The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in Science. The lowest is 37% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Page Hilltop Elementary School
Page Hilltop Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Ayer, Massachusetts, as part of the Ayer Shirley School District. It is a regular public school. The school draws from a town that was originally a railroad junction and has retained a mix of residential neighborhoods, industrial plants such as Vitasoy and Pepsi, and a historic downtown. Ayer has commuter rail service to Boston, and its population has grown steadily in recent years. The town holds a state designation as a Housing Choice Community, meaning local policy has prioritized housing production and affordability. For a family considering this area, the town offers a small New England character with some industrial employment, a walkable historic Main Street, and a commuter-rail connection to the city.
The student body at Page Hilltop is diverse in its composition. The largest share of students are white, with smaller but notable percentages of Hispanic, two-or-more-races, Black, and Asian students. The school serves all elementary grades, and its enrollment size is typical for a Massachusetts elementary school serving pre-K through grade five. The school does not report free-or-reduced-price lunch data in the available records, so a reader interested in the economic makeup of the student body should seek that information directly from the school or district.
On the Massachusetts Next-Generation MCAS assessments, Page Hilltop’s results show a mix of outcomes. In science, half of students scored proficient or above, a solid showing. In math and English language arts, the rates were lower, with roughly two-fifths of students scoring proficient or above in math and just under that in ELA. A family looking at these figures should know that the school’s ELA and math proficiency rates are below the midpoint when compared with other schools in districts across Middlesex County. Looking at the multi-year trend, the school’s ELA proficiency rate was in the low-to-mid 50s for several years before 2020, then held around that range through 2023, and has since declined. Math proficiency has fluctuated more year to year, with a recent reading near where it was in the 2016-17 school year. Parents may want to ask the school about its current approach to literacy and math instruction and what interventions are in place for students who are not yet meeting benchmarks.
Because Page Hilltop serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. The school does not offer high school programs like AP or career pathways, which is expected given its grade band. Information on the school’s staffing ratios, class sizes, and chronic absenteeism was not available in the data we reviewed, so families should inquire about those areas directly with the school or district.
The Ayer Shirley School District itself has not been the subject of major publicly reported changes or strategic initiatives in recent material we found. This does not mean the district is inactive, only that no newsworthy developments were captured in our search. For a parent, that suggests a relatively stable district backdrop.
In short, Page Hilltop offers an elementary education in a growing town with commuter access to Boston, a diverse student population, and a science program that produces solid results. The math and English outcomes are weaker than the county median, and the trend in ELA has ticked downward. A family choosing this school should feel comfortable having a conversation with the principal about how the school is addressing those areas and what supports are in place. The town itself is a increasingly popular choice for commuters, and the school is part of a regional district that shares resources with neighboring Shirley.
See more original research from School Decision →