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Massachusetts public elementary school

Old Mill Pond Elementary

Palmer school district

C+
overall grade

Ranks #557 of 895 Massachusetts elementary schools.

Overall rank
#557
of 895 schools
ELA · 2024–2026
29%
MA average 42%
Math · 2024–2026
33%
MA average 43%
Avg class size
19
692 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: Teacher quality, in the top 46% statewide. 100% of teachers are licensed and 75% are experienced.
  • Area to watch: ELA ranks in the bottom 27% statewide.
  • Trend: Chronic absence has fallen from 29.1% in 2022 to 12.5% in 2025.
  • Trend: Math is down 6 points since 2023 (34% to 28%).
Where it stands among 895 Massachusetts elementary schools
Bottom of MATop of MA
Overall
Averagebottom 38% · #557
ELA
Below averagebottom 27% · #660
Math
Below averagebottom 33% · #608
Attendance
Averagetop 49% · #435
Teacher quality
Averagetop 46% · #404

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 Arts31%in 2026 · state 43%
12 points below the state
0%50%100%This school31%State43%20172019202120232026
Math28%in 2026 · state 42%
14 points below the state
0%50%100%This school28%State42%20172019202120232026
Detailed scores
Average scaled score, ELA (500+ = meeting expectations)486
Average scaled score, Math (500+ = meeting expectations)485
Achievement percentile vs. MA schools (ELA · Math)21st · 22nd

Students & classrooms

Classrooms
Students692
Average class size19MA avg 18
Students per teacher13MA avg 12.1
Who attends
White
73.8%
Hispanic/Latino
17.2%
Multi-Race
5.4%
Black/African American
2.3%
Asian
1.2%
American Indian/Alaska Native
0.1%

49.6% girls · 50.4% boys

Student needs
Low incomeHigher than average
This school
55.9%
MA avg
42.8%
English learnersLower than average
This school
4.9%
MA avg
17.2%
Students with disabilitiesLower than average
This school
19.4%
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
96.2%
MA avg
92.4%
Stayed from last yearAbout average
This school
88%
MA avg
82.7%
More staffing details
Teachers (full-time equivalent)52.1
Principal retention100%
General education teachers78.7%
Special education teachers17.3%
English learner teachers4%

Attendance & safety

Attendance rateAbout average
This school
94.4%
MA avg
94.1%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysBetter than average
This school
12.5%
MA avg
15.6%

9.4 days absent per student (MA avg 10.3) · Suspensions: 4.6% out-of-school, 0% in-school (MA elementary avg 2% / 1%)

About Palmer

Hampden County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$301KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$5,014MA median $6,814
Tax rate$16.70 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$30,774MA median $47,872
Local kids in public school94.1%
Free cash reserves10.3% of budget

Palmer 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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