The top reported proficiency rate is 70% in Math. The lowest is 68% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on East Elementary
East Elementary is one of three K-5 schools serving the town of Sharon, a residential commuter suburb about 17 miles southwest of downtown Boston. The school sits in a town that is notably diverse for Greater Boston. Sharon has a highly educated population and a significant share of residents speak a language other than English at home. The town has one of the highest proportions of Russian immigrants in the state and a substantial Asian population. This diversity is reflected in East Elementary’s own student body. The school enrolls roughly the same number of students as its two sister elementary schools, with a student composition that is about half white, a substantial Asian share, and smaller but visible Black, Hispanic, and multiracial populations. Data on economic disadvantage, special education, and English learner status were not available for this school, so a parent would need to inquire directly about the share of students receiving free or reduced-price meals or receiving specialized supports.
On state assessments, East Elementary posts results that sit comfortably above the midpoint among districts in Norfolk County. In the most recent year of testing, proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science all landed in a similar range, with science slightly ahead of the other two. These results place the school in the top tier of elementary schools in the county on overall proficiency. Over the longer arc, the school’s test scores have shown some movement. In the years before the pandemic, math and ELA proficiency were consistently higher, reaching peaks in the late 2010s. Scores dipped during the pandemic recovery period and have since settled at a level that, while strong, is below the school’s own earlier highs. A parent looking at the trend could reasonably conclude that the school is performing well relative to its peers but has not yet returned to its pre-pandemic peak, which is a pattern common across many schools in the region.
East Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade, so there is no graduation rate to report, and no high school course offerings like Advanced Placement or career pathways. Those academic opportunities begin at Sharon High School, which recently completed a major building project. The new high school opened in the 2023-2024 school year, funded through a debt exclusion that adds to property taxes for the community. That project, along with a redistricting plan approved in early 2025 that will reassign a meaningful number of elementary students to different schools starting in the 2025-2026 school year, means that the elementary landscape in Sharon is in a period of active change. A family moving to town should confirm which elementary school their address will feed into under the new plan, as the map has shifted.
The school itself operates as a regular public school with no charter or magnet status. Title I status was not reported, which likely indicates the school does not receive federal Title I funds, a function of the district’s relatively high median household income and home values. Housing in Sharon is expensive, with home values well above state and national medians. Rents are also high. The town has limited commercial activity and functions primarily as a bedroom community, with residents commuting via the MBTA Providence/Stoughton Line or by car. For a family considering East Elementary, the academic picture is of a school that performs well by county standards, serves a diverse student population, and sits in a high-cost, high-amenity suburb. The ongoing redistricting and the district’s adoption of proficiency-based grading at the high school level are practical considerations worth understanding before enrolling.
See more original research from School Decision →