Helen R Donaghue School

Summary:

The Helen R Donaghue School is an elementary school located in Merrimac, MA, serving grades 3-6 with around 250 students. The school is part of the Pentucket District, which is ranked 126 out of 351 districts in Massachusetts and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, the school's performance, as measured by MCAS Next Generation assessments, is generally below the Pentucket District and Massachusetts state averages across grades and subjects. In 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (35.95%) and Mathematics (42.92%) are lower than the Pentucket District (42.59% and 49.6%) and the state (39.17% and 40.91%). However, the school's 3rd grade performance is stronger, with 49.09% proficient in English Language Arts and 52.73% in Mathematics, which are closer to or above the district and state averages.

Compared to nearby schools, the Dr. John C. Page School, also in the Pentucket District, outperforms Helen R. Donaghue School on academic measures. Other nearby schools, such as those in the Haverhill district, generally have lower academic performance, while the Shay Elementary School in the Amesbury district has stronger performance, particularly in Mathematics.


Detail:

Public 3-6

 24 Union Street Ext.
       Merrimac, MA  01860-2244


(978) 346-8921

District: Pentucket

SchoolDigger Rank:
494th of 916 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $16,470 Help


Students who attend Helen R Donaghue School usually attend:

Middle:    Pentucket Regional Middle
High:    Pentucket Regional Senior High

Student/teacher ratio:  11.0 Help
Number of students:  245

Racial breakdown:

White:
86.5%
Hispanic:
10.6%
Two or more races:
2.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  18.4% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Helen R Donaghue School ranks worse than 53.9% of elementary schools in Massachusetts. It also ranks last among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Pentucket School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 47.99. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (86.5%), Hispanic (10.6%), two or more races (2.4%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Helen R Donaghue School is 11, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the Pentucket School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Helen R Donaghue School employs 22.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Helen R Donaghue School is $16,470. 2 elementary schools in the Pentucket School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Helen R Donaghue School:

SchoolDigger ranks Helen R Donaghue School 494th of 916 Massachusetts public elementary schools. (See Helen R Donaghue School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Pentucket:

SchoolDigger ranks Pentucket 126th of 351 Massachusetts school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Helen R Donaghue School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Helen R Donaghue School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 76.01 217th 884 75.5%
2004 79.22 177th 882 79.9%
2005 78.42 198th 887 77.7%
2006 69.45 273rd 911 70.0%
2007 66.65 316th 911 65.3%
2008 58.77 395th 908 56.5%
2009 60.29 386th 909 57.5%
2010 60.05 384th 920 58.3%
2011 57.97 426th 924 53.9%
2012 55.81 463rd 930 50.2%
2013 56.24 458th 928 50.6%
2014 58.40 428th 926 53.8%
2015 48.84 513th 914 43.9%
2016 38.59 615th 932 34.0%
2017 29.92 696th 938 25.8%
2018 31.06 680th 934 27.2%
2019 46.68 530th 942 43.7%
2021 56.30 425th 936 54.6%
2022 51.25 468th 932 49.8%
2023 52.26 455th 928 51.0%
2024 47.99 494th 916 46.1%
See the entire list of Massachusetts Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Helen R Donaghue School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.59 693rd 886 21.8%
2019 39.32 582nd 896 35.0%
2021 47.64 448th 894 49.9%
2022 41.59 533rd 905 41.1%
2023 41.04 380th 703 45.9%
2024 47.04 327th 731 55.3%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Helen R Donaghue School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.67 582nd 685 15.0%
2019 39.87 438th 700 37.4%
2021 59.02 241st 705 65.8%
2022 58.30 282nd 772 63.5%
2023 70.74 144th 757 81.0%
2024 44.10 422nd 760 44.5%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Helen R Donaghue School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.54 600th 893 32.8%
2019 56.26 403rd 902 55.3%
2021 60.73 357th 898 60.2%
2022 57.81 385th 901 57.3%
2023 57.87 393rd 887 55.7%
2024 51.32 436th 886 50.8%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Helen R Donaghue School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 47.99 283rd 656 56.9%
2019 52.61 255th 665 61.7%
2021 61.36 184th 632 70.9%
2022 45.37 325th 672 51.6%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Helen R Donaghue School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.51 707th 898 21.3%
2019 37.35 590th 907 35.0%
2021 50.11 460th 904 49.1%
2022 43.59 512th 908 43.6%
2023 46.42 480th 896 46.4%
2024 43.79 513th 891 42.4%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Tested In Person students at Helen R Donaghue School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 58.67 406th 925 56.1%
See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Tested In Person Students!

