The top reported proficiency rate is 6% in English language arts. The lowest is 2% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on H.b. Lawrence School
H.B. Lawrence School is a regular public school in Holyoke, Massachusetts, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It operates as part of the Holyoke Public Schools district, a system that has been under state receivership since a number of years ago and was classified in 2025 as requiring assistance or intervention, with most schools in the district carrying that same designation. This governance reality shapes every decision a family would weigh, and the district’s revenue is overwhelmingly state-funded, meaning that changes in state education funding priorities have an outsized impact on what programming and support the school can offer.
On state assessments, the school’s results are low. In math, very few students scored at the proficient or above level, and in English language arts the share was similarly small. Science results, tested only in the upper elementary grades, show a comparable pattern. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages performance across tested subjects and grades, places it in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Hampden County. Looking back over the available years, proficiency rates have fluctuated: in English language arts they ranged roughly between a low single-digit share and a mid-teens share, while math showed a similar pattern, with no sustained upward trajectory. The most recent year’s results are among the lowest observed across the entire span. A parent reviewing these numbers would want to ask the school directly about the specific instructional supports and interventions in place, particularly given that the school serves only early grades and state testing begins in third grade.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, making up the large majority of enrollment, with smaller shares of white students, Black students, and students of two or more races. Data on the percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, as well as the shares receiving special education services or classified as English learners, was not reported in the available source. Given the demographic composition and the district’s high-need context, a family moving into the area would want to ask the school about the specific services and programs available for students who are learning English or who have individualized education plans.
Holyoke itself is a small industrial city historically built around paper manufacturing, now home to specialty manufacturing and the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center, an intercollegiate research facility. The city’s downtown is laid out on a grid and features historic mill buildings, a canal system, Heritage State Park, and the Mount Tom Range as a backdrop. Housing in the city has a typical home value that is below the statewide median, and the local market shows a competitive environment with a relatively low median days on market. The city’s population peaked decades ago and has declined; recent estimates suggest it is roughly stable at a moderate size.
H.B. Lawrence School offers a neighborhood-based elementary program in a district that continues to operate under state oversight. The proficiency picture is a significant soft spot, and any family considering this school should look into the school’s specific academic supports, intervention programs, and the resources the district channels to it under the receivership funding model. The absence of reported data on student services is another area where the school itself is the best source of direct information.
See more original research from School Decision →