The top reported proficiency rate is 16% in Science. The lowest is 7% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Ellis Elementary School
Ellis Elementary School serves students from Pre-K through grade six in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. It is a regular public school within the Boston Public Schools system. The school draws its enrollment from a densely populated urban setting that is a mix of historic brick row houses and classic Boston triple-deckers, with Nubian Square functioning as the neighborhood's commercial and transit hub. Roxbury has the most parkland of any Boston neighborhood, anchored by the large Franklin Park, and the area has seen reinvestment in recent years including the conversion of the historic Ferdinand building into the district's headquarters. Housing values in the area are roughly comparable to the statewide median, but the cost of buying relative to income is high, and the estimated monthly mortgage payment exceeds the typical rent.
Ellis enrolls a student body that is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial Black population and small shares of white students and students of two or more races. The school’s grade span is notable: it serves only through sixth grade, so families will need to plan for a middle-school transition after this building. The school does not have high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report, and that absence is simply a function of the grade configuration.
On statewide assessments, the proficiency rates at Ellis are well below the district and state averages. In both English language arts and mathematics, the share of students scoring proficient or above has been in the range of roughly one in ten for several years, with no sustained upward trend. Science proficiency is similarly low. Compared to other districts in Suffolk County, Ellis’s overall proficiency across tested subjects places it in the bottom quartile. These numbers are a core fact about the school’s academic profile.
Several pieces of information that often help families evaluate a school are missing from the available data. There is no reported count or rate for students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, for students with disabilities served under an Individualized Education Program, or for English learners. The data also does not include any figures on chronic absenteeism, student discipline, or staffing ratios. Whether the school receives Title I funding is not indicated. Because these are gaps in the record rather than things the school does not do, a parent may want to ask the school directly about its support for students from low-income households, its special education services, and its programs for students learning English.
The district brief turned up no recent system-level policy or budget changes of lasting impact, so this narrative cannot comment on any shifts coming from the central office. The available data for Ellis Elementary offers a clear picture of an urban neighborhood school serving a diverse student body in a community with strong civic anchors and a revitalizing commercial core, alongside academic outcomes that families should weigh carefully. The school’s size is moderate for an elementary building, and its location within a walkable, transit-connected part of Boston is a practical consideration for families choosing a school.
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