Mather Elementary School

Summary:

Mather Elementary School is a public elementary school in Dorchester, MA, serving 485 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Boston Public School District, which is ranked 305 out of 351 districts in Massachusetts and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Mather Elementary has a diverse student population, with a higher percentage of Asian (27.63%) and African American (43.09%) students compared to the state average. Academically, the school's performance on MCAS Next Generation assessments is generally higher than the Boston district average but lower than the state average across all grades and subjects. The school performs relatively well for its Hispanic and English Language Learner student populations, but struggles with its Special Education and Disabled student groups. Despite the relatively high per-student spending of $26,366 in the 2020-2021 school year, Mather Elementary has consistently been ranked in the bottom quarter of Massachusetts elementary schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the past decade.

The nearby schools, such as UP Academy Holland, King Elementary, and Winthrop Elementary, have similar demographic profiles and are also part of the Boston Public School District, but their academic performance is generally lower than Mather Elementary's. This suggests that Mather Elementary may be able to learn from the strategies and practices of higher-performing schools within the district, despite the school's own challenges in improving student outcomes, particularly for its Special Education and Disabled student populations.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 24 Parish Street
       Dorchester, MA  02122


(617) 635-8757

District: Boston

SchoolDigger Rank:
613th of 916 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $26,366 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  11.5 Help
Number of students:  485

Racial breakdown:

African American:
43.1%
Asian:
27.6%
Hispanic:
20.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  73.6% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Mather Elementary School ranks worse than 66.9% of elementary schools in Massachusetts. It also ranks 25th among 66 ranked elementary schools in the Boston School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 32.89. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Mather Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (43.1%), Asian (27.6%), Hispanic (20%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Mather Elementary School is 11.5. 56 elementary schools in the Boston School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Mather Elementary School employs 42.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mather Elementary School is $26,366. 56 elementary schools in the Boston School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Mather Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Mather Elementary School 613th of 916 Massachusetts public elementary schools. (See Mather Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:


Boston:

SchoolDigger ranks Boston 305th of 351 Massachusetts school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Mather Elementary School?

Rank History for Mather Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Mather Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 8.57 812th 884 8.1%
2004 5.97 845th 882 4.2%
2005 8.88 823rd 887 7.2%
2006 18.42 771st 911 15.4%
2007 7.01 854th 911 6.3%
2008 8.98 847th 908 6.7%
2009 10.83 832nd 909 8.5%
2010 12.70 827th 920 10.1%
2011 15.32 800th 924 13.4%
2012 13.49 823rd 930 11.5%
2013 11.70 841st 928 9.4%
2014 14.96 817th 926 11.8%
2015 23.72 737th 914 19.4%
2016 27.40 720th 932 22.7%
2017 18.73 798th 938 14.9%
2018 15.43 826th 934 11.6%
2019 25.87 738th 942 21.7%
2021 13.07 823rd 936 12.1%
2022 19.57 759th 932 18.6%
2023 25.07 690th 928 25.6%
2024 32.89 613th 916 33.1%
See the entire list of Massachusetts Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Mather Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 61.59 52nd 244 78.7%
2019 79.09 28th 258 89.1%
2021 54.16 54th 240 77.5%
2022 67.64 33rd 267 87.6%
2023 78.37 15th 264 94.3%
2024 75.55 21st 282 92.6%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Mather Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.63 666th 886 24.8%
2019 49.17 448th 896 50.0%
2021 23.36 743rd 894 16.9%
2022 34.15 629th 905 30.5%
2023 21.38 620th 703 11.8%
2024 25.48 573rd 731 21.6%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Mather Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.81 505th 685 26.3%
2019 46.31 382nd 700 45.4%
2021 24.30 590th 705 16.3%
2022 33.81 547th 772 29.1%
2023 41.11 454th 757 40.0%
2024 51.43 337th 760 55.7%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Mather Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.42 751st 893 15.9%
2019 27.75 699th 902 22.5%
2021 14.79 776th 898 13.6%
2022 17.06 766th 901 15.0%
2023 18.49 743rd 887 16.2%
2024 21.81 714th 886 19.4%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Mather Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.13 531st 656 19.1%
2019 22.18 569th 665 14.4%
2021 25.11 499th 632 21.0%
2022 18.15 624th 672 7.1%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Mather Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.26 807th 898 10.1%
2019 25.84 720th 907 20.6%
2021 14.68 783rd 904 13.4%
2022 24.00 712th 908 21.6%
2023 34.46 611th 896 31.8%
2024 47.51 471st 891 47.1%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Tested In Person students at Mather Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 9.72 870th 925 5.9%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Tested In Person Students!

