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Massachusetts public elementary school

Sunita L. Williams Elementary

Needham school district

B+
overall grade

Ranks #159 of 895 Massachusetts elementary schools — top 18%.

Overall rank
#159
of 895 schools
ELA · 2024–2026
63%+21 vs MA
MA average 42%
Math · 2024–2026
58%+15 vs MA
MA average 43%
Avg class size
21
532 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 7% statewide. Students attend 95.8% of school days on average.
  • Area to watch: Teacher quality ranks in the bottom 20% statewide.
  • Trend: ELA is up 9 points since 2023 (59% to 68%).
  • Trend: Chronic absence has fallen from 11.2% in 2022 to 6% in 2025.
Where it stands among 895 Massachusetts elementary schools
Bottom of MATop of MA
Overall
Above averagetop 18% · #159
ELA
Above averagetop 17% · #147
Math
Above averagetop 27% · #238
Attendance
Excellenttop 7% · #56
Teacher quality
Below averagebottom 20% · #724

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 every year since 2018.

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

English Language Arts68%in 2026 · state 43%
25 points above the state
0%50%100%This school68%State43%20172019202120232026
Math53%in 2026 · state 42%
11 points above the state
0%50%100%This school53%State42%20172019202120232026
Detailed scores
Average scaled score, ELA (500+ = meeting expectations)509
Average scaled score, Math (500+ = meeting expectations)505
Achievement percentile vs. MA schools (ELA · Math)90th · 76th

Students & classrooms

Classrooms
Students532
Average class size21MA avg 18
Students per teacher13.1MA avg 12.1
Who attends
White
70.5%
Asian
10.9%
Multi-Race
8.1%
Hispanic/Latino
6.2%
Black/African American
4.1%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0.2%

45.7% girls · 54.3% boys

Student needs
Low incomeLower than average
This school
7.7%
MA avg
42.8%
English learnersLower than average
This school
5.6%
MA avg
17.2%
Students with disabilitiesLower than average
This school
19.7%
MA avg
22.3%

Teachers

Licensed teachersAbout average
This school
100%
MA avg
98.4%
Experienced teachersWorse than average
This school
53.3%
MA avg
73.2%
Teaching in their fieldAbout average
This school
97.9%
MA avg
92.4%
Stayed from last yearAbout average
This school
82.6%
MA avg
82.7%
More staffing details
Teachers (full-time equivalent)40.7
Principal retention100%
General education teachers79.7%
Special education teachers16.3%
English learner teachers3.9%

Attendance & safety

Attendance rateBetter than average
This school
95.8%
MA avg
94.1%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysBetter than average
This school
6%
MA avg
15.6%

7.6 days absent per student (MA avg 10.3) · Suspensions: 0.2% out-of-school, 1.1% in-school (MA elementary avg 2% / 1%)

About Needham

Norfolk County · Greater Boston — Inside I-95
Avg single-family home value$1.54MMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$16,690MA median $6,814
Tax rate$10.80 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$147,409MA median $47,872
Local kids in public school81.6%
Town bond ratingAAA

Needham 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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