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Massachusetts public elementary school

Henry Whittemore Elementary School

Waltham school district

C+
overall grade

Ranks #581 of 895 Massachusetts elementary schools.

Overall rank
#581
of 895 schools
ELA · 2024–2026
24%
MA average 42%
Math · 2024–2026
32%
MA average 43%
Avg class size
16
382 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 23% statewide. Students attend 95.2% of school days on average.
  • Area to watch: ELA ranks in the bottom 18% statewide.
  • Trend: Chronic absence has fallen from 21.3% in 2022 to 9.8% in 2025.
  • Trend: ELA is down 9 points since 2023 (24% to 15%).
Where it stands among 895 Massachusetts elementary schools
Bottom of MATop of MA
Overall
Averagebottom 36% · #581
ELA
Below averagebottom 18% · #740
Math
Below averagebottom 32% · #612
Attendance
Above averagetop 23% · #197
Teacher quality
Averagetop 41% · #366

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 Arts15%in 2026 · state 43%
28 points below the state
0%50%100%This school15%State43%20172019202120232026
Math25%in 2026 · state 42%
17 points below the state
0%50%100%This school25%State42%20172019202120232026
Detailed scores
Average scaled score, ELA (500+ = meeting expectations)481
Average scaled score, Math (500+ = meeting expectations)488
Achievement percentile vs. MA schools (ELA · Math)10th · 29th

Students & classrooms

Classrooms
Students382
Average class size16MA avg 18
Students per teacher9.1MA avg 12.1
Who attends
Hispanic/Latino
77.8%
White
9.7%
Black/African American
5.5%
Asian
3.7%
Multi-Race
3.4%

53.7% girls · 46.3% boys

Student needs
Low incomeHigher than average
This school
70.7%
MA avg
42.8%
English learnersHigher than average
This school
53.9%
MA avg
17.2%
Students with disabilitiesLower than average
This school
10.5%
MA avg
22.3%

Teachers

Licensed teachersAbout average
This school
100%
MA avg
98.4%
Experienced teachersAbout average
This school
75%
MA avg
73.2%
Teaching in their fieldAbout average
This school
97.9%
MA avg
92.4%
Stayed from last yearWorse than average
This school
68.8%
MA avg
82.7%
More staffing details
Teachers (full-time equivalent)41.1
Principal retention100%
General education teachers76.5%
Special education teachers8.5%
English learner teachers15%

Attendance & safety

Attendance rateBetter than average
This school
95.2%
MA avg
94.1%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysBetter than average
This school
9.8%
MA avg
15.6%

8.1 days absent per student (MA avg 10.3) · Suspensions: 1.5% out-of-school, 1% in-school (MA elementary avg 2% / 1%)

About Waltham

Middlesex County · Greater Boston — Inside I-95
Avg single-family home value$503KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$5,189MA median $6,814
Tax rate$10.30 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$48,365MA median $47,872
Local kids in public school88.1%
Town bond ratingAA+
Free cash reserves16.5% of budget

Waltham 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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