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Massachusetts public elementary school

Francis T Bresnahan Elementary

Newburyport school district

B
overall grade

Ranks #351 of 895 Massachusetts elementary schools — top 40%.

Overall rank
#351
of 895 schools
ELA · 2024–2026
50%
MA average 42%
Math · 2024–2026
52%
MA average 43%
Avg class size
16
589 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
  • Strongest area: Attendance, in the top 25% statewide. Students attend 95.1% of school days on average.
  • Area to watch: Teacher quality ranks in the bottom 42% statewide.
  • Trend: Math is up 10 points since 2023 (53% to 63%).
  • Trend: Chronic absence has fallen from 15.4% in 2022 to 7.6% in 2025.
Where it stands among 895 Massachusetts elementary schools
Bottom of MATop of MA
Overall
Averagetop 40% · #351
ELA
Averagetop 40% · #352
Math
Averagetop 36% · #320
Attendance
Above averagetop 25% · #216
Teacher quality
Averagebottom 42% · #528

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

ELA has been above the state average every year since 2018. Math has been above the state average in 7 of 8 years since 2018.

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

English Language Arts59%in 2026 · state 43%
16 points above the state
0%50%100%This school59%State43%20172019202120232026
Math63%in 2026 · state 42%
21 points above the state
0%50%100%This school63%State42%20172019202120232026
Detailed scores
Average scaled score, ELA (500+ = meeting expectations)504
Average scaled score, Math (500+ = meeting expectations)507
Achievement percentile vs. MA schools (ELA · Math)77th · 80th

Students & classrooms

Classrooms
Students589
Average class size16MA avg 18
Students per teacher9.6MA avg 12.1
Who attends
White
87.6%
Hispanic/Latino
7.5%
Multi-Race
3.2%
Asian
1.2%
Black/African American
0.5%

48.4% girls · 51.6% boys

Student needs
Low incomeLower than average
This school
12.1%
MA avg
42.8%
English learnersLower than average
This school
5.1%
MA avg
17.2%
Students with disabilitiesLower than average
This school
17.2%
MA avg
22.3%

Teachers

Licensed teachersAbout average
This school
98.4%
MA avg
98.4%
Experienced teachersAbout average
This school
68.9%
MA avg
73.2%
Teaching in their fieldAbout average
This school
98.4%
MA avg
92.4%
Stayed from last yearAbout average
This school
84.1%
MA avg
82.7%
More staffing details
Teachers (full-time equivalent)61.1
Principal retention100%
General education teachers65.1%
Special education teachers32.7%
English learner teachers2.2%

Attendance & safety

Attendance rateBetter than average
This school
95.1%
MA avg
94.1%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysBetter than average
This school
7.6%
MA avg
15.6%

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

About Newburyport

Essex County · North Shore & Merrimack Valley
Avg single-family home value$1.11MMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$10,249MA median $6,814
Tax rate$9.30 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$90,261MA median $47,872
Local kids in public school88.5%
Town bond ratingAAA
Free cash reserves3.2% of budget

Newburyport 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.

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