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Massachusetts public elementary school

West Parish Elementary

Gloucester school district

C
overall grade

Ranks #674 of 895 Massachusetts elementary schools.

Overall rank
#674
of 895 schools
ELA · 2024–2026
29%
MA average 42%
Math · 2024–2026
21%
MA average 43%
Avg class size
19
372 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
  • Best of its categories: Attendance, in the bottom 32% statewide. Students attend 93.6% of school days on average.
  • Area to watch: Teacher quality ranks in the bottom 14% statewide.
  • Trend: Chronic absence has fallen from 23.5% in 2022 to 17.1% in 2025.
Where it stands among 895 Massachusetts elementary schools
Bottom of MATop of MA
Overall
Below averagebottom 25% · #674
ELA
Below averagebottom 26% · #669
Math
Below averagebottom 17% · #749
Attendance
Below averagebottom 32% · #611
Teacher quality
Below averagebottom 14% · #779

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 3 of 8 years since 2018. Math has been above the state average in 1 of 8 years since 2018.

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

English Language Arts37%in 2026 · state 43%
6 points below the state
0%50%100%This school37%State43%20172019202120232026
Math23%in 2026 · state 42%
19 points below the state
0%50%100%This school23%State42%20172019202120232026
Detailed scores
Average scaled score, ELA (500+ = meeting expectations)491
Average scaled score, Math (500+ = meeting expectations)489
Achievement percentile vs. MA schools (ELA · Math)36th · 32nd

Students & classrooms

Classrooms
Students372
Average class size19MA avg 18
Students per teacher13.2MA avg 12.1
Who attends
White
85.5%
Hispanic/Latino
6.2%
Multi-Race
5.4%
Asian
1.3%
Black/African American
0.8%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0.8%

47.3% girls · 52.4% boys

Student needs
Low incomeLower than average
This school
31.7%
MA avg
42.8%
English learnersLower than average
This school
2.2%
MA avg
17.2%
Students with disabilitiesHigher than average
This school
29%
MA avg
22.3%

Teachers

Licensed teachersAbout average
This school
96.6%
MA avg
98.4%
Experienced teachersWorse than average
This school
55.2%
MA avg
73.2%
Teaching in their fieldAbout average
This school
93.3%
MA avg
92.4%
Stayed from last yearAbout average
This school
82.8%
MA avg
82.7%
More staffing details
Teachers (full-time equivalent)29
Principal retention100%
General education teachers72.4%
Special education teachers24.1%
English learner teachers3.4%

Attendance & safety

Attendance rateAbout average
This school
93.6%
MA avg
94.1%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysAbout average
This school
17.1%
MA avg
15.6%

11.1 days absent per student (MA avg 10.3) · Suspensions: 1.3% out-of-school, 0.5% in-school (MA elementary avg 2% / 1%)

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.

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