The top reported proficiency rate is 76% in Math. The lowest is 59% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Clark-wilkins School
Clark-Wilkins School is a regular public school in Amherst, New Hampshire, serving pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. It sits within the Amherst School District under SAU 39, the administrative unit that also includes Amherst Middle School and the shared Souhegan Cooperative High School with neighboring Mont Vernon. The school on Boston Post Road is the town's elementary entry point, feeding students forward into the middle grades and eventually the cooperative high school.
The academic picture at Clark-Wilkins is strong where the state currently measures it. On the New Hampshire Statewide Assessment System for the most recent school year, proficiency in both mathematics and English language arts was high across third and fourth grades. Math results were particularly solid in fourth grade, and third-grade performance in both subjects held at a level well above what many New Hampshire elementary schools achieve. Participation was near-universal across all tested grades and subjects. Science results exist in the data but come from an older assessment cycle under a different test framework, so they are not directly comparable to the current results and should be read with that context in mind. No trend data is available to show whether performance has risen or fallen over time. Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and that gap reflects the grade band rather than any omission.
The student body is sizeable for an elementary school serving pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. The enrollment is overwhelmingly white, with small proportions of students identifying as Hispanic, multiracial, Asian, or Black. A very small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places Clark-Wilkins among the lower-poverty schools in the state. Data on individualized education programs and English learner status was not available, so those population details are absent from this picture. A parent wanting to understand special education services or language support directly would want to ask the school about those programs.
Amherst itself is a suburban-rural town that has grown steadily over recent decades while preserving its historic village center. The village green anchors civic life, hosting Fourth of July celebrations, Christmas tree lighting, and summer band concerts, with colonial-era buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places surrounding it. Outside the village core, the town is car-dependent. There is no public transit, and the commercial strip along the Route 101-A corridor caters to drivers with national retailers and light industrial businesses. Major employers include Walmart, Lowe's, H&M Metals, and several smaller manufacturers. Amherst sits between Manchester and Nashua, both within roughly fifteen miles, which supports commuter traffic out of town. Median household income is high, and educational attainment among adults is well above average. Natural areas like Ponemah Bog Wildlife Sanctuary, Hodgman State Forest, and the Joe English Reservation give the town a rural texture beyond its residential neighborhoods.
The housing market in the area reflects that affluence. Home values in the school's zip code run well above both state and national benchmarks, and the price-to-income ratio is steep. Rent data was not available for this location. County-wide listing activity shows a market with healthy supply and strong demand, and homes tend to move at a moderate pace. For families considering a move into the Clark-Wilkins attendance area, the cost of entry is substantial.
The district brief turned up no specific policy changes, curriculum shifts, referendums, or tax adjustments in recent years that would carry lasting parent-relevant impact. That absence means there is little to flag on the governance side, and parents would need to attend school board meetings or check SAU 39 communications directly for emerging developments.
What Clark-Wilkins offers is a large, low-poverty elementary school with strong proficiency results in the early tested grades, situated in an affluent, historically minded town with a defined village identity and a commuter-friendly location. The gaps in the data are real: no special population figures, no trend lines, no current science results, and no program or staffing details. But the academic signal from what is available is positive, and a parent evaluating this school for early elementary grades would find a community where test performance and community stability align.
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