Palmer

The town of Palmer, Massachusetts is home to two schools - Old Mill Pond Elementary School and Palmer High School. Old Mill Pond serves grades PK-5 with 599 students, while Palmer High serves grades 6-12 with 535 students. Both schools have consistently underperformed on MCAS standardized tests compared to the state average, with only 22-42% of students scoring proficient or better in English Language Arts, Math, and Science.

Despite the schools' academic struggles, Palmer High maintains a relatively high four-year graduation rate of 85.1%, though it also has a concerning dropout rate of 9.5%. Both schools have similar per-student spending of around $17,500 and student-teacher ratios, suggesting consistent resource allocation across the Palmer school district. However, the schools' fluctuating statewide rankings and low star ratings from SchoolDigger indicate they are underperforming compared to other schools in Massachusetts.

Overall, the data highlights the need for the Palmer school district to closely examine the factors contributing to the underperformance of its schools, particularly in terms of academic achievement, and to develop strategies to address these challenges and improve educational outcomes for all students.