Massachusetts public elementary school

South Memorial Elementary

Peabody school district

C+

overall grade

Ranks #558 of 895 Massachusetts elementary schools.

Overall rank

#558

of 895 schools

ELA · 2024–2026

39%

MA average 42%

Math · 2024–2026

35%

MA average 43%

Avg class size

511 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 28% statewide. Students attend 95% of school days on average.
Area to watch: Math ranks in the bottom 35% statewide.
Trend: Math is down 23 points since 2023 (53% to 30%).
Trend: Chronic absence has fallen from 18.4% in 2022 to 10.8% in 2025.

Where it stands among 895 Massachusetts elementary schools

Bottom of MATop of MA

Overall

Averagebottom 38% · #558

ELA

Averagebottom 42% · #522

Math

Below averagebottom 35% · #583

Attendance

Above averagetop 28% · #248

Teacher quality

Averagetop 38% · #338

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 above the state average in 2 of 8 years since 2018.

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

English Language Arts39%in 2026 · state 43%

4 points below the state

Math30%in 2026 · state 42%

12 points below the state

Detailed scores

Average scaled score, ELA (500+ = meeting expectations)496

Average scaled score, Math (500+ = meeting expectations)493

Achievement percentile vs. MA schools (ELA · Math)51st · 42nd

Students & classrooms

Classrooms

Students511

Average class size20MA avg 18

Students per teacher16MA avg 12.1

Who attends

White

71.4%

Hispanic/Latino

16.8%

Multi-Race

5.5%

Black/African American

3.9%

Asian

2.2%

American Indian/Alaska Native

0.2%

51.9% girls · 48.1% boys

Student needs

Low incomeLower than average

This school

25.2%

MA avg

42.8%

English learnersLower than average

This school

6.5%

MA avg

17.2%

Students with disabilitiesLower than average

This school

11%

MA avg

22.3%

Teachers

Licensed teachersAbout average

This school

98.4%

MA avg

98.4%

Experienced teachersBetter than average

This school

81.6%

MA avg

73.2%

Teaching in their fieldAbout average

This school

94.3%

MA avg

92.4%

Stayed from last yearBetter than average

This school

91.7%

MA avg

82.7%

More staffing details

Teachers (full-time equivalent)31.6

Principal retention100%

General education teachers88.9%

Special education teachers6.3%

English learner teachers4.8%

Attendance & safety

Attendance rateAbout average

This school

95%

MA avg

94.1%

Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysBetter than average

This school

10.8%

MA avg

15.6%

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

About Peabody

Essex County · North Shore & Merrimack Valley

Avg single-family home value$677KMA median $588K

Avg property tax bill$6,411MA median $6,814

Tax rate$9.50 per $1,000MA median $12.40

Income per person$40,500MA median $47,872

Local kids in public school88.2%

Free cash reserves4.8% of budget

Peabody 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.