The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in English language arts. The lowest is 16% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Mattahunt Elementary School
Mattahunt Elementary School is a regular public school in the Boston Public Schools system, serving students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. It sits in the Mattapan neighborhood, a predominantly residential part of Boston where the housing mix includes single-family homes, traditional triple-deckers, small apartment buildings, and public housing. Blue Hill Avenue and Mattapan Square form the commercial heart, lined with banks, restaurants, health centers, and immigrant-owned businesses. The neighborhood has a large African American and Caribbean immigrant population, including the largest Haitian community in Massachusetts.
On the 2024-25 NextGen MCAS assessments, Mattahunt’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades placed it below the midpoint relative to other districts in Suffolk County. In English language arts, roughly a quarter of students scored proficient or above, a level that has held fairly steady over the past several years, fluctuating modestly. In math, about one in five students reached proficiency, with a slight uptick in the most recent year after a dip. Science results, which come from a smaller tested group, showed a lower share of students meeting the bar. Participation rates in all three subjects were high. A family looking at these outcomes will see a school where the majority of students are not yet meeting state proficiency benchmarks, a pattern that has persisted over multiple years. Parents may want to discuss with the school what academic interventions and supports are in place.
The student body is predominantly Black and Hispanic, reflecting the neighborhood’s demographics. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are classified as English learners was not available. The school serves a sizable enrollment for an elementary school, with students distributed across grades from pre-kindergarten through sixth.
Housing costs in the area are well above national medians. The typical home value in the local ZIP code is roughly comparable to the statewide average, and the typical rent is also high relative to national figures. Mortgage costs and rent each take a substantial bite out of a typical household’s income, a factor families weighing a move to the neighborhood will need to consider.
Mattapan has a civic fabric with the Mattapan Branch of the Boston Public Library, the Boston Nature Center and Wildlife Sanctuary with trails and community gardens, and Harambee Park nearby. The MBTA Mattapan trolley line and the Fairmount Commuter Rail Line provide transit connections. A planning effort adopted a few years ago guides growth around transit-oriented housing, accessory dwelling units, and infill development, while aiming to preserve neighborhood character.
For parents, Mattahunt Elementary offers an urban, neighborhood-anchored school with a diverse and culturally rich community. The academic performance data, however, indicate that a large proportion of students are below proficiency, and the school has not shown a clear upward trend in recent years. Families considering this school may want to look into the types of instructional support, enrichment programs, and community partnerships available, as well as the school’s specific approach to addressing the academic challenges the test results reveal. Because Mattahunt ends at sixth grade, families also need to plan for the transition to middle school within the Boston system.
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