The top reported proficiency rate is 60% in Math. The lowest is 50% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Shay Elementary
Shay Elementary is one of two buildings on a single K-5 campus in Amesbury, Massachusetts, and it serves the younger half of that split: pre-kindergarten through second grade. The school opened in 2023, replacing the former Amesbury Elementary School as part of a district-wide consolidation that moved all elementary students to one property, with Shay taking the primary grades and Cashman Elementary serving grades three through five. Because it is a primary school, it does not produce a graduation rate, and its state testing is available only for the grades it serves.
The school serves a student body that is predominantly white, with a Hispanic population representing a meaningful share. Other racial and ethnic groups are present in much smaller proportions. Data on economic disadvantage and special education status were not available. Given the early grade band, the absence of those figures is a gap that may matter to families weighing the school's available support structures, and a parent may want to ask the district directly about the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals and the school's special education staffing.
On the Massachusetts NextGen MCAS assessments, Shay Elementary’s third-graders posted a math proficiency rate that landed above the midpoint for districts in Essex County. The English language arts proficiency rate was lower, though still within the range of schools in the area. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages results across tested subjects and grades, places it above the midpoint among its county peers. This is a favorable position for a school that has only been open for a short time and whose tested population is a single grade. Looking at the trend for the grade level that was previously housed at the former Amesbury Elementary, math proficiency has fluctuated from year to year, with a low point in the pandemic-affected 2020-21 school year and a rebound since. English language arts has shown a similar pattern, with rates that have moved within a moderate range over the available years.
Amesbury itself is a former farming and mill town that is now primarily residential, with light manufacturing in electronics, furniture, and metalwork, along with services. The built environment retains early Federal and Victorian architecture, and the town center sits at the confluence of the Powwow and Back rivers. Bus service connects to train stations in Haverhill and Newburyport. Housing values and rents in the area have been rising, and the local market shows high demand relative to supply, typical of the broader Essex County region.
For families considering Shay Elementary, the school is a new facility dedicated to the youngest elementary learners, paired with a separate building for upper elementary on the same campus. The academic results from its first year are solid relative to the county, with math standing out. The lack of data on free or reduced-price lunch, special education, and English learner populations means that some of the usual context for understanding student needs is not available. A parent interested in the school’s full support picture would likely want to discuss those details with the district directly.
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