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Massachusetts public elementary school

James Russell Lowell Elementary

Watertown school district

B
overall grade

Ranks #325 of 895 Massachusetts elementary schools — top 37%.

Overall rank
#325
of 895 schools
ELA · 2024–2026
52%
MA average 42%
Math · 2024–2026
52%
MA average 43%
Avg class size
18
430 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 14% statewide. Students attend 95.5% of school days on average.
  • Area to watch: Teacher quality ranks in the bottom 41% statewide.
  • Trend: ELA is down 9 points since 2023 (57% to 48%).
  • Trend: Chronic absence has fallen from 15.1% in 2022 to 7.5% in 2025.
Where it stands among 895 Massachusetts elementary schools
Bottom of MATop of MA
Overall
Averagetop 37% · #325
ELA
Averagetop 36% · #320
Math
Averagetop 36% · #316
Attendance
Above averagetop 14% · #117
Teacher quality
Averagebottom 41% · #530

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 5 of 8 years 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 Arts48%in 2026 · state 43%
5 points above the state
0%50%100%This school48%State43%20172019202120232026
Math46%in 2026 · state 42%
4 points above the state
0%50%100%This school46%State42%20172019202120232026
Detailed scores
Average scaled score, ELA (500+ = meeting expectations)499
Average scaled score, Math (500+ = meeting expectations)502
Achievement percentile vs. MA schools (ELA · Math)62nd · 67th

Students & classrooms

Classrooms
Students430
Average class size18MA avg 18
Students per teacher9.8MA avg 12.1
Who attends
White
55.1%
Hispanic/Latino
22.1%
Asian
11.4%
Multi-Race
8.4%
Black/African American
3%

48.4% girls · 51.6% boys

Student needs
Low incomeLower than average
This school
26.1%
MA avg
42.8%
English learnersAbout average
This school
17.2%
MA avg
17.2%
Students with disabilitiesLower than average
This school
16.7%
MA avg
22.3%

Teachers

Licensed teachersAbout average
This school
100%
MA avg
98.4%
Experienced teachersAbout average
This school
74%
MA avg
73.2%
Teaching in their fieldAbout average
This school
91.7%
MA avg
92.4%
Stayed from last yearAbout average
This school
85.7%
MA avg
82.7%
More staffing details
Teachers (full-time equivalent)43.1
Principal retention100%
General education teachers71%
Special education teachers20.9%
English learner teachers8.1%

Attendance & safety

Attendance rateBetter than average
This school
95.5%
MA avg
94.1%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysBetter than average
This school
7.5%
MA avg
15.6%

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

About Watertown

Middlesex County · Greater Boston — Inside I-95
Avg single-family home value$663KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$8,094MA median $6,814
Tax rate$12.20 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$64,792MA median $47,872
Local kids in public school84.8%
Town bond ratingAAA
Free cash reserves16.1% of budget

Watertown 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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