The top reported proficiency rate is 35% in English language arts. The lowest is 20% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Colrain Central
Colrain Central is a small regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in the rural town of Colrain, Massachusetts. It is part of the Mohawk Trail Regional School District, which also serves several other Franklin County towns. Because the school stops at grade six, there is no graduation rate to report and no high school course access measures. This is the only elementary-level school within Colrain itself; students in grades seven through twelve attend Mohawk Trail Regional High School in neighboring Buckland.
The school’s student body is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic and Black students and a very small share identifying 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 classified as English learners were not available. A parent who wants a fuller portrait of the student support needs at Colrain Central would need to ask the school or district directly for that information.
Colrain Central serves a small enrollment spread across all elementary grades. The school community is set in a town that is primarily agricultural and residential, with a hilly terrain, many gravel roads, and nine historic villages. Walkability is low, and there is no rail, bus, or air service within town; the nearest transit connections are in Greenfield. Civic anchors include the Griswold Memorial Library and two state forests. The town’s housing market, measured by a broad index for the area, shows values well below the statewide benchmark and a bit below the national benchmark. The county’s housing inventory has tightened in recent months, with pending listings rising sharply and median days on market falling, suggesting a competitive market for buyers.
On state assessments, Colrain Central’s results place it below the midpoint in overall proficiency among districts in Franklin County. In the most recent year of testing, the share of students meeting proficiency standards in math was lower than in English language arts, and science results also showed a modest share proficient. Looking back over several years, ELA proficiency has fluctuated: after reaching a higher point around 2020-21, it dipped in the following years and then ticked up in the most recent year. Math proficiency has also moved around, with a peak in 2018-19 and 2021-22 and a lower result in the most recent testing. The school’s trend line does not show a clear upward or downward trajectory; it moves year to year. A parent may want to discuss with the school how these results compare to other elementary schools in the Mohawk Trail district and what instructional strategies are in place.
The district has seen enrollment decline over a longer span, which prompted the closure of Sanderson Academy in Ashfield in 2022 and a reconfiguration of grade alignments at other schools. In 2023, voters in member towns approved a capital debt exclusion to fund roof and HVAC projects at the regional high school and Buckland-Shelburne Elementary. Starting the 2023-24 school year, the district adopted a new literacy curriculum grounded in the science of reading, a structured literacy approach, for grades K-6. A regional planning committee formed in 2024 to study long-term facilities and organizational options, including possible mergers with neighboring districts. These changes mean that the elementary experience for Colrain families sits within a district that is actively reshaping its footprint and approach.
There is no data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, or staffing ratios at the school. The school’s Title I status was not reported. Course access information is not applicable because the school does not serve grades where advanced or career-focused coursework is typically offered.
Colrain Central offers a small, rural elementary setting within a district that has gone through consolidation and curriculum shifts. Its academic results on state tests have been uneven and sit below the county midpoint. A family considering this school should weigh the close community feel of a small elementary against the broader district’s ongoing structural changes and the modest state test outcomes.
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