The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in English language arts. The lowest is 30% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Poultney Elementary School
Poultney Elementary School sits in the village of Poultney, in Rutland County, Vermont, and serves children from prekindergarten through sixth grade as part of the Quarry Valley Unified Union School District. The school draws from a small, predominantly white community. A substantial share of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which tells a parent that economic need is a real part of the building's daily life. The school does not have charter or magnet status; it is a conventional public elementary school serving its local catchment.
On state assessments through the Vermont Comprehensive Assessment Program, the school's results tell a clear story of early strength that thins out in the upper elementary grades. Third graders posted strong proficiency in both English language arts and math, with a clear majority of tested students meeting the proficiency bar in each subject. Third-grade ELA was particularly strong. By fourth grade, proficiency held reasonably well in ELA but dropped sharply in math. Fifth grade was the softest point across the board, with fewer than a third of students proficient in math and science, and ELA results also well below the third-grade mark. Sixth grade ticked back up modestly in both subjects but remained below the early-grade levels. A parent looking at this pattern may want to ask the school how instruction and support change as children move from the primary to the intermediate grades, since the decline is consistent and worth understanding.
Science was tested only in fifth grade, and the proficiency rate there was the lowest of any subject and grade combination in the building. This is a single grade's result in a single year, and the tested group is small, so a parent should treat it as one data point rather than a definitive verdict. Still, it stands out.
The school's total enrollment is modest, with class cohorts small enough that a few children moving in or out can shift results meaningfully. That is the nature of a small Vermont elementary school, and it is part of why a single year's proficiency rate should be read with care. Data on individualized education programs and English learner services was not available in what we received, so we cannot characterize the school's special-population support from this source. A parent whose child receives these services should ask the school directly.
The housing market in Poultney is relatively affordable compared with both the state and national benchmarks. Typical home values sit below the Vermont statewide figure, and the price-to-income ratio is moderate. That affordability is a real draw for families looking to settle in the area. At the same time, the district recently approved its budget for the coming fiscal year while contending with a decline in the Common Level of Appraisals, a state equalization ratio that affects property tax rates in Poultney and the other towns the district covers. A declining ratio generally pushes equalized property tax rates upward, so families buying into the area may face a higher property tax burden than recent years would suggest. This is a publicly reported district-level development and worth factoring into a housing decision.
We looked for a comparison of the school's proficiency and graduation metrics against other districts in Rutland County, but the cohort was too small to produce a meaningful positioning, so we left that out rather than imply a ranking we cannot support. No graduation rate applies here, since the school does not serve high school grades. No chronic absenteeism or discipline data was available in what we received.
Poultney Elementary is a small, community-rooted school with genuine early-grade strength, particularly in literacy, and a consistent slide in the upper grades that a family should ask about. The town is affordable, the setting is rural Vermont, and the property tax outlook is worth watching. For a parent weighing this school, the most productive next step is a conversation with staff about what happens to instruction and intervention between third and sixth grade.
See more original research from School Decision →