The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in Science. The lowest is 46% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on West Memorial
WestMemorial serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Peabody, a mid-sized city in Essex County. It is a regular public school within the Peabody district, and its enrollment is moderately sized for an elementary school. The student body is predominantly white, with a modest share of Hispanic students and small numbers of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, on students with disabilities, and on English learners were not reported, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about these supports.
On the most recent state assessments, math proficiency was close to the midpoint: a little more than half of students met the state’s proficiency standard. In English language arts, just under half of students were proficient. Science proficiency, tested in grade five only, was a bit higher than either math or ELA. The multi-year trend shows some fluctuation; for example, ELA proficiency has moved up and down in recent years, and math proficiency has been relatively steady after a dip a few years ago. When compared with other school districts across Essex County, West Memorial’s overall proficiency across tested subjects sits above the midpoint among the county’s districts. That places it in the middle-to-upper part of the local range, though not at the top.
Because West Memorial is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to report, nor are there secondary-level measures such as course access or college readiness programs. The school’s grade band also means that state testing only covers certain years, so for a full picture of student experience, families would want to look at the feeder middle and high schools in Peabody.
The housing market in the area around the school is expensive. Home values in the zip code are well above the national median, and rents are also high relative to incomes, which reflects broader pressures in the Boston metro region. The county housing market has been active, with home prices that make homeownership a substantial investment. Renting may also be a significant share of household income. These economic conditions are not unique to the school itself but shape the community it draws from.
Information about the school’s specific programs, such as enrichment classes, arts, or special education services, was not included in the available data. The district brief found no recent changes that reached the level of a major budget override, curriculum overhaul, or building project that would alter the day-to-day experience for families. A parent moving to the area or choosing an elementary school may want to visit West Memorial and ask about things like class size, early literacy support, and how the school serves students who need extra help, since those details are not captured in the public metrics.
In short, West Memorial is a moderately sized, conventional elementary school with academic results that are above the midpoint for its county but still leave room for improvement, especially in English language arts. The school serves a largely white student population, and the surrounding housing market is expensive. Families looking for a solid neighborhood elementary school in Peabody will find a school that is performing in the middle tier relative to its county peers, with the caveat that several pieces of information that many parents find useful, such as poverty rate or special education prevalence, are not publicly available here.
See more original research from School Decision →