Gardner Elementary School

Summary:

Gardner Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 986 students in grades PK-4 in Gardner, MA, which is part of the Gardner school district. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom quartile of Massachusetts elementary schools over the past 5 years, with significantly below-average proficiency rates on the MCAS exams compared to the state averages.

Gardner Elementary's academic performance lags behind nearby schools like Hubbardston Center and Briggs Elementary, which have proficiency rates that are 23 and 13 percentage points higher in ELA, respectively. The school's Hispanic students, who make up a significant portion of the population, are also performing well below the state average for their subgroup. Despite a relatively low student-teacher ratio and increased per-student spending, Gardner Elementary has not shown significant improvement in its academic outcomes.

The persistent low performance of Gardner Elementary suggests systemic challenges that the school and Gardner school district need to address. Examining the practices of nearby higher-performing schools may provide valuable insights and opportunities for collaboration and shared learning to help improve student outcomes at Gardner Elementary.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

 278 Pearl Street
       Gardner, MA  01440


(978) 991-0900

District: Gardner

SchoolDigger Rank:
774th of 916 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,847 Help


Students who attend Gardner Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Gardner Middle School
High:    Gardner High

Student/teacher ratio:  16.1 Help
Number of students:  986

Racial breakdown:

White:
60.4%
Hispanic:
28.9%
Two or more races:
6.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  64% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Gardner Elementary School ranks worse than 84.5% of elementary schools in Massachusetts. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.21. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (60.4%), Hispanic (28.9%), two or more races (6.3%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Gardner Elementary School is 16.1. (See more...)
Help
Compare Gardner Elementary School employs 61.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Gardner Elementary School is $15,847.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Gardner Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Gardner Elementary School 774th of 916 Massachusetts public elementary schools. (See Gardner 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:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Gardner:

SchoolDigger ranks Gardner 314th of 351 Massachusetts school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Gardner Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Gardner Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 44.82 531st 884 39.9%
2004 47.94 494th 882 44.0%
2005 52.68 442nd 887 50.2%
2006 55.43 430th 911 52.8%
2007 36.21 651st 911 28.5%
2008 30.74 686th 908 24.4%
2009 25.67 727th 909 20.0%
2010 30.25 696th 920 24.3%
2011 29.62 695th 924 24.8%
2012 24.13 732nd 930 21.3%
2013 22.92 752nd 928 19.0%
2014 25.40 733rd 926 20.8%
2015 17.80 778th 914 14.9%
2016 10.40 862nd 932 7.5%
2017 11.37 859th 938 8.4%
2018 12.94 844th 934 9.6%
2019 11.46 873rd 942 7.3%
2021 25.65 698th 936 25.4%
2022 20.76 749th 932 19.6%
2023 15.15 807th 928 13.0%
2024 17.21 774th 916 15.5%
See the entire list of Massachusetts Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Gardner Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.52 21st 25 16.0%
2019 13.97 27th 31 12.9%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Gardner Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 49.20 88th 267 67.0%
2023 45.50 108th 264 59.1%
2024 79.91 16th 282 94.3%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Gardner Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 16.99 822nd 886 7.2%
2019 14.23 853rd 896 4.8%
2021 32.42 629th 894 29.6%
2022 26.43 719th 905 20.6%
2023 27.68 522nd 703 25.7%
2024 17.85 677th 731 7.4%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.11 610th 685 10.9%
2019 16.18 657th 700 6.1%
2021 41.92 414th 705 41.3%
2022 30.61 583rd 772 24.5%
2023 24.68 636th 757 16.0%
2024 30.14 589th 760 22.5%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Gardner Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 15.21 798th 893 10.6%
2019 14.77 807th 902 10.5%
2021 25.42 674th 898 24.9%
2022 20.97 730th 901 19.0%
2023 13.36 795th 887 10.4%
2024 19.77 729th 886 17.7%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Gardner Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.99 586th 656 10.7%
2019 19.44 599th 665 9.9%
2021 30.59 437th 632 30.9%
2022 34.25 423rd 672 37.1%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Gardner Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.35 806th 898 10.2%
2019 10.46 851st 907 6.2%
2021 27.08 666th 904 26.3%
2022 23.00 722nd 908 20.5%
2023 18.58 744th 896 17.0%
2024 17.03 765th 891 14.1%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Tested In Person students at Gardner Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 23.80 707th 925 23.6%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Tested In Person Students!

