The top reported proficiency rate is 27% in Science. The lowest is 22% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Perkins Elementary School
Perkins Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in the South Boston neighborhood of the Boston Public Schools district. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet institution.
Perkins is one of many elementary schools within Boston’s large, urban district. The school itself is small for its grade band. The student body is diverse: the largest group of students is Hispanic, followed by Black students, with smaller shares of White, Asian, and multiracial students. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, students with disabilities, and English learners was not available in the record, which means a parent may want to ask the school directly about the degree of socioeconomic diversity and the availability of English language support and special education services.
On state assessments in the most recent testing year, the school’s proficiency rates in math and English language arts were modest. In math, a little over one-fifth of students scored proficient or above. In English language arts, the rate was similar. For science, the tested cohort was much smaller, and about a quarter of those students scored proficient or above. Compared to other districts within Suffolk County, Perkins’ overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits above the midpoint. That is a useful marker: while the school’s rates are not high in an absolute sense, they are not outliers on the low end when placed among a large, county-wide set that includes many other city schools.
Looking back over the past several years, the trend lines in math and English language arts show fluctuation rather than steady improvement. English language arts proficiency ranged from the low twenties to about two-fifths over the years, with no clear upward trajectory. Math proficiency was in the mid-thirties before the pandemic, dropped sharply in the early 2020s, and has since recovered partially but remains below pre-2020 levels. A parent moving to the neighborhood will want to understand what academic support the school is providing and what recent initiatives may be in place, as the pattern here suggests room for growth.
The school serves only through sixth grade, so there is no graduation rate to report. That is a function of the school’s grade band, not a missing metric. Families will need to consider the middle school pathway after Perkins, which means looking at the Boston Public Schools assignment system and the options available in the city.
The community context is dense, walkable, and rapidly evolving. South Boston, known locally as Southie, was historically a working-class Irish Catholic enclave and has gentrified heavily. The neighborhood now draws young professionals and families, its commercial core along Broadway lined with both longtime businesses and new bars, restaurants, and shops. The Seaport District, part of the neighborhood’s waterfront, has been transformed into a hub for technology companies, contributing to significant development pressure. Housing costs in the zip code are well above national and state benchmarks, and rents are high, which means the school serves a neighborhood where many families have likely been priced out, while newly arriving households tend to be more affluent. The area is well served by transit, including MBTA Red Line stations and bus routes, and has a string of waterfront parks and beaches.
The district itself, Boston Public Schools, had no recent district-level policy or budget changes flagged in the search. The district is large and administers a complex school choice and assignment system, so a family zoned for Perkins should confirm the current assignment policies and any available school choice options.
For a family considering this school, the offer is a neighborhood elementary school in a vibrant, walkable urban setting with a diverse student body. The academic performance data is a soft spot, and a parent should engage the school directly on what instructional strategies, intervention programs, or enrichment opportunities are available. The school sits in a high-cost, high-demand housing market, which gives the neighborhood energy and convenience but also means affordability is a real constraint for many families.
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