The top reported proficiency rate is 60% in Science. The lowest is 48% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Lawrence W Pingree
Lawrence W Pingree is an elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Weymouth, Massachusetts, a predominantly residential suburb of Boston. It sits on Commercial Street in a town with four distinct village centers, each with its own character. Weymouth has strong working-class and Irish-American roots and is considered more affordable than neighboring South Shore communities, though publicly available reporting notes that gentrification is occurring in some areas, particularly near the waterfront, and some residents are being priced out. The town has three MBTA Commuter Rail stations and several bus routes, putting Boston within reach for a commute. The district, Weymouth Public Schools, oversees the school.
The school enrolls a modest number of students for its grade band, and its student body is predominantly white, with Hispanic students making up the next largest share, followed by smaller shares of students who are Black, Asian, multiracial, or American Indian or Alaska Native. The data did not include the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, nor the share of students with individualized education plans or English learner classifications, so a family looking for that context would need to ask the school directly.
On state assessments, Pingree’s results present a mixed picture when considered against the backdrop of all districts in Norfolk County. The school’s overall proficiency, averaged across tested subjects and grades, lands above the midpoint among the county’s districts, but the individual subject results tell a more specific story. In math, roughly half of students scored proficient or above, a level that puts it near the middle of the county range. In English language arts, the share was slightly lower, and in science, it was higher, with close to three in five students reaching proficiency. Over time, math proficiency has fluctuated, dropping in 2021 before climbing back and settling at a level similar to the 2019 mark. English proficiency has also moved around, ending the most recent year at a rate consistent with where it was several years earlier, though below a 2019 high. A parent considering the school would see that proficiency rates are around the middle of the pack, not among the highest in the county, and could ask about academic support and enrichment.
Because Pingree serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and no chronic absenteeism data was available. The data also did not include information on course access, staffing ratios, discipline, or attendance patterns. This is typical of a data gap, and a prospective family may want to inquire about class sizes, special education services, and school climate directly.
The school is a regular public school that is not a charter or magnet, and data on its Title I status was not provided. The district brief turned up little in the way of recent, publicly reported strategic changes or initiatives, so it is not clear what reforms or priorities are currently in play.
Weymouth has several civic and recreational anchors, including parks, conservation land, a sports complex, and the historic Abigail Adams birthplace, all of which contribute to a suburban environment where economic activity is spread across multiple village centers rather than one downtown. For a family weighing Pingree, the school offers a conventional elementary experience in a community that is relatively affordable for the region and connected to Boston by commuter rail, with academic results that sit around the midpoint compared to other districts in the county.
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