Rank History for Tested Remotely students at Gardner Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 50.49 167th 399 58.1%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Tested Remotely Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Gardner Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 21.37 336th 379 11.3%
2019 21.91 347th 398 12.8%
2021 31.41 268th 379 29.3%
2022 40.61 218th 401 45.6%
2023 27.72 336th 420 20.0%
2024 30.81 336th 446 24.7%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Gardner Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 7.46 748th 772 3.1%
2019 6.62 757th 780 2.9%
2021 23.48 648th 765 15.3%
2022 16.14 690th 764 9.7%
2023 10.13 718th 762 5.8%
2024 10.97 710th 753 5.7%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for White 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.

Gardner 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

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100%

  

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Enrollment information for Gardner Elementary School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 620 12 8 13 0 n/a n/a 0 653
1989 509 13 9 9 0 n/a n/a 0 540
1990 527 13 11 9 0 n/a n/a 0 560
1991 525 14 3 9 0 n/a n/a 0 551
1992 522 9 7 21 1 n/a n/a 0 560
1993 524 19 8 22 0 n/a n/a 0 573
1994 593 17 11 20 1 n/a n/a 0 642
1995 638 15 8 15 6 n/a n/a 0 682
1996 638 15 8 15 6 n/a n/a 0 682
1997 634 16 7 26 2 n/a n/a 0 685
1998 451 16 4 13 0 n/a n/a 0 484
1999 462 16 10 13 0 n/a n/a 0 501
2000 463 9 2 20 2 n/a n/a 0 496
2001 444 14 9 23 2 n/a n/a 0 492
2002 518 23 13 43 4 n/a n/a 0 601
2003 518 23 13 43 4 n/a n/a 0 601
2004 561 22 14 48 6 n/a n/a 0 651
2005 493 35 13 46 6 n/a n/a 0 593
2006 452 29 9 50 3 n/a n/a 3 546
2007 427 24 10 49 3 n/a n/a 2 515
2008 429 27 11 45 3 n/a n/a 3 518
2009 392 19 13 47 3 0 7 0 481
2010 377 16 11 62 0 0 9 0 475
2011 395 22 13 63 0 0 7 0 500
2012 380 17 13 66 0 0 14 0 490
2013 396 20 9 65 0 1 27 0 518
2014 365 10 6 65 1 1 39 0 487
2015 375 11 6 66 1 0 50 0 509
2016 428 18 7 95 0 1 58 0 607
2017 397 14 6 100 1 0 61 0 579
2018 370 14 8 101 1 0 58 0 552
2019 361 13 9 117 1 0 53 0 554
2020 328 13 15 141 1 0 36 0 534
2021 279 9 7 119 0 0 38 0 452
2022 278 13 5 136 0 0 29 1 462
2023 596 25 14 285 3 0 62 1 986

