The top reported proficiency rate is 19% in English language arts. The lowest is 18% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Richer
Richer is a regular public elementary school in Marlborough, Massachusetts, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It is one of several elementary schools in the Marlborough district. The city itself is a mid-sized, diverse community that shifted from 19th-century industrial roots to a high-technology economy after the Massachusetts Turnpike was built. Marlborough sits at the intersection of several major highways, giving it a strong commercial corridor character alongside established residential neighborhoods. A substantial share of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, and the foreign-born population is notable for the region, making the city more diverse than many communities in the area. Housing values are relatively high, reflecting the broader Middlesex County market, and the city has seen steady population growth in recent years.
The school's student body reflects that citywide diversity. More than half of Richer's students are Hispanic or Latino, with a smaller but still sizable white enrollment and smaller shares of students who identify as Black, Asian, or two or more races. Data on the percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch was not available, nor were counts for students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school or district directly about the level of economic disadvantage and language support.
On the Massachusetts Next-Generation MCAS assessments, Richer's students scored well below the midpoint among the county's districts. Looking at the most recent testing year, the share of students scoring proficient or above was in the range of roughly one in five for mathematics, English language arts, and science. The school's proficiency index, which averages results across tested subjects and grades, placed it in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Middlesex County. A parent viewing these results should be aware that they reflect a notable downward trend over time. In the years before the pandemic, the share of students meeting proficiency standards in both math and ELA was substantially higher, closer to half. Since the 2020-21 school year, those figures have continued to decline, and the most recent results represent the lowest point in the available data. Because the school serves only elementary grades, it has no high school graduation rate to report.
Because Richer is an elementary school, it does not offer the advanced coursework, career pathways, or dual-enrollment programs that are relevant at the secondary level. The school's website and program offerings were not detailed in the available information, so a parent would want to visit the school or contact the district to learn about enrichment, specials, and any targeted academic supports. The Marlborough district's overall budget, strategic priorities, and recent changes were not included in this profile.
For a family weighing this school, the core fact is the academic performance picture: proficiency rates are well below the county median and have been declining for several years. The school sits in a city with a strong commercial-tax base and a growing, diverse population, but at the school level, the test results suggest that many students are not yet meeting grade-level expectations. A parent interested in Richer should ask the school directly about the initiatives in place to address these trends, what supports are available for students who are below benchmark, and how the school is working to reverse the decline.
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