The top reported proficiency rate is 15% in Science. The lowest is 9% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Dr W Arnone Community School
Dr. W. Arnone Community School is an elementary school in Brockton that serves children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The school is part of the Brockton Public Schools, a district that has drawn state scrutiny in recent years: it was classified as needing assistance or intervention in its most recent accountability report, due largely to low graduation rates and incomplete progress on improvement targets at the high school level. The district’s flagship high school also made national headlines in early 2024 over safety and staffing challenges, a context that may be relevant for families considering the full K–12 pathway. For the elementary grades at Arnone, however, the day-to-day experience is shaped by the school’s own data, which paints a straightforward picture.
The student body reflects Brockton’s diversity: a majority of students are Black, more than a quarter are Hispanic, and smaller shares are white, multiracial, or from other backgrounds. This is a public school environment that serves a largely nonwhite population in an urban setting. The share of students from low-income families, and the share with disabilities or identified as English learners, was not reported in the data available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the support resources in place for those groups.
On state assessments administered through the Massachusetts Next-Generation MCAS, performance across third through fifth grade is low. In English language arts, in mathematics, and in science, the proportion of students scoring proficient or above is well below the midpoint among Plymouth County districts. The school lands in the bottom quartile of that comparison set. Proficiency rates have been low for several years, with modest fluctuations and no clear upward trend since before the pandemic. This is a soft spot that any parent considering the school would want to explore further with school staff—for example, what academic interventions or tutoring are available, and how the school works to move students toward grade-level standards.
Because Arnone serves only through fifth grade, there is no graduation rate to consider at this level. The school offers a full range of elementary grades, including pre-kindergarten, so children who enter as four-year-olds can remain in the same building through fifth grade. The school’s website and program offerings were not detailed in the data, so families may wish to learn about enrichment, arts, or special programming directly from the school.
Housing in the area around Arnone is part of a mid-sized urban market. Brockton is a city that once centered on shoe manufacturing and has since diversified into healthcare, retail, and education. The population has grown slowly in recent years, and the city has focused on downtown revitalization. Home values in the school’s ZIP code are moderate relative to the state average, and rents are within reach of many households, though the market remains competitive. The city has an active commercial core, MBTA commuter rail stations connecting to Boston, and green space at D.W. Field Park.
Overall, Dr. W. Arnone Community School is an urban elementary school with a diverse student body and low academic proficiency as measured by state tests. A parent looking at this school will want to investigate the support systems, classroom resources, and school climate that the available data does not show, while also considering the district-wide challenges that Brockton Public Schools continues to address.
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