The top reported proficiency rate is 31% in Science. The lowest is 19% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on William a Welch Sr
William A Welch Sr is a regular public elementary school in Peabody, Massachusetts, serving kindergarten through fourth grade. It is part of the Peabody district and sits in Essex County, about a half-hour north of Boston. Because the school’s grade band ends at fourth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and state testing data covers only the grades that are assessed under Massachusetts’ NextGen MCAS program.
On the 2024–25 state assessments, the school’s proficiency rates were well below the midpoint when compared across districts in Essex County. In mathematics, roughly one in five students scored proficient or above; in English language arts, the share was slightly lower. Science, which is tested in a narrower grade range, showed a somewhat higher proficiency rate, about three in ten students. The overall proficiency index—a combined measure across tested subjects and grades—placed the school in the bottom quartile among the county’s districts, meaning a large majority of other elementary schools in the area reported stronger academic results.
The multi-year trend data paint a similar picture. Proficiency in both math and English language arts has been declining over the past several school years. For ELA, the rate dropped from well above one-third in 2016–17 to under one-fifth in the most recent two years. Math followed a parallel trajectory, falling from roughly one-third proficient to about one-fifth. The drop was particularly steep in the pandemic year, and the school has not recovered to pre-2020 levels. A parent considering this school may want to ask the principal or district office about what interventions or support programs are in place for students who are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks.
The student body is diverse. The largest group is Hispanic, making up more than half of the roughly 300 students. Slightly over one-third of students are white. Smaller shares are Black, Asian, multiracial, or Native American. The school did not report free- or reduced-price lunch eligibility, so it is not possible to say from this data how many families face economic hardship. Similarly, data on special education and English learner populations were not available, which is a gap a parent might want to fill by calling the school directly. Enrollment by grade runs from kindergarten through fourth grade, with class sizes that appear typical for a school of this scale.
The school is located on Swampscott Avenue in a residential part of Peabody. Peabody is a medium-sized city with a mix of older homes and newer development. Housing values in the zip code are high relative to national averages, though slightly below the state benchmark. Rents are also elevated. The county-level housing market shows tight supply and strong demand, with homes selling quickly. For families renting, the rent-to-income ratio is noticeably above the national norm, which could affect household budgets.
No parent-relevant changes at the district level were found in a search of recent news and public records. That means there were no major budget overrides, curriculum shifts, building projects, or policy changes that would alter a family’s experience in the near term. The district’s current priorities and initiatives are not surfaced in the available material, so it is worth checking the Peabody Public Schools website for updates on elementary programming, class size targets, and early literacy efforts.
William A Welch Sr is a neighborhood elementary school with a diverse student body and academic performance that lags behind most other districts in Essex County. For a family weighing options, the key consideration is that this school serves only the early elementary years. A child who attends Welch will move on to a Peabody middle school and then high school, so overall district outcomes matter too. The test scores suggest that many students need additional academic support, and a parent will want to understand what resources the school provides, particularly in reading and math, before deciding that this school fits their child’s needs.
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