← Back to Elementary Rankings
Massachusetts public elementary school

Plum Cove School

Gloucester school district

C+
overall grade

Ranks #592 of 895 Massachusetts elementary schools.

Overall rank
#592
of 895 schools
ELA · 2024–2026
37%
MA average 42%
Math · 2024–2026
30%
MA average 43%
Avg class size
20
220 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 20% statewide. 100% of teachers are licensed and 81.4% are experienced.
  • Area to watch: Math ranks in the bottom 28% statewide.
  • Trend: Math is down 31 points since 2023 (45% to 14%).
  • Trend: ELA is down 12 points since 2023 (48% to 36%).
Where it stands among 895 Massachusetts elementary schools
Bottom of MATop of MA
Overall
Below averagebottom 34% · #592
ELA
Averagebottom 39% · #554
Math
Below averagebottom 28% · #649
Attendance
Below averagebottom 34% · #595
Teacher quality
Above averagetop 20% · #172

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 4 of 8 years since 2018. Math has been above the state average in 6 of 8 years since 2018.

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

English Language Arts36%in 2026 · state 43%
7 points below the state
0%50%100%This school36%State43%20172019202120232026
Math14%in 2026 · state 42%
28 points below the state
0%50%100%This school14%State42%20172019202120232026
Detailed scores
Average scaled score, ELA (500+ = meeting expectations)491
Average scaled score, Math (500+ = meeting expectations)485
Achievement percentile vs. MA schools (ELA · Math)36th · 22nd

Students & classrooms

Classrooms
Students220
Average class size20MA avg 18
Students per teacher13MA avg 12.1
Who attends
White
83.2%
Multi-Race
6.8%
Hispanic/Latino
5.9%
Black/African American
3.2%
Asian
0.9%

50.5% girls · 49.6% boys

Student needs
Low incomeLower than average
This school
29.1%
MA avg
42.8%
English learnersLower than average
This school
4.1%
MA avg
17.2%
Students with disabilitiesAbout average
This school
21.8%
MA avg
22.3%

Teachers

Licensed teachersAbout average
This school
100%
MA avg
98.4%
Experienced teachersBetter than average
This school
81.4%
MA avg
73.2%
Teaching in their fieldAbout average
This school
100%
MA avg
92.4%
Stayed from last yearBetter than average
This school
94.4%
MA avg
82.7%
More staffing details
Teachers (full-time equivalent)16.7
Principal retention100%
General education teachers79%
Special education teachers18%
English learner teachers3%

Attendance & safety

Attendance rateAbout average
This school
93.7%
MA avg
94.1%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysAbout average
This school
15.9%
MA avg
15.6%

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

About Gloucester

Essex County · North Shore & Merrimack Valley
Avg single-family home value$1.02MMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$9,502MA median $6,814
Tax rate$9.30 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$53,233MA median $47,872
Local kids in public school95.1%
Town bond ratingAA
Free cash reserves2.8% of budget

Gloucester 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 Gloucester

Similar schools elsewhere

Schools with similar test results, attendance, demographics, and class sizes.