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Massachusetts public elementary school

Athol Community Elementary School

Athol-Royalston school district

C-
overall grade

Ranks #814 of 895 Massachusetts elementary schools.

Overall rank
#814
of 895 schools
ELA · 2024–2026
22%
MA average 42%
Math · 2024–2026
23%
MA average 43%
Avg class size
20
604 students

ELA and Math show the share of 3rd graders meeting or exceeding expectations on the MCAS, averaged over 2024–2026.

How it compares

What stands out
  • Best of its categories: Attendance, in the bottom 21% statewide. Students attend 93% of school days on average.
  • Trend: Chronic absence has fallen from 40% in 2022 to 20.9% in 2025.
Where it stands among 895 Massachusetts elementary schools
Bottom of MATop of MA
Overall
Well below averagebottom 10% · #814
ELA
Below averagebottom 15% · #767
Math
Below averagebottom 18% · #740
Attendance
Below averagebottom 21% · #715
Teacher quality
Below averagebottom 15% · #765

MCAS standings use the 2024–2026 average of grade 3 results, so one unusual year doesn't swing a school's ranking. Scores in the sections below are from 2026.

Test scores

Both ELA and Math have been below the state average every year since 2018.

Share of 3rd graders meeting or exceeding expectations on the MCAS. There was no test in 2020.

English Language Arts22%in 2026 · state 43%
21 points below the state
0%50%100%This school22%State43%20172019202120232026
Math17%in 2026 · state 42%
25 points below the state
0%50%100%This school17%State42%20172019202120232026
Detailed scores
Average scaled score, ELA (500+ = meeting expectations)482
Average scaled score, Math (500+ = meeting expectations)482
Achievement percentile vs. MA schools (ELA · Math)11th · 17th

Students & classrooms

Classrooms
Students604
Average class size20MA avg 18
Students per teacher13.9MA avg 12.1
Who attends
White
74.7%
Hispanic/Latino
16.2%
Multi-Race
4.6%
Black/African American
2.8%
Asian
1.7%

48.8% girls · 51.2% boys

Student needs
Low incomeHigher than average
This school
62.9%
MA avg
42.8%
English learnersLower than average
This school
4.5%
MA avg
17.2%
Students with disabilitiesAbout average
This school
22.7%
MA avg
22.3%

Teachers

Licensed teachersAbout average
This school
97.6%
MA avg
98.4%
Experienced teachersWorse than average
This school
61%
MA avg
73.2%
Teaching in their fieldAbout average
This school
87.5%
MA avg
92.4%
Stayed from last yearAbout average
This school
78.7%
MA avg
82.7%
More staffing details
Teachers (full-time equivalent)42.3
General education teachers82.3%
Special education teachers17.7%

Attendance & safety

Attendance rateWorse than average
This school
93%
MA avg
94.1%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysWorse than average
This school
20.9%
MA avg
15.6%

12.2 days absent per student (MA avg 10.3) · Suspensions: Not reported

About Athol

Worcester County · Central Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$310KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$3,924MA median $6,814
Tax rate$12.70 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$25,569MA median $47,872
Town bond ratingAA-
Free cash reserves5.9% of budget

Athol-Royalston district profile · What could you afford here? · All towns A–Z

Town figures are FY2026 averages for single-family homes from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. Assessed values usually run below recent sale prices. "MA median" is the median of the state's 351 towns.

Other schools in Athol-Royalston

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