The top reported proficiency rate is 76% in Science. The lowest is 65% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Manchester Memorial Elementary
Manchester Memorial Elementary sits in the coastal town of Manchester-by-the-Sea on Cape Ann, a place that began as a fishing community and later became a summer destination for Boston families. The town is primarily residential and affluent, with a small commercial center. Housing values in Manchester-by-the-Sea are well above the national average and notably higher than the statewide benchmark, making it an expensive market for families. The town has modest growth, constrained by its coastal geography and conservation land. Key civic features include an MBTA Commuter Rail stop connecting to Boston’s North Station, Singing Beach, and several parks and conservation areas.
This school serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. As a regular public elementary school, it feeds into the Manchester Essex Regional School District, which it shares with the neighboring town of Essex. The school is an elementary-only building, so there is no graduation rate to report, and state testing data applies only to the grades that test.
The student body is overwhelmingly white, with a very small share of Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial students. Enrollment is on the smaller side for an elementary school serving this grade span. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch was not available, nor were figures on students with individualized education plans or English learners. A parent looking into whether this school serves a diverse range of family circumstances may want to follow up with the district for that information.
On state assessments, Manchester Memorial performs at a level that places it in the top quarter of elementary schools when compared across Essex County. In the most recent testing year, reading proficiency was close to two-thirds of students meeting the bar, while math proficiency was similar. Science proficiency, tested in a narrower grade band, was higher. These are strong numbers, and they place the school above the typical proficiency rate seen across districts in the county. The trend over the last several years shows some variation. Reading proficiency was higher in the pre-pandemic years, around three-quarters of students or above, then dipped to a low point before recovering somewhat in the most recent year. Math proficiency followed a similar pattern, with higher levels a decade ago and a period of stability in the low- to mid-sixties range in recent years. The most recent year’s results show a slight uptick in both subjects from the prior year. Overall, the school’s academic performance has been solid and above the county average, though it has not returned to its peak levels from earlier in the decade.
No data was available for chronic absenteeism, discipline, or course access. Because this is an elementary school, the academic program is self-contained and does not include the advanced placement or career pathway offerings a parent might look for in a high school.
The school serves a small town with limited commercial activity and an affluent residential base. Housing is expensive, and the area’s character is quiet and coastal. Families considering a move here would likely be drawn by the strong academic outcomes at the elementary level and the broader community assets like the commuter rail and beaches. The district is shared with Essex, and the district brief turned up no recent parent-relevant changes, so the operating context appears stable. For a parent whose priority is a well-performing elementary school in a low-density, high-cost coastal town with a strong academic record relative to its county, Manchester Memorial fits that profile.
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