The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in Math. The lowest is 33% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Brookside Elementary
Brookside Elementary is one of four elementary schools serving the predominantly residential suburban town of Dracut, Massachusetts, a community in the Merrimack Valley that borders Lowell. The school serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade and is a regular public school within the Dracut district. The town itself is car-dependent, with schools dispersed across separate neighborhood campuses rather than clustered in a downtown. Dracut retains some rural character, with former mill buildings along Beaver Brook repurposed for commercial and residential use. Families in Dracut have access to a mix of housing ranging from higher-end homes to deed-restricted affordable units. The broader Middlesex County housing market, where the school is located, has been competitive, with homes typically not staying on the market long.
Brookside’s student body is diverse. The largest group of students is white, followed by Hispanic students, then Asian students and Black students in similar proportion, and a small population of multiracial students. Data on the share of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals, students with disabilities, and English learners was not available. For a parent trying to understand the peer environment, the school’s composition suggests exposure to a range of backgrounds within a predominantly white suburban setting.
On state assessments, the school’s proficiency rates are an area where a parent may want to look into this further with the school. In math, proficiency was reported for a substantial number of tested students at a level that placed the school well below the midpoint among districts in Middlesex County. In English language arts, proficiency was also well below that midpoint. In science, which is tested only in fifth grade, proficiency was lower still. The school’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades placed it in the bottom quartile of the cohort of Middlesex County districts used for comparison.
Looking at the trend data that is available, the picture is more nuanced. In math, proficiency was in a range considered moderate in years prior to the pandemic, then dropped sharply during the 2020-21 school year, before partially recovering in subsequent years. By the most recent year, math proficiency was lower than in the pre-pandemic period, though the direction from the prior year was a modest decline. In English language arts, proficiency was high in the years before the pandemic, with a clear majority of students meeting the bar. It then declined steadily over the past several years, reaching a level that is much lower than in the pre-pandemic years. The general trajectory shows a notable falloff from earlier performance that has not yet reversed.
There are no program or pathway details available for this elementary school, which is typical for a K-5 building. Course access data and staffing information were not provided, so it is not possible to describe enrichment offerings, class sizes, or specialized supports in more detail. The school does not have a Title I status listed.
The Dracut district had one piece of recent news relevant to parents: Richardson Middle School, which Brookside students feed into, was flagged as requiring assistance or intervention in the 2025 state accountability report, while all other Dracut schools remained in good standing. This designation carries implications for resource allocation and school improvement efforts at the district’s only middle school, and it may be something for families to consider as they look at the full K-12 pathway.
For a parent or resident evaluating Brookside, the primary consideration is the academic context. The school serves a diverse suburban student body, but its current state assessment results are in a lower range relative to other districts across Middlesex County, and the trend data shows that performance has declined from earlier, stronger levels. Families placing a high priority on academic proficiency at the elementary level will want to understand what support structures are in place and how the school is addressing this pattern. For those whose main concern is a familiar neighborhood school within a residential community, Brookside fits the profile of a typical elementary school in Dracut, though with the caveat that the peer environment and academic outcomes look different today than they did several years ago.
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