The top reported proficiency rate is 83% in English language arts. The lowest is 82% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Albert S. Woodward Memorial School
Albert S. Woodward Memorial School is a regular public school serving only second and third grade. It is one of the elementary schools in the Southborough school district, located in a town that functions as an affluent Boston suburb with a small-town New England character. The school’s narrow grade span means it is a short, focused stop in a child’s primary years before they move on to the district’s upper elementary and middle school.
State testing data is available only for third grade, because second graders are not tested under Massachusetts’ NextGen MCAS program. On those assessments, Woodward’s third graders posted proficiency rates that were strong in both math and English language arts. The school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects placed it in the top quartile among districts in Worcester County, a comparison set that includes dozens of districts. This is a clear academic strength: students are performing at high levels on the state’s standards-based assessments. The available multi-year trend data, which goes back several years, shows that Woodward’s proficiency rates have generally remained high over time, with some year-to-year variation that is typical for a small tested cohort.
Woodward’s enrollment is modest for a school serving two grades. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Asian share and small shares of Hispanic, Black, multiracial, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. The school does not report data on the share of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, nor on students with disabilities or English learners. A parent may want to ask the school or district directly about these figures, as they are important for understanding the full range of student supports. No data on chronic absenteeism or discipline was available either.
Because Woodward does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. The school is not a charter or magnet, and it receives Title I funding status is not reported.
Southborough, where Woodward is located, is a primarily residential town with light industrial and commercial development concentrated along Route 9 and small business districts in the villages of Cordaville, Fayville, and Southville. Two prestigious private boarding schools, St. Mark’s and Fay, sit in the historic village center. The town has a high median household income, among the highest in Worcester County, and a high rate of homeownership. Housing values in the area are well above national and state medians, and the town is served by an MBTA Commuter Rail station that provides access to Boston and Worcester. The built environment is car-dependent, with a low population density and recreational trails and conservation land rather than walkable retail corridors.
The Southborough district itself did not have any recent major changes of lasting impact reported in the public record. Woodward’s setting is stable, and the school benefits from the broader community’s economic resources and high property values.
For a family considering Woodward, the picture is of a school that delivers strong academic results in the early grades within an affluent, suburban community. The limited grade span means that children will transition to another school after third grade, so the elementary experience is split across multiple campuses. The school’s small size and high performance are appealing, but the lack of available data on economic diversity, special education, and English learner populations means that a parent evaluating fit should seek that information from the district. The town itself offers a quiet, well-resourced environment with good transit access to the Boston region, though daily life is car-oriented.
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