The top reported proficiency rate is 48% in Math. The lowest is 47% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Lilja Elementary
Lilja Elementary serves kindergarten through fourth grade in Natick, a town that mixes residential neighborhoods with commercial districts and a walkable downtown centered on Natick Common. The school sits within the Natick public school district, which is currently undergoing facility changes; Johnson Elementary closed in 2024 and a replacement Kennedy Middle School recently broke ground. For a family moving to Natick, these changes affect school assignment zones and the middle school experience their child will eventually enter.
The student body is diverse. White students make up the largest share, followed by smaller but present populations of students who are Hispanic, Asian, two or more races, and Black. The school’s enrollment size is typical for a K-4 building in a town of this kind. Data on how many students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are English learners was not available. A parent may want to ask the school directly about these supports, especially if their child is an English learner or has an IEP.
State testing results from the most recent year show that in both math and English language arts, roughly half of Lilja’s students scored at the proficient level or above. That places overall proficiency below the midpoint when compared with other districts in Middlesex County. Looking back over the past several years, the trend has been downward: math proficiency, for instance, was substantially higher several years ago, and English language arts proficiency has also dropped from where it stood in the years before the pandemic. These are the school’s own test results, and the pattern is consistent across both subjects. A parent seeing this picture would want to ask the school what strategies it is using to reverse the decline and whether the trend reflects changes in the student population, instructional approach, or both.
Because Lilja serves only grades K-4, there is no graduation rate. The school does not offer high school programs, so course access data such as Advanced Placement or career pathways does not apply here. The focus is on building foundational literacy and numeracy in the early grades.
Natick itself is a town with a strong economic base. Major employers headquartered here include MathWorks, Cognex Corporation, and Exponent, and the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center is a major research presence. The housing market is expensive; typical home values in the area sit well above national and state benchmarks. Rents are also high. This means families moving to Natick for the schools are buying into a costly market. The town has seen steady growth and significant new construction, particularly in West Natick near the train station, where many condominiums and apartments have been built.
The school’s location on Bacon Street places it in a residential part of town, not in the downtown core. With only five grades, Lilja is a neighborhood-focused entry point into the Natick school system. Families who value a small, community-based elementary school in a town with strong employment and a commuter rail connection to Boston may find this a natural fit, but the testing numbers and downward trend are worth a direct conversation with the school about how it supports students who are not yet meeting proficiency benchmarks.
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