The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in English language arts. The lowest is 40% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Edmunds Elementary School
Edmunds Elementary School sits on Main Street in downtown Burlington, serving prekindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Burlington School District. Its location places it in the commercial and civic heart of Vermont's largest city, a college town shaped by the University of Vermont and Champlain College. The surrounding neighborhood is among the most walkable in the state, with the Church Street Marketplace pedestrian mall, the Lake Champlain waterfront, a large year-round farmers' market, and an active arts district all nearby. The school draws from a community where education and health services anchor the economy, with Burton Snowboards, Lake Champlain Chocolates, and Seventh Generation among the corporate names headquartered in the city. Burlington has also positioned itself as a sustainability leader, running on renewable energy and pursuing a net-zero goal.
The school is small for its grade band, with steady enrollment across each grade level. Its student body reflects Burlington's urban character: a white majority sits alongside substantial Black, multiracial, Asian, and Hispanic populations. Nearly half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a substantial share. Data on individualized education programs and English learners was not reported, so those population sizes are unknown here.
State assessment results from the most recent year tell a mixed academic story. In English language arts, third graders performed quite well, with a strong majority demonstrating proficiency. Fourth grade results were moderate, and fifth grade slipped further, with fewer than half of tested students reaching proficiency. The pattern in mathematics was more pronounced. Third grade math was solid, but fourth and fifth grade proficiency dropped sharply, with only a small