The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in Science. The lowest is 35% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Sanderson Academy
Sanderson Academy serves students from pre-kindergarten through grade six in the rural hill town of Ashfield, part of the Mohawk Trail Regional School District. The school is a regular public school and the only elementary school in Ashfield, also serving the neighboring town of Plainfield. High school students from this area attend Mohawk Trail Regional High School in Buckland, not in Ashfield itself.
The student body at Sanderson Academy is small and predominantly white, with a very small number of Black, Hispanic, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. The school does not report the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, nor the share of students with individualized education programs or those classified as English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about its support for special populations.
On the 2024-25 NextGen MCAS assessments, Sanderson Academy’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades placed it in the top quartile relative to districts in Franklin County. Looking at subjects individually, the school’s performance in English language arts was moderate, with roughly half of students scoring at the proficient level or above. In math, about one-third of students reached proficiency, a softer spot that a parent may want to follow up on with the school. Science results, based on a smaller group of test-takers, were stronger, with a majority of students scoring proficient. The proficiency rates in both English language arts and math have moved within a band over the past several years, without a clear upward or downward trend; the most recent numbers are broadly in line with where the school has been for much of the last decade.
The school’s enrollment is small, a characteristic that often shapes the classroom experience. There is no reported data on chronic absenteeism or on graduation rates, the latter because the school does not serve high school grades. A parent may also want to ask about discipline and staffing, as those details were not available in the data we looked at. Information on course access and program offerings was also absent, so it is unclear whether the school provides specialized programs such as music, art, or world language at this grade band.
Ashfield itself is a very rural community with a population density of about forty residents per square mile. The town’s population has been stable to slightly declining in recent years. The town center, near Ashfield Lake, houses the municipal services, but there is no significant commercial district, no public transit within town, and the built environment is almost entirely single-family homes, farms, and forest. The nearest bus and Amtrak service is in Greenfield, roughly fifteen miles away. The median home value in the area is moderate relative to the rest of the state, and the housing market in Franklin County shows relatively low inventory and a median listing price that is stable.
The district itself has undergone significant changes that affect families in Ashfield. In 2022, declining enrollment and budget pressures led the district to close Sanderson Academy and move its students to Buckland-Shelburne Elementary, a decision that permanently changed school options for Ashfield families. Publicly reported district materials confirm this consolidation occurred. Additionally, in 2023 voters in member towns approved a capital projects debt exclusion for roof and HVAC upgrades at other district schools, and in 2024 a regional planning committee was formed to study long-term options including potential mergers with neighboring districts, as district enrollment has declined considerably over the past decade. The district also implemented a new literacy curriculum aligned with the science of reading across all elementary schools starting in the 2023-2024 school year. A family considering Sanderson Academy or its current replacement school should be aware that the district is in a period of enrollment decline and structural change that may continue to reshape school options in the years ahead.
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