The top reported proficiency rate is 76% in Math. The lowest is 62% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Winthrop
Winthrop Elementary School serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Melrose public school system, a set of neighborhood schools within a residential Boston suburb. The school is located on First Street in Melrose, a city that developed historically as a commuter suburb and is now a largely built-out community of Victorian-era homes and tree-lined streets. Melrose has three MBTA Commuter Rail stations on the Haverhill Line, and the Oak Grove Orange Line station is just over the border in Malden, giving families transit access into Boston.
Winthrop is a regular public elementary school. The school's enrollment is sizable for a K-5 building. The student population is predominantly white, with a small share of Asian, Black, and Hispanic students, as well as a modest group of students who identify as two or more races. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are English learners was not present in the available records. A family weighing the school would want to ask the district directly about the extent of those supports, given that the absence of this information leaves an incomplete picture of which resources are most called upon.
Academic performance on the state's NextGen MCAS assessments is a clear strength. Winthrop's proficiency rates in both English language arts and mathematics sit well above the midpoint when placed against other districts in Middlesex County, landing in the top quartile of the comparison set. Across tested subjects, roughly three-quarters of students scored at the proficient or advanced level in math, and a similar share did so in reading. Science proficiency, while a bit lower, is still solid, with a substantial majority of test takers meeting the bar. These results suggest a strong academic baseline for an elementary school.
Trend data over the past several years shows that performance has been consistently high, with math and English rates moving in a fairly narrow band year to year. The school appears to maintain its footing without dramatic swings, which is reassuring for families looking for stability. Because Winthrop only serves through fifth grade, there is no high school graduation rate to report.
A voter-approved Proposition 2½ override in 2024, the city's first in a decade, directed additional recurring revenue to the Melrose schools, a sign of sustained community investment in education. The district also has a feasibility study underway for potential renovation and expansion of the middle school, which could affect the pipeline for current elementary families. The FY2025 district budget reflects increases driven by contractual obligations, special education costs, and transportation, with the committee establishing a stabilization fund to buffer against future special education cost volatility.
Melrose itself peaked in population decades ago and has seen modest decline since, but it remains a dense, walkable city with civic anchors like the Middlesex Fells Reservation, Pine Banks Park, and a historic downtown. Housing values in the area are high, a reflection of the broader Middlesex County market.
For a family looking at Winthrop, the central facts are an elementary school with strong and consistent academic results in a suburban Boston setting with good transit connections. The school is a feeder into the Melrose middle and high schools. The biggest open question a parent would want to resolve is the nature and level of support services, since the available data does not speak to how many students receive special education or English learner services. Otherwise, the academic picture is clear and positive.
See more original research from School Decision →