The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in Science. The lowest is 27% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Spencer Borden
Spencer Borden is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Fall River, a mid-sized former textile manufacturing city on Mount Hope Bay. The school sits in a city with a strong Portuguese American cultural presence, a downtown bisected by an interstate highway, and a mix of 19th-century granite mills and residential neighborhoods. Housing values in the area are moderate, with rents that have been rising, and the broader Bristol County market shows a steady number of listings.
The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly White, with a substantial share identifying as Hispanic, a smaller share as Black, and a smaller share again as Asian. The student body also includes a group identifying as two or more races. The enrollment is spread across the elementary grades, with a small pre-kindergarten program. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch was not reported, and information on students with individualized education programs or English learner status was also not available, so a parent who wants to understand the school’s economic or special-education profile would need to ask the school directly.
On state assessments, the most recent results show a mixed picture. Proficiency in math was below the midpoint among districts in Bristol County, and the school’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades lands in that same position relative to its county peers. In math, roughly a third of students scored at proficient or above. In English language arts, the share was a bit lower. In science, just over half of students reached proficiency, a stronger result than in the other two subjects, though the science test is taken by a smaller group of students.
These recent numbers represent a decline from earlier years. In English language arts, the proficiency rate was around half a decade ago, then moved down through the pandemic years and has continued to slide. In math, the rate was also higher a few years ago, with a sharper drop in the pandemic year, a partial recovery, and then a more recent step down. The trend across both subjects is one of lower performance than the school produced in the mid- to late 2010s. A parent may want to discuss with the school what supports are in place for students who are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks.
Because Spencer Borden serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. The school has no charter or magnet designation, and no Title I status was provided. Discipline data was not available, nor were staffing or attendance figures, so a fuller picture of the school environment would require a visit or a conversation with the principal. The district brief turned up no major parent-relevant changes in the Fall River school system in the recent span, so the operating context appears stable.
For a family considering this school, the takeaway is a neighborhood elementary school in a mid-sized city, with a diverse student body, recent academic results that trail the county median, and a downward trend in testing performance that warrants a closer look at how the school addresses student learning needs. The setting is a city with a distinct cultural identity, a highway-divided downtown, and a range of housing options that are relatively affordable by Massachusetts standards.
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