst)

84. Thomas Marks ES (Wilson)

85. Southwestern ES (Southwestern)

86. P.S. 67 Discovery School (Buffalo)

87. Geraldine J. Mann School (Niagara Falls)

88. Queen of Heaven School (West Seneca)

89. Pratt ES (Barker)

90. Windom ES (Orchard Park)

91. Willow Ridge ES (Sweet Home)

92. Alexander Hamilton ES (Kenmore-Tonawanda)

93. Herbert Hoover ES (Kenmore-Tonawanda)

94. Meadow School (North Tonawanda)

95. Perry ES (Perry)

96. Maple Avenue School (Niagara Falls)

97. Northwood ES (West Seneca)

98. Wolcott Street School (LeRoy)

99. Notre Dame Academy (Buffalo)

100. Anna Merritt ES (Lockport
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Friday June 15, 2012 Business First hits the news stands......then we will know how ALL school districts rank.
Even Buffalo has " 5 " of their schools on the TOP " 100 " list!

I sure hope we moved up the ranks! I believe in OUR kids! I do, I do, I do!