The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in English language arts. The lowest is 42% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Vergennes Union Elementary School
Vergennes Union Elementary School serves pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in the city of Vergennes, Vermont, as part of the Addison Northwest Unified Union School District. It is a traditional public school on a separated campus along East Street, set apart from the compact downtown core but within a community small enough that the distance is modest. The school draws from a city that blends a historic residential fabric with a working industrial base. Collins Aerospace, a major aerospace manufacturer, is the largest employer in Vergennes and shapes the local economy, while the downtown along Main Street carries locally owned shops, restaurants, galleries, and the restored Vergennes Opera House. Amtrak's Ethan Allen Express resumed service to the Ferrisburgh-Vergennes station a few years ago, reconnecting the city to the national passenger rail network. Civic life centers on the Bixby Memorial Free Library, the opera house, and falls park along Otter Creek. Housing in the area sits above the national benchmark, with a price-to-income ratio that suggests moderate affordability pressure for families looking to buy.
The school's enrollment is modest for its grade band. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly white, with small proportions of Hispanic, multiracial, Black, and Asian students. Data on individualized education programs and English learner services was not available, so a parent wanting detail on special populations would need to ask the school directly.
On Vermont's state assessments, the most recent results show a pattern worth noting: proficiency tends to rise as students move through the upper elementary grades. In math, third-grade proficiency sits below the midpoint, but by sixth grade a majority of tested students reach proficiency. The climb is steady across each grade. English language arts follows a similar arc, with sixth-grade proficiency notably higher than third grade. Fourth-grade ELA stands out as a relative bright spot. Science is tested only in fifth grade, and just under half of tested students reached proficiency there. Participation rates were not reported. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is difficult to say whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability over time. A parent may want to ask the school how recent cohorts have progressed and what supports are in place for the lower grades where proficiency is softer.
Because this is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to report, and college or career program data does not apply at this level. Course access, staffing ratios, discipline, and attendance data were not provided in the available sources, which limits the picture of day-to-day school environment. The school is not a charter or magnet school. Title I status was not reported.
When positioned relative to districts in Addison County, the comparison set was too small to produce a meaningful proficiency index for this school, and graduation and chronic absenteeism comparisons were not applicable or were missing. This means the school's standing among its county peers cannot be characterized from the available data. We looked for the district's strategic priorities but found little, so we left that out rather than guess.
What the evidence does show is a small elementary school in a walkable, historic Vermont city with a real industrial employer, an engaged downtown, and state test results that strengthen in the upper grades. Families considering Vergennes Union Elementary would do well to visit, ask about supports in the early grades, and learn how the school serves its mixed-income population. The community context is a genuine draw: compact, connected by rail, and anchored by civic institutions that give the place a distinct identity.
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