Rank History for Tested Remotely students at Mather Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 27.42 281st 399 29.6%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Tested Remotely Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Mather Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 9.28 147th 154 4.5%
2019 17.97 133rd 155 14.2%
2021 6.46 134th 141 5.0%
2022 17.08 126th 143 11.9%
2023 22.57 126th 145 13.1%
2024 25.05 125th 152 17.8%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Mather Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.55 129th 174 25.9%
2019 49.86 79th 172 54.1%
2021 39.67 93rd 166 44.0%
2022 25.02 145th 173 16.2%
2023 28.86 126th 167 24.6%
2024 40.17 104th 167 37.7%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Mather Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.97 275th 379 27.4%
2019 45.50 215th 398 46.0%
2021 19.09 349th 379 7.9%
2022 27.05 324th 401 19.2%
2023 49.17 176th 420 58.1%
2024 57.27 133rd 446 70.2%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Mather Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Friday, April 22, 2016

Open Quote I love this school so much more compared to a school nearby who has a much better ranking than the Mather. Whenever, I visit I feel so very welcomed, cared for and taken serious by stuff and teachers. The communication and exchange of information is superb. The parent council is very active and supportive. They keep us parents involved and informed thanks to active communication tools like the school´s website, emails and Facebook. On a monthly basis there are meetings where experts inform us of all kinds of pertinent information related to the school and the students like gardening projects, extending plans to a K-8, state wide tests, etc. Since the new principal, Ms. Nwosu, started to work there there are no more sweet treats allowed. No more sweet treat rewards. I love that! The teachers I dealt with so far are very kind, helpful and supporting. My child is very happy at the Mather. Pupils perform at least 2-3 times during a school year on stage in front of parents and teachers which boosts self-confidence in many of the pupils. (Nothing like this happened so far in the other school close by with better rankings!) So why are the rankings not the greatest? May be because the Mather doesn´t have an AWC program. So, once students qualify for AWC they will leave the school which is mostly in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades, and leaves the students behind who didn´t make it.
I was very much torn apart to make the decision for one of my children to go to the better ranked school nearby and the other attending the Mather. Comparing the two I easily can say: The Mather rocks and convinced me all the way that it is the better school! Close Quote



Enrollment information for Mather Elementary School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 110 416 22 59 1 n/a n/a 0 608
1989 98 385 27 57 2 n/a n/a 0 569
1990 104 368 69 61 2 n/a n/a 0 604
1991 111 352 114 57 2 n/a n/a 0 636
1992 105 325 154 46 2 n/a n/a 0 632
1993 88 312 207 32 5 n/a n/a 0 644
1994 71 306 203 26 5 n/a n/a 0 611
1995 82 275 203 26 3 n/a n/a 0 589
1996 82 275 203 26 3 n/a n/a 0 589
1997 74 283 196 32 1 n/a n/a 0 586
1998 71 310 187 36 4 n/a n/a 0 608
1999 64 306 186 33 5 n/a n/a 0 594
2000 50 312 188 32 3 n/a n/a 0 585
2001 35 321 188 40 3 n/a n/a 0 587
2002 26 275 167 47 1 n/a n/a 0 516
2003 26 275 167 47 1 n/a n/a 0 516
2004 21 252 160 46 1 n/a n/a 0 480
2005 17 246 147 54 1 n/a n/a 0 465
2006 13 241 151 64 3 n/a n/a 5 477
2007 16 260 162 87 3 n/a n/a 14 542
2008 17 230 183 88 3 n/a n/a 16 537
2009 16 236 199 90 1 0 21 0 563
2010 14 207 217 86 1 1 23 0 549
2011 20 204 205 106 0 2 23 0 560
2012 21 227 191 152 0 1 23 0 615
2013 25 237 183 131 1 0 21 0 598
2014 29 226 188 126 2 1 27 0 599
2015 30 231 189 116 2 1 30 0 599
2016 32 218 200 114 3 2 32 0 601
2017 41 233 193 111 3 0 36 0 617
2018 36 235 198 99 3 0 37 0 608
2019 32 222 191 91 3 0 35 0 574
2020 31 217 184 96 5 0 34 0 567
2021 23 186 151 93 2 1 28 0 484
2022 21 188 150 110 3 1 20 0 493
2023 21 209 134 97 4 1 19 0 485

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Mather Elementary School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 608 n/a n/a n/a
1989 569 n/a n/a n/a
1990 604 n/a n/a n/a
1991 636 n/a n/a n/a
1992 632 n/a n/a n/a
1993 644 n/a 0.0 n/a
1994 611 n/a n/a n/a
1995 589 n/a 0.0 n/a
1996 589 n/a 0.0 n/a
1997 586 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 608 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 594 n/a 0.0 84.7
2000 585 n/a 0.0 77.1
2001 587 n/a 0.0 76.1
2002 516 n/a n/a 82.9
2003 516 n/a n/a 82.9
2004 480 28.5 16.8 84.8
2005 465 35.8 13.0 83.9
2006 477 34.5 13.8 83.1
2007 542 45.0 12.0 87.5
2008 537 39.9 13.5 84.3
2009 563 41.3 13.6 85.1
2010 549 39.5 13.8 85.4
2011 560 40.6 13.7 86.6
2012 615 44.3 13.8 78.9
2013 598 41.6 14.3 79.4
2014 599 36.9 16.2 83.8
2015 599 37.0 16.1 73.6
2016 601 32.0 18.7 n/a
2017 617 36.9 16.7 n/a
2018 608 40.7 14.9 n/a
2019 574 36.0 15.9 n/a
2020 567 45.3 12.5 n/a
2021 484 45.4 10.6 n/a
2022 493 48.4 10.1 n/a
2023 485 42.1 11.5 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Mather Elementary School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 608 n/a n/a n/a
1989 569 n/a n/a n/a
1990 604 n/a n/a n/a
1991 636 n/a n/a n/a
1992 632 n/a n/a n/a
1993 644 n/a 0.0 n/a
1994 611 n/a n/a n/a
1995 589 n/a 0.0 n/a
1996 589 n/a 0.0 n/a
1997 586 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 608 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 594 n/a 0.0 84.7
2000 585 n/a 0.0 77.1
2001 587 n/a 0.0 76.1
2002 516 n/a n/a 82.9
2003 516 n/a n/a 82.9
2004 480 28.5 16.8 84.8
2005 465 35.8 13.0 83.9
2006 477 34.5 13.8 83.1
2007 542 45.0 12.0 87.5
2008 537 39.9 13.5 84.3
2009 563 41.3 13.6 85.1
2010 549 39.5 13.8 85.4
2011 560 40.6 13.7 86.6
2012 615 44.3 13.8 78.9
2013 598 41.6 14.3 79.4
2014 599 36.9 16.2 83.8
2015 599 37.0 16.1 73.6
2016 601 32.0 18.7 n/a
2017 617 36.9 16.7 n/a
2018 608 40.7 14.9 n/a
2019 574 36.0 15.9 n/a
2020 567 45.3 12.5 n/a
2021 484 45.4 10.6 n/a
2022 493 48.4 10.1 n/a
2023 485 42.1 11.5 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Mather Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,709 (7.4%) $21,246 (92.6%) $22,954
2020 $1,595 (6.7%) $22,382 (93.4%) $23,976
2021 $2,176 (8.3%) $24,190 (91.7%) $26,366

Data source: Massachusetts Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Mather Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 738th of 942 Elementary schoolsRanks 690th of 928 Elementary schools
 4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Mather Elementary School)4530.8
 14.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Boston)3932.2
 6.8%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5643.9
 12.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Mather Elementary School)5026.2
 23.9%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Boston)3427.7
 6.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4941
 8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Mather Elementary School)3734.6
 2.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Boston)3326.1
 6.9%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5239.7
 12.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Mather Elementary School)2028.6
 8.6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Boston)3327.6
 5.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4945
 4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Mather Elementary School)4528.6
 16.4%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Boston)3831.6
 6.4%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5243.8
 8.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Mather Elementary School)3828.6
 9.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Boston)3424.8
 9.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4940.9
 8.2%
5th Grade Science (Mather Elementary School)2717.9
 9.1%
   5th Grade Science (Boston)2423.5
 0.5%
   5th Grade Science (Massachusetts)4841.6
 6.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Mather Elementary School)4231.7
 10.3%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Boston)3629.3
 6.7%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5242.3
 9.7%
All Grades Mathematics (Mather Elementary School)3627.8
 8.2%
   All Grades Mathematics (Boston)3325.6
 7.4%
   All Grades Mathematics (Massachusetts)4940.6
 8.4%
All Grades Science (Mather Elementary School)2717.9
 9.1%
   All Grades Science (Boston)2523.1
 1.9%
   All Grades Science (Massachusetts)4741.2
 5.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students574485
 15.5%
African American222209
 5.9%
American Indian34
 33.3%
Asian191134
 29.8%
Hispanic9197
 6.6%
Pacific Islander01
White3221
 34.4%
Two or More Races3519
 45.7%


Schools Near Mather Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Mather Elementary School

Students at Mather Elementary School are 43% African American, 28% Asian, 20% Hispanic, 4% White, 4% Two or more races.

In the 2022-23 school year, 485 students attended Mather Elementary School.

Mather Elementary School ranks 613th of 916 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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