The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in Science. The lowest is 26% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Liberty
Liberty is a regular public elementary school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade within the Springfield, Massachusetts, public school system. As an urban school in a historic New England city, it provides a neighborhood-based education within the broader context of a large, diverse district. The school’s enrollment is small, and its student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller Black and white populations and very small Asian and multiracial groups.
On the state’s NextGen MCAS assessments, the most recent results show that roughly a quarter of students met proficiency in math, about a third met that bar in English language arts, and a notable share did so in science. Looking back over the available multi-year trend data, these figures sit within a longer pattern. Math proficiency, which in earlier years reached around two in five students, declined in more recent years but has been trending modestly upward from its lowest point. ELA proficiency, after also reaching higher levels in earlier years, settled at a lower plateau for several school years before returning to a level similar to the most recent one. A parent considering this school should note that while the proficiency rates are not high by state averages, the school’s overall performance across tested subjects places it in the top quartile relative to other districts in Hampden County. The science results, in particular, stand out as a relative strength.
The school serves only through fifth grade, so there is no graduation rate to report. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, students with disabilities, and English learners was not available in the provided information. These are common and important context measures, and a parent may want to ask the school directly about its support structures in these areas.
Springfield itself is the largest city in western Massachusetts, an urban center with a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial character. The city is known for its Victorian housing stock, as the birthplace of basketball, and for innovations like the first American dictionary. Major employers include MassMutual Financial Group, the Smith & Wesson firearms manufacturer, and Baystate Health. The downtown area has seen significant investment in recent years, including a casino development and a redeveloped train station. The housing market in the area is active. The typical home value in the zip code is moderately below the state benchmark but above the national benchmark, and the median list price in the county has been rising. The area is considered less affordable than the national average when comparing home prices to incomes.
Liberty is a school where academic performance, while below the statewide mean in most subjects, shows a relative strength in science and is competitive within the county. For a family in Springfield looking for a small elementary school with a diverse student population and a recognized strength in science, Liberty fits that profile, though the math and ELA scores are areas a parent would want to understand better by talking with the school about its instructional approach and the trajectory they see for those subjects.
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