Rank History for White students at Helen R Donaghue School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 21.60 663rd 772 14.1%
2019 35.84 551st 780 29.4%
2021 41.58 479th 765 37.4%
2022 38.74 505th 764 33.9%
2023 39.07 498th 762 34.6%
2024 35.84 527th 753 30.0%
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.

Helen R Donaghue School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 







Data source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for Helen R Donaghue School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1994 328 0 4 0 0 n/a n/a 0 332
1995 342 1 3 3 0 n/a n/a 0 349
1996 342 1 3 3 0 n/a n/a 0 349
1997 372 2 3 3 0 n/a n/a 0 380
1998 392 3 1 8 0 n/a n/a 0 404
1999 396 5 1 7 0 n/a n/a 0 409
2000 400 5 3 5 0 n/a n/a 0 413
2001 397 9 0 6 0 n/a n/a 0 412
2002 398 0 4 4 0 n/a n/a 0 406
2003 398 0 4 4 0 n/a n/a 0 406
2004 406 3 1 3 0 n/a n/a 0 413
2005 408 2 1 1 0 n/a n/a 0 412
2006 388 0 1 4 0 n/a n/a 6 399
2007 391 1 2 1 0 n/a n/a 6 401
2008 397 2 2 2 0 n/a n/a 1 404
2009 391 3 2 5 0 0 6 0 407
2010 377 3 2 7 0 0 4 0 393
2011 376 3 4 14 0 0 4 0 401
2012 358 5 3 10 0 0 8 0 384
2013 325 1 4 13 0 0 13 0 356
2014 303 2 2 13 0 0 14 0 334
2015 277 1 1 12 0 0 13 0 304
2016 257 0 3 13 0 0 8 0 281
2017 225 0 1 11 0 0 6 0 243
2018 218 1 2 15 0 0 5 0 241
2019 210 1 1 16 0 0 7 0 235
2020 203 0 0 16 1 0 9 0 229
2021 212 0 0 18 0 0 8 0 238
2022 231 0 0 18 0 0 7 0 256
2023 223 0 0 21 0 0 6 0 250
2024 212 0 1 26 0 0 6 0 245

