The top reported proficiency rate is 28% in Math. The lowest is 18% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Emily G Wetherbee
Emily G Wetherbee is a regular public school in the city of Lawrence serving kindergarten through eighth grade. It draws its enrollment from the surrounding neighborhoods of this compact, densely populated Merrimack River city, a historic industrial and immigrant gateway with a population that is predominantly Hispanic and Latino.
The school’s student body reflects Lawrence’s demographics in a concentrated way. Nearly all of the students who attend Wetherbee are Hispanic, with the remainder being a very small number of Asian, white, Black, and multiracial students. The enrollment is of a size that is typical for a K-8 school in a dense urban setting. Free-and-reduced-price lunch data and English learner counts were not available in the source data, so a parent should ask the school directly about the share of students who qualify for meal assistance and the extent of English language support programs.
On the Massachusetts Next-Generation MCAS assessments for the most recent school year, Wetherbee’s overall proficiency rate across tested subjects placed the school in the bottom quartile when compared to other districts in Essex County. In math, roughly a quarter of students in grades three through eight scored at the proficient or advanced level. In English language arts, it was about a quarter as well. In science, a similar share of students met that bar. Social studies, tested only in eighth grade, had a smaller share reaching proficiency. These are the fundamental academic numbers that define the school’s performance picture.
A look at the school’s trend line over the past several years shows that proficiency has at different points been somewhat higher than its current level. In the years before the pandemic, math proficiency ran higher, reaching above four in ten, while English language arts was around three in ten. Those levels fell noticeably in 2021 and have remained lower since, with the most recent reading still below pre-2019 levels. A parent reading this should know that the school is operating in a recovery pattern that is common across many public schools, but the recovery here has been slow.
Because Wetherbee does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and no data on chronic absenteeism or course access was provided in the source materials. A family considering this school will want to ask about the range of academic supports available, such as targeted tutoring, intervention programs for students below grade level, and any enrichment offerings. The school’s website is the natural next stop for a schedule of after-school activities and parent engagement opportunities.
The locale is Lawrence, a city of historic brick mills and dense triple-decker housing with an active manufacturing base. The downtown around Common Street anchors civic life, and the Merrimack River esplanade and Lawrence Heritage State Park provide public space. The school is embedded in the neighborhood grid, as is typical for a city of this density. No major new housing developments or district-level program changes were identified in the source data, so the context is one of stability rather than rapid growth or disruption.
For a family, this school fits if you are looking for a neighborhood K-8 option in an urban, predominantly Latino community, and if you are prepared to engage with a school where proficiency outcomes are low by county standards and have not yet returned to their pre-pandemic range. A parent should investigate what academic supports the school has in place for students who are behind grade level, and what enrichment or specialized programming, if any, is available. The school is part of the Lawrence Public Schools district, which a family may want to learn more about for its broader high school options and district-wide priorities.
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