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Massachusetts public elementary school

Thomas R Plympton Elementary School

Waltham school district

C+
overall grade

Ranks #518 of 895 Massachusetts elementary schools.

Overall rank
#518
of 895 schools
ELA · 2024–2026
39%
MA average 42%
Math · 2024–2026
42%
MA average 43%
Avg class size
16
351 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 39% statewide. 100% of teachers are licensed and 74.1% are experienced.
  • Area to watch: ELA ranks in the bottom 43% statewide.
  • Trend: Chronic absence has fallen from 17.8% in 2022 to 13.6% in 2025.
Where it stands among 895 Massachusetts elementary schools
Bottom of MATop of MA
Overall
Averagebottom 43% · #518
ELA
Averagebottom 43% · #518
Math
Averagebottom 46% · #490
Attendance
Averagetop 44% · #389
Teacher quality
Averagetop 39% · #348

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 1 of 8 years since 2018. Math has 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 Arts30%in 2026 · state 43%
13 points below the state
0%50%100%This school30%State43%20172019202120232026
Math41%in 2026 · state 42%
1 point below the state
0%50%100%This school41%State42%20172019202120232026
Detailed scores
Average scaled score, ELA (500+ = meeting expectations)489
Average scaled score, Math (500+ = meeting expectations)494
Achievement percentile vs. MA schools (ELA · Math)29th · 45th

Students & classrooms

Classrooms
Students351
Average class size16MA avg 18
Students per teacher10.1MA avg 12.1
Who attends
White
39%
Hispanic/Latino
38.5%
Black/African American
12.3%
Asian
5.1%
Multi-Race
5.1%

47% girls · 53% boys

Student needs
Low incomeAbout average
This school
41.6%
MA avg
42.8%
English learnersHigher than average
This school
27.1%
MA avg
17.2%
Students with disabilitiesAbout average
This school
20.5%
MA avg
22.3%

Teachers

Licensed teachersAbout average
This school
100%
MA avg
98.4%
Experienced teachersAbout average
This school
74.1%
MA avg
73.2%
Teaching in their fieldAbout average
This school
100%
MA avg
92.4%
Stayed from last yearWorse than average
This school
74.4%
MA avg
82.7%
More staffing details
Teachers (full-time equivalent)35.2
Principal retention100%
General education teachers76.4%
Special education teachers15.1%
English learner teachers8.5%

Attendance & safety

Attendance rateAbout average
This school
94.6%
MA avg
94.1%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysBetter than average
This school
13.6%
MA avg
15.6%

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

About Waltham

Middlesex County · Greater Boston — Inside I-95
Avg single-family home value$503KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$5,189MA median $6,814
Tax rate$10.30 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$48,365MA median $47,872
Local kids in public school88.1%
Town bond ratingAA+
Free cash reserves16.5% of budget

Waltham 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 Waltham

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