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 Helen R Donaghue School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1994 332 n/a n/a n/a
1995 349 n/a 0.0 n/a
1996 349 n/a 0.0 n/a
1997 380 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 404 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 409 n/a 0.0 0
2000 413 n/a 0.0 7.7
2001 412 n/a 0.0 7
2002 406 n/a n/a 6.2
2003 406 n/a n/a 6.2
2004 413 27.8 14.9 7.7
2005 412 27.4 15.0 7
2006 399 24.7 16.2 7.4
2007 401 25.0 16.0 8.6
2008 404 27.3 14.8 7.2
2009 407 28.1 14.5 11.1
2010 393 26.3 14.9 14.8
2011 401 25.5 15.6 15
2012 384 26.3 14.5 14.8
2013 356 23.9 14.8 16.3
2014 334 25.3 13.1 18.3
2015 304 25.0 12.1 18.4
2016 281 23.0 12.2 n/a
2017 243 21.8 11.1 n/a
2018 241 22.3 10.7 n/a
2019 235 22.2 10.5 n/a
2020 229 21.8 10.4 n/a
2021 238 21.5 11.0 n/a
2022 256 20.1 12.7 n/a
2023 250 22.1 11.2 n/a
2024 245 22.1 11.0 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 Helen R Donaghue School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1994 332 n/a n/a n/a
1995 349 n/a 0.0 n/a
1996 349 n/a 0.0 n/a
1997 380 n/a 0.0 n/a
1998 404 n/a 0.0 n/a
1999 409 n/a 0.0 0
2000 413 n/a 0.0 7.7
2001 412 n/a 0.0 7
2002 406 n/a n/a 6.2
2003 406 n/a n/a 6.2
2004 413 27.8 14.9 7.7
2005 412 27.4 15.0 7
2006 399 24.7 16.2 7.4
2007 401 25.0 16.0 8.6
2008 404 27.3 14.8 7.2
2009 407 28.1 14.5 11.1
2010 393 26.3 14.9 14.8
2011 401 25.5 15.6 15
2012 384 26.3 14.5 14.8
2013 356 23.9 14.8 16.3
2014 334 25.3 13.1 18.3
2015 304 25.0 12.1 18.4
2016 281 23.0 12.2 n/a
2017 243 21.8 11.1 n/a
2018 241 22.3 10.7 n/a
2019 235 22.2 10.5 n/a
2020 229 21.8 10.4 n/a
2021 238 21.5 11.0 n/a
2022 256 20.1 12.7 n/a
2023 250 22.1 11.2 n/a
2024 245 22.1 11.0 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 Helen R Donaghue School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $668 (4.2%) $15,193 (95.8%) $15,861
2020 $1,120 (5.1%) $20,732 (94.9%) $21,852
2021 $1,409 (8.6%) $15,060 (91.4%) $16,470

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Helen R Donaghue 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 530th of 942 Elementary schoolsRanks 455th of 928 Elementary schools
 7.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Helen R Donaghue School)6242.4
 19.6%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pentucket)6955.4
 13.6%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5643.9
 12.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Helen R Donaghue School)5132.2
 18.8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Pentucket)5749.7
 7.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4941
 8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Helen R Donaghue School)4836.9
 11.1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Pentucket)5846.4
 11.6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5239.7
 12.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Helen R Donaghue School)6656.9
 9.1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Pentucket)5355.6
 2.6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4945
 4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Helen R Donaghue School)3741
 4%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Pentucket)4451.2
 7.2%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5243.8
 8.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Helen R Donaghue School)6143.3
 17.7%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Pentucket)5248.5
 3.5%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)4940.9
 8.2%
5th Grade Science (Helen R Donaghue School)5329.3
 23.7%
   5th Grade Science (Pentucket)6048.5
 11.5%
   5th Grade Science (Massachusetts)4841.6
 6.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Helen R Donaghue School)3147.5
 16.5%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Pentucket)4152.9
 11.9%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5442.3
 11.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Helen R Donaghue School)4259
 17%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Pentucket)4157.5
 16.5%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)5141
 10%
All Grades English Language Arts (Helen R Donaghue School)4441.9
 2.1%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Pentucket)5150.2
 0.8%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Massachusetts)5242.3
 9.7%
All Grades Mathematics (Helen R Donaghue School)5448.2
 5.8%
   All Grades Mathematics (Pentucket)4850.3
 2.3%
   All Grades Mathematics (Massachusetts)4940.6
 8.4%
All Grades Science (Helen R Donaghue School)5329.3
 23.7%
   All Grades Science (Pentucket)5545.7
 9.3%
   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 Students235250
 6.4%
African American10
 100%
American Indian00
Asian10
 100%
Hispanic1621
 31.3%
Pacific Islander00
White210223
 6.2%
Two or More Races76
 14.3%


Schools Near Helen R Donaghue School









Frequently Asked Questions about Helen R Donaghue School

Students who attend Helen R Donaghue School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Pentucket Regional Middle
High : Pentucket Regional Senior High

In the 2023-24 school year, 245 students attended Helen R Donaghue School.

Helen R Donaghue School ranks 494th of 916 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students at Helen R Donaghue School are 87% White, 11% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.


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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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