The top reported proficiency rate is 60% in Science. The lowest is 14% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Hawlemont Regional
Hawlemont Regional is the elementary school serving Charlemont and the neighboring town of Hawley, drawing from the rural Deerfield River valley in northwestern Massachusetts. It is a regular public school that covers pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, so it does not have a high school graduation rate or the later-grade program offerings a parent might look for in a secondary school. The school is small, with an enrollment that places it among the smaller elementary schools in the area. The student body is predominantly white, with very small shares of other racial and ethnic groups. Data on economic disadvantage, special education identification, and English learner status are not available in the record, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about these populations.
On state assessments, Hawlemont Regional’s results sit near the middle of the range among Franklin County’s districts when measured across all tested subjects and grades. In reading and language arts, about a third of students met proficiency standards, a figure that has held fairly steady over the past several years. In math, however, proficiency rates have been lower, and that pattern persists: around a small share of students scored proficient in the most recent testing year. This has been a consistent soft spot relative to the school’s own performance in other subjects. Science, tested only in the upper elementary grades, showed a stronger share of students meeting the bar, though the tested group is small. The overall picture is of a school where a parent would want to understand how math instruction and intervention are structured, especially if their child needs support in that area.
Hawlemont Regional operates within the Hawlemont district, and a search for recent district-level changes found no major property-tax shifts, curriculum overhauls, or other developments that would alter the school’s near-term direction. The district appears stable in its operations.
Charlemont itself is a small rural hilltown with a population that has changed little in recent decades. The economy revolves around tourism and outdoor recreation: Berkshire East Ski Area, whitewater rafting on the Deerfield River, zip-line canopy tours, camping, and hiking. The main corridor is the Mohawk Trail (Route 2), and the town’s built environment is spread out, with a modest civic cluster near the town center that includes the library, town offices, and a church that serves as a bus stop. There is no pedestrian downtown. The housing market reflects the area’s recreational appeal, with a mix of single-family homes and seasonal properties; housing values are typical for rural Franklin County and were roughly flat over the most recent year. The county’s inventory of active listings is modest, and new listings have been limited. For a family moving into the area, this is a place where a car is essential and where the nearest hospitals and larger commercial centers are in Greenfield (a substantial drive east) or North Adams.
What this school offers is a very small, rural setting with multi-grade familiarity and a stable district. The academic profile is mixed, with reading near the middle of county peers and math lower than that. A family considering Hawlemont Regional should feel comfortable in a tight-knit environment where every student is known, and should be prepared to engage with the school about math supports, since that area needs a closer look. The broader community is one where outdoor life is the main amenity, development pressure is low, and the school is a central institution for two small towns.
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