The top reported proficiency rate is 61% in Science. The lowest is 50% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Elmer S Bagnall
Elmer S Bagnall is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in Groveland, part of the Pentucket Regional School District. Groveland is a small, primarily residential town about a moderate drive north of Boston, with a commuter-oriented character and limited commercial activity. The school sits in a low-density suburban setting, with civic life centered along Main Street’s administrative complex and recreational assets like The Pines and Elm Park nearby.
On the 2024-25 NextGen MCAS assessments, roughly half of students across grades three through eight met state proficiency expectations in both math and English language arts, while science proficiency was somewhat higher. The multi-year trend shows that ELA proficiency has hovered around the half mark since 2017, with some fluctuation; math proficiency rose from a lower base earlier in the decade to a strong showing a couple of years ago, then eased back to about half in the most recent year. Compared to other elementary and middle schools across Essex County, Elmer S Bagnall’s overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint among the districts in that county, placing it in a solid middle-to-upper tier relative to its regional peers.
The student body is predominantly white, with a noticeable Hispanic minority and very small numbers of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. Data on economic disadvantage, students with disabilities, and English learners were not available in the source material, so a parent looking for that context would need to ask the school or district directly. Because the school only serves through grade six, there is no graduation rate to report.
The school itself is a standard regular public school; it is not a charter or magnet, and its Title I status was not provided. No information on discipline, chronic absenteeism, course access, or staffing was reported in the available data, which limits a full picture of the school environment and student support systems.
Groveland’s housing market reflects its desirability as a commuter suburb. Typical home values are substantially above the national benchmark, and while the median list price in Essex County has dipped slightly year over year, the market still carries a high price-to-income ratio. Household incomes in Groveland are above the national median, consistent with a town where many residents work in Haverhill, Lawrence, or the Boston metro area. The town has seen modest population growth over the past decade, with slight recent decline, and a major infrastructure investment—a new bridge over the Merrimack River—was completed recently. Groveland’s fire department is described as serving a rapidly growing community, but no large new housing developments were identified.
A significant recent change for the Pentucket district is the opening of a combined middle/high school building in West Newbury in early 2023, consolidating grades seven through twelve into one new facility. This means that after sixth grade, Elmer S Bagnall students move on to a single regional secondary campus rather than separate middle and high schools.
For a family considering Elmer S Bagnall, the picture is one of a solidly performing elementary school in a small, residential town with a long commute to Boston. The academic results are decent but not exceptional in math and ELA, with science being a relative strength. The school serves a largely homogeneous student population, and the district has made a major investment in its secondary facilities. Families who value a small-town setting, access to outdoor recreation, and a regional secondary school with a new building may find this a good fit, while those seeking a more diverse student body or wanting to see stronger and more consistent academic growth would want to explore further with the school and district about support programs and recent instructional approaches.
See more original research from School Decision →