The top reported proficiency rate is 53% in Math. The lowest is 44% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on William H Taylor
William H Taylor is a regular public elementary school in New Bedford, serving preschool through grade five. New Bedford is a densely settled, historically industrial port city on the Massachusetts south coast. It is the nation’s highest-grossing commercial fishing port, a fact that drives a large seafood-processing economy and shapes the city’s identity. A substantial Portuguese-American community anchors much of the city’s cultural life, and the offshore wind industry is emerging as a new sector. The downtown historic district, the Whaling National Historical Park, and the Seaport Cultural District concentrate civic and cultural activity. The area is connected by passenger rail to Providence and by ferry to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
The school’s academic profile comes from state NextGen MCAS results for grades three through five. Overall proficiency across tested subjects places William H Taylor above the midpoint among the districts in Bristol County, which is a relative strength in this region. In the most recent testing year, math proficiency was in line with that county benchmark, while English language arts proficiency was somewhat lower. Science proficiency, tested only at grade five, was around the midpoint of the three subjects. Looking at trends over time, both math and ELA proficiency were higher in the years before the pandemic, then dipped, then partially recovered in the early 2020s. The most recent year shows a noticeable drop in both subjects, with ELA falling further. A parent may want to follow up with the school to understand the reasons for that decline. The multi-year record shows that the school has previously reached higher proficiency levels, so the current numbers may reflect a temporary shift, but the pattern is worth exploring.
The school is modest in enrollment for an elementary building. The student body is majority white, with a sizable Hispanic population, a smaller Black presence, and a notable share of students identifying as two or more races. Asian and Native American students are present in very small numbers. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, receive special education services, or are English learners was not available, so a family cannot assess the economic or support-service profile from this record. No information on class sizes, teacher experience, or chronic absenteeism was provided, either. General district-level context may be helpful here: New Bedford Public Schools recently approved a multi-year strategic plan focused on early childhood, literacy, college and career readiness, and family engagement, and increased its budget with investments in curriculum, technology, and social-emotional learning. At the same time, the district has experienced declining enrollment overall, which has prompted discussions about potential school facility consolidation. That could eventually affect school assignments or class configurations, though no specific plans for Taylor have been announced.
William H Taylor is a neighborhood elementary that sits within a city with a strong maritime and cultural character. Its academic standing relative to other Bristol County districts is a point in its favor, though the most recent test results give a more cautious picture. The school may fit families who value a regular public school in an urban, walkable setting with a distinct regional culture, and who are comfortable looking into the recent performance dip directly with the school staff.
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