The top reported proficiency rate is 30% in Math. The lowest is 12% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Bakersville School
Bakersville School sits on Elm Street in the heart of Manchester, New Hampshire's largest city, serving children from prekindergarten through fourth grade. It is a regular public school within the Manchester School District, one of roughly two dozen schools in a system governed by a fifteen-member school committee with the mayor as chairman, elected to two-year terms. That governance structure means policy direction shifts with regular voter input, and the district has seen its share of transition, including a superintendent confirmed in mid-2022 after an interim appointment earlier that year.
Manchester itself is a city shaped by its industrial past and its present-day reinvention. The Amoskeag Millyard district, once home to the largest cotton textile plant in the world, still anchors the city's identity along the Merrimack River. Textile jobs departed after World War II, and in their place came a more diversified economy that includes technology firms such as DEKA, alongside theater, sports venues, and concert spaces. The city sits roughly fifty miles north-northwest of Boston and functions as a regional hub for the surrounding area. For a family considering Bakersville, this means an urban setting with the amenities and complications of city life rather than a quiet suburban or rural campus.
The school's enrollment is moderate for an elementary building, with a fairly even distribution across grades from prekindergarten through fourth. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic mix of the surrounding neighborhood. The student body is racially and ethnically diverse: the largest single group is Hispanic, followed by white students, with Black students, students of two or more races, and smaller Asian and American Indian or Alaska Native populations also represented. This composition mirrors Manchester's broader identity as a city that has drawn families from many backgrounds. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so those who need specific information about special populations services should ask the school directly.
State assessment results from the most recent school year show Bakersville's third and fourth graders performing below state proficiency benchmarks in both mathematics and English language arts. In third grade, fewer than half of tested students reached proficiency in math, and the share was lower still in reading. Fourth grade results were weaker, with roughly a fifth of students proficient in reading and about a fifth in math. Participation rates were high across both grades and subjects, so the results reflect nearly the full student cohort rather than a skewed sample. A prior science assessment from an earlier year showed very low proficiency, though that result comes from a different cohort and year. These numbers suggest that many students at Bakersville are working below grade-level expectations, and a parent may want to look into how the school supports struggling readers and mathematicians, what intervention resources are available, and how the district's investment in instructional coaching and social-emotional learning supports translates into daily classroom practice at this building.
No trend data was available to show whether results are improving or declining over time, so the current scores stand as a snapshot rather than a trajectory. The Manchester district's publicly reported budget decisions in recent years have directed funding toward expanded social-emotional learning, special education services, and instructional coaching, which may be relevant supports, though the data here does not connect those investments directly to Bakersville's outcomes.
Housing in the surrounding area carries a moderate price tag relative to New Hampshire as a whole but sits well below state benchmark levels. The local market shows strong demand and steady supply, with homes moving relatively quickly. Rents in the area are in a range that keeps rent-to-income burdens manageable for many households. For families renting in the neighborhood, Bakersville is a walkable, central option. For those buying, the area offers entry into Manchester's urban core at prices below the state median.
What Bakersville offers is a diverse, city-centered elementary experience with high economic need and academic results that leave clear room for growth. Families drawn to urban living and a heterogeneous peer environment may find the school's setting appealing. Those for whom strong proficiency numbers are a priority will want to dig into the school's instructional approach and support structures before deciding whether it is the right fit.
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