The top reported proficiency rate is 73% in Science. The lowest is 56% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Proctor Elementary
Proctor Elementary serves grades four through six in Topsfield, a rural residential town in Essex County that retains a classic New England character with a town common, rolling hills, and winding streams. The school sits in or near the downtown area. Younger students attend Steward School for preschool through grade three elsewhere in town, and older students move on to Masconomet Regional Middle and High School on a shared campus in neighboring Boxford. For a family trying to picture the full K-12 arc in Topsfield, Proctor is the intermediate step, the building where children spend three years before leaving for the regional system.
The student body is small, and the composition is overwhelmingly white, with a modest share of Hispanic students and very small numbers of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. The data does not include information on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, nor on students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent wanting to understand the school’s range of student support needs would need to ask the school directly.
On state assessments, Proctor’s results place it in the top quartile of districts in Essex County when looking at overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. In science, a subject tested only in grade five, the proficiency rate is strong. In English language arts, about three out of five students scored proficient or above, and in math the rate was similar. Participation rates on the tests were high, which supports confidence in the results. A longer view of the school’s performance shows that ELA proficiency has fluctuated over the years, from a higher level in the pre-pandemic period to a lower point around the middle of the past decade, then a partial rebound. Math proficiency followed a similar pattern, including a notable dip before recovering. The most recent year’s numbers are in line with the recovery trend. The data does not include a multi-year trend indicator that would say whether the current level is statistically different from earlier years, so a parent may want to ask the school how it has worked to sustain gains and address learning gaps.
Housing in Topsfield is expensive, with home values well above both the state and national medians. The town is primarily residential with no major employers. Small businesses line Route 1, and the Topsfield Fairgrounds is a significant seasonal draw. Walkability is limited outside the town center, though the town has a network of sidewalks and bike paths. The nearest commuter rail is east of town, on the Newburyport/Rockport Line.
No information was available on programs such as advanced courses, arts offerings, or extracurriculars at Proctor, nor on staffing ratios, discipline rates, or attendance patterns. For an intermediate elementary school that feeds into a regional middle and high school, a parent would want to find out what enrichment and support structures exist specifically at this level, since the data here offers no detail on those topics.
See more original research from School Decision →