The top reported proficiency rate is 13% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on William N. Deberry
William N. DeBerry is a regular public elementary school in Springfield serving children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It sits on Union Street, roughly a mile northeast of downtown, in a city that is the urban and economic center of western Massachusetts. Springfield is a dense, historically industrial city that has seen substantial reinvestment in recent years, including a new downtown casino and the redevelopment of Union Station, but also carries the legacy of a longer economic decline. The school’s building sits within a broad residential and commercial section of the city whose housing stock is notably more affordable than the state average; home values in the immediate area are well below Massachusetts norms, a fact that will matter to families making trade-offs between school options and housing costs.
The student body is large for an elementary school, and its composition is distinctive. The overwhelming majority of students are Hispanic, with a substantial Black population and very small shares of white students and students of two or more races. Asian and Native American students are not represented in the reported enrollment. A parent considering this school should know that the peer environment is one in which nearly all children come from backgrounds that are underrepresented in the broader state population, and that the school serves a community with significant economic pressures. Free and reduced-price lunch data was not available, so a precise measure of economic disadvantage is missing, but Springfield’s overall demographics and the area’s housing values strongly suggest a high-need population.
On state testing, the school’s results tell a straightforward story. Proficiency rates across math, English language arts, and science are low. In math and ELA, fewer than one in six students scored at the proficient level; in science the figure is similar. The multi-year trend data shows that proficiency rates have been declining since earlier years. In the 2016-17 school year, roughly half of students were proficient in math and more than a quarter in ELA, but those rates dropped sharply by 2020-21 and have remained in the single digits or low teens since. The 2024-25 results are consistent with that recent pattern. The school’s overall proficiency index, combining all tested subjects and grades, places it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Hampden County. A parent will want to ask what academic supports and interventions are in place, and how the school is working to raise achievement from this level.
Because William N. DeBerry serves only elementary grades, there is no high school graduation rate to report, and no data on chronic absenteeism or course access. The district brief for Springfield turned up no recent major policy shifts, building closures, or leadership changes of note. That means a parent’s primary sources of current information will likely be the school’s staff and the district office directly.
In sum, this is a large, high-need urban elementary school serving a predominantly Hispanic and Black student population in a city that combines deep civic and cultural assets with significant economic challenges. The academic results are low and have been trending lower over the past several years. A family choosing this school should expect to be proactive about understanding the specific instructional supports the school offers, and should weigh the school against other options in Springfield’s public, charter, or private landscape based on their child’s particular needs.
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