The top reported proficiency rate is 18% in Social studies. The lowest is 5% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Hennigan K-8 School
Hennigan K-8 School is a regular public school in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, serving kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the Boston Public Schools system, a large urban district. The school sits in a dense, walkable, transit-rich corner of the city, one of Boston’s most diverse neighborhoods, where Centre Street and Hyde Square anchor a corridor of ethnic restaurants and local shops, and where residents rely heavily on the Orange Line and buses.
The student body is about the size typical for a K-8 school in a city setting. The peer group is predominantly Hispanic and Black, with smaller numbers of Asian and White students. Data on income eligibility, special education, and English learner status were not available in the profile, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals or receive specialized support. The neighborhood itself is home to a mix of Latino, young family, and young professional populations, which shapes the everyday mix of families who walk or take transit to the school.
On state assessments, the school’s proficiency rates are low. In the most recent year, the share of students scoring proficient or higher in English language arts, math, science, and eighth-grade social studies all fell well below one in five students. The trend over roughly the past decade shows a decline from earlier levels—ELA proficiency, for instance, had been around one-quarter of students before the pandemic and is now roughly half that. Math proficiency has similarly dropped and has not recovered. These are the lowest results among districts in Suffolk County, placing the school in the bottom part of the county comparison. A parent considering this school should look into what academic supports, intervention programs, and enrichment the school offers to understand how it addresses these outcomes. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to examine.
Jamaica Plain offers a strong walkable setting with multiple commercial hubs and extensive public transit. Housing costs are high; the neighborhood’s home values are above the state average, and rents are similarly elevated, making this an expensive place to live even by Boston standards. The school itself is a neighborhood anchor within this community, but a family would need to weigh the high cost of housing against the school’s current academic profile. The district brief found no recent large-scale changes at the Boston Public Schools level that would alter this picture.
For a family that values a diverse, urban, transit-connected neighborhood and wants a K-8 setting where their child would attend a local school close to home, Hennigan K-8 is a real option. The academic data, however, is a clear area of concern. A parent would be well served to visit the school, speak with staff about how they support students who are behind grade level, and understand what enrichment and advanced coursework exists for students who are already meeting benchmarks. The school’s size and grade span mean students stay in one building through middle school, which can provide continuity, but the classroom experience will look very different from that of a high-performing suburban school.
See more original research from School Decision →