Best Public Schools in Athol, MA

The city of Athol, Massachusetts is home to three public schools serving grades K-12: Athol Community Elementary School, Athol-Royalston Middle School, and Athol High. These schools are part of the Athol-Royalston school district, which is ranked 313 out of 351 districts in Massachusetts and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Based on the available data, the schools in Athol appear to be underperforming academically, with MCAS proficiency rates well below the state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. Athol Community Elementary School has proficiency rates ranging from 11-28% in English Language Arts and Math, compared to the state's 36-45% proficient. Athol-Royalston Middle School's proficiency rates are similarly low, at 11-29% proficient in ELA and Math versus the state's 36-41% proficient. At the high school level, Athol High's 10th grade MCAS proficiency rates are 38% in ELA, 19% in Math, and 14% in Science, all significantly lower than the state averages of 57%, 48%, and 49% respectively.

Despite the higher-than-average spending per student of around $17,000 across the three schools, the academic performance remains poor. The consistent student-teacher ratios, ranging from 13.4 to 13.9, suggest that class size is not a major factor in the schools' challenges. While the reasons for the underperformance are not entirely clear, addressing the root causes, such as curriculum, teaching quality, and support for struggling students, may be necessary to drive improvements in the Athol-Royalston school district.