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Massachusetts public elementary school

James B Congdon Elementary

New Bedford school district

C+
overall grade

Ranks #620 of 895 Massachusetts elementary schools.

Overall rank
#620
of 895 schools
ELA · 2024–2026
32%
MA average 42%
Math · 2024–2026
38%
MA average 43%
Avg class size
18
310 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 21% statewide. Students attend 95.2% of school days on average.
  • Area to watch: Teacher quality ranks in the bottom 20% statewide.
  • Trend: Chronic absence has fallen from 33.1% in 2022 to 9.5% in 2025.
  • Trend: ELA is down 6 points since 2023 (40% to 34%).
Where it stands among 895 Massachusetts elementary schools
Bottom of MATop of MA
Overall
Below averagebottom 31% · #620
ELA
Below averagebottom 32% · #615
Math
Averagebottom 40% · #543
Attendance
Above averagetop 21% · #185
Teacher quality
Below averagebottom 20% · #722

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 in 1 of 8 years since 2018. Math has been above the state average in 4 of 8 years since 2018.

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

English Language Arts34%in 2026 · state 43%
9 points below the state
0%50%100%This school34%State43%20172019202120232026
Math35%in 2026 · state 42%
7 points below the state
0%50%100%This school35%State42%20172019202120232026
Detailed scores
Average scaled score, ELA (500+ = meeting expectations)487
Average scaled score, Math (500+ = meeting expectations)492
Achievement percentile vs. MA schools (ELA · Math)24th · 39th

Students & classrooms

Classrooms
Students310
Average class size18MA avg 18
Students per teacher10.6MA avg 12.1
Who attends
Hispanic/Latino
41%
White
31.9%
Black/African American
21%
Multi-Race
5.5%
American Indian/Alaska Native
0.7%

51% girls · 49% boys

Student needs
Low incomeHigher than average
This school
82.6%
MA avg
42.8%
English learnersHigher than average
This school
29.4%
MA avg
17.2%
Students with disabilitiesLower than average
This school
13.9%
MA avg
22.3%

Teachers

Licensed teachersAbout average
This school
96.4%
MA avg
98.4%
Experienced teachersWorse than average
This school
61.9%
MA avg
73.2%
Teaching in their fieldAbout average
This school
93.1%
MA avg
92.4%
Stayed from last yearAbout average
This school
75.9%
MA avg
82.7%
More staffing details
Teachers (full-time equivalent)28.1
General education teachers83.3%
Special education teachers10.7%
English learner teachers6%

Attendance & safety

Attendance rateBetter than average
This school
95.2%
MA avg
94.1%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysBetter than average
This school
9.5%
MA avg
15.6%

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

About New Bedford

Bristol County · South Coast & Cape Cod
Avg single-family home value$425KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$4,653MA median $6,814
Tax rate$11.00 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$22,531MA median $47,872
Local kids in public school93.8%
Town bond ratingAA-
Free cash reserves1.9% of budget

New Bedford 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 New Bedford

See all 17 New Bedford elementary schools →

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