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 Gardner Elementary School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 653 n/a n/a n/a
1989 540 n/a n/a n/a
1990 560 n/a n/a n/a
1991 551 n/a n/a n/a
1992 560 n/a n/a n/a
1993 573 n/a 0.0 n/a
1994 642 n/a n/a n/a
1995 682 n/a 0.0 n/a
1996 682 n/a 0.0 n/a
1997 685 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 484 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 501 n/a 0.0 32.1
2000 496 n/a 0.0 33.3
2001 492 n/a 0.0 26.8
2002 601 n/a n/a 31.3
2003 601 n/a n/a 31.3
2004 651 40.6 16.0 35.6
2005 593 45.4 13.1 37.9
2006 546 43.4 12.6 39.6
2007 515 40.0 12.9 43.3
2008 518 36.1 14.3 42.3
2009 481 35.3 13.6 44.9
2010 475 33.3 14.2 53.7
2011 500 32.3 15.4 56.4
2012 490 32.7 14.9 59.8
2013 518 34.9 14.8 61.2
2014 487 34.9 13.9 62.4
2015 509 35.0 14.5 64
2016 607 41.0 14.8 n/a
2017 579 39.4 14.6 n/a
2018 552 37.5 14.7 n/a
2019 554 38.0 14.5 n/a
2020 534 37.0 14.4 n/a
2021 452 39.5 11.4 n/a
2022 462 39.9 11.5 n/a
2023 986 61.1 16.1 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 Gardner Elementary School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 653 n/a n/a n/a
1989 540 n/a n/a n/a
1990 560 n/a n/a n/a
1991 551 n/a n/a n/a
1992 560 n/a n/a n/a
1993 573 n/a 0.0 n/a
1994 642 n/a n/a n/a
1995 682 n/a 0.0 n/a
1996 682 n/a 0.0 n/a
1997 685 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 484 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 501 n/a 0.0 32.1
2000 496 n/a 0.0 33.3
2001 492 n/a 0.0 26.8
2002 601 n/a n/a 31.3
2003 601 n/a n/a 31.3
2004 651 40.6 16.0 35.6
2005 593 45.4 13.1 37.9
2006 546 43.4 12.6 39.6
2007 515 40.0 12.9 43.3
2008 518 36.1 14.3 42.3
2009 481 35.3 13.6 44.9
2010 475 33.3 14.2 53.7
2011 500 32.3 15.4 56.4
2012 490 32.7 14.9 59.8
2013 518 34.9 14.8 61.2
2014 487 34.9 13.9 62.4
2015 509 35.0 14.5 64
2016 607 41.0 14.8 n/a
2017 579 39.4 14.6 n/a
2018 552 37.5 14.7 n/a
2019 554 38.0 14.5 n/a
2020 534 37.0 14.4 n/a
2021 452 39.5 11.4 n/a
2022 462 39.9 11.5 n/a
2023 986 61.1 16.1 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 Gardner Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $845 (6.5%) $12,180 (93.5%) $13,026
2020 $988 (7.2%) $12,750 (92.8%) $13,739
2021 $1,176 (7.4%) $14,672 (92.6%) $15,847

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Gardner 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 873rd of 942 Elementary schoolsRanks 807th of 928 Elementary schools
 5.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Gardner Elementary School)3122.2
 8.8%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Gardner)2921
 8%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5643.9
 12.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Gardner Elementary School)2516.8
 8.2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Gardner)2415.9
 8.1%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4941
 8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Gardner Elementary School)2420
 4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Gardner)2319.2
 3.8%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5239.7
 12.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Gardner Elementary School)3428.7
 5.3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Gardner)3228.9
 3.2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4945
 4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Gardner Elementary School)2821.1
 6.9%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Gardner)2623.6
 2.4%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5242.3
 9.7%
All Grades Mathematics (Gardner Elementary School)2922.4
 6.6%
   All Grades Mathematics (Gardner)2623.2
 2.8%
   All Grades Mathematics (Massachusetts)4940.6
 8.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students554986
 78%
African American1325
 92.3%
American Indian13
 200%
Asian914
 55.6%
Hispanic117285
 143.6%
Pacific Islander00
White361596
 65.1%
Two or More Races5362
 17%


Schools Near Gardner Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Gardner Elementary School

Gardner Elementary School ranks in the bottom 15.5% of Massachusetts elementary schools.

Students at Gardner Elementary School are 60% White, 29% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 3% African American, 1% Asian.

Students who attend Gardner Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Gardner Middle School
High : Gardner High

In the 2022-23 school year, 986 students attended Gardner Elementary School.


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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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