The top reported proficiency rate is 7% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Gerard A. Guilmette
Gerard A. Guilmette is a regular public elementary school serving first through fourth grade in Lawrence, Massachusetts. It is one of the elementary schools within the Lawrence Public School district and sits in the city's dense urban fabric.
The student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic or Latino, a composition that mirrors the city's strong Puerto Rican and Dominican roots and its identity as a historic immigrant gateway. The school is right-sized for its grade band and draws from the immediate surrounding neighborhoods.
On the Massachusetts Next-Generation MCAS assessments, proficiency rates for all students in both math and English language arts are very low. In the most recent testing cycle, a small share of students scored at the proficient level or above. This places the school's overall academic performance in the bottom quartile among the districts in Essex County, the comparison set used here. The trend over time shows a pattern of declining proficiency. In earlier years, roughly a third of students had met the state standard in English language arts, and a slightly larger share had done so in math. Those numbers dropped steeply around the pandemic period and have remained at the current low level since, with no recent upward movement. A parent looking at these results should consider that the school serves a high-needs population, but the scores themselves are what they are, and they are a central fact of this school's profile.
We looked for free or reduced-price lunch statistics, special education counts, and English learner data, but none were available. Given the demographics of the city and the school, it is likely that a very substantial share of students qualify for income-based meal assistance and that the English learner population is significant. A parent may want to ask the school directly about its specific support programs and how student needs are met.
Because Gerard A. Guilmette serves only grades one through four, it has no high school graduation rate to report, which is expected for its grade span.
Lawrence itself is a compact, densely populated city of about seven square miles along the Merrimack River. The built environment is dominated by historic brick mill buildings and dense multi-family housing, and the city's industrial past is still visible in its active manufacturing base. New Balance has a shoe plant here, Lawrence General Hospital is a major employer, and Charm Sciences operates a laboratory. The median home value is modest relative to the broader Boston metro area, and the housing market has been active. Rents and home prices have climbed, but the city remains more affordable than many communities in the region. The city is served by the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority and has an MBTA Commuter Rail station on the Haverhill Line.
No recent district-level changes that a parent would notice were found in research. The district appears to have operated without major restructuring or program overhauls in the recent past.
For a parent or resident assessing this school, the picture is straightforward. Gerard A. Guilmette is a neighborhood elementary school in a working-class, immigrant city. The academic attainment as measured by state tests is low, and it has been trending lower for several years. The school's demographics reflect the city itself, with a predominantly Hispanic student body. A family considering this school should ask what academic interventions and supports are in place, what the school's approach to literacy and math instruction looks like at each grade level, and what resources are available for students who are new to English. The school's website and a visit would be the best next steps to understand the day-to-day program.
See more original research from School Decision →