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Massachusetts public elementary school

William A Welch Sr Elementary

Peabody school district

C-
overall grade

Ranks #804 of 895 Massachusetts elementary schools.

Overall rank
#804
of 895 schools
ELA · 2024–2026
21%
MA average 42%
Math · 2024–2026
16%
MA average 43%
Avg class size
22
418 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. 96.6% of teachers are licensed and 80.5% are experienced.
  • Area to watch: Math ranks in the bottom 9% statewide.
  • Trend: Chronic absence has fallen from 36% in 2022 to 22.7% in 2025.
  • Trend: Math is down 12 points since 2023 (27% to 15%).
Where it stands among 895 Massachusetts elementary schools
Bottom of MATop of MA
Overall
Below averagebottom 11% · #804
ELA
Below averagebottom 14% · #774
Math
Well below averagebottom 9% · #816
Attendance
Below averagebottom 26% · #672
Teacher quality
Averagetop 39% · #343

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 below 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 Arts24%in 2026 · state 43%
19 points below the state
0%50%100%This school24%State43%20172019202120232026
Math15%in 2026 · state 42%
27 points below the state
0%50%100%This school15%State42%20172019202120232026
Detailed scores
Average scaled score, ELA (500+ = meeting expectations)486
Average scaled score, Math (500+ = meeting expectations)481
Achievement percentile vs. MA schools (ELA · Math)21st · 15th

Students & classrooms

Classrooms
Students418
Average class size22MA avg 18
Students per teacher14MA avg 12.1
Who attends
Hispanic/Latino
53.6%
White
37.1%
Black/African American
4.6%
Multi-Race
2.9%
Asian
1.2%
American Indian/Alaska Native
0.7%

48.8% girls · 51.2% boys

Student needs
Low incomeHigher than average
This school
69.6%
MA avg
42.8%
English learnersHigher than average
This school
35.7%
MA avg
17.2%
Students with disabilitiesLower than average
This school
18.7%
MA avg
22.3%

Teachers

Licensed teachersAbout average
This school
96.6%
MA avg
98.4%
Experienced teachersAbout average
This school
80.5%
MA avg
73.2%
Teaching in their fieldAbout average
This school
97.1%
MA avg
92.4%
Stayed from last yearBetter than average
This school
96.3%
MA avg
82.7%
More staffing details
Teachers (full-time equivalent)29.2
Principal retention100%
General education teachers86.3%
Special education teachers6.8%
English learner teachers6.8%

Attendance & safety

Attendance rateAbout average
This school
93.3%
MA avg
94.1%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysWorse than average
This school
22.7%
MA avg
15.6%

11.7 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.

Other schools in Peabody

See all 8 Peabody elementary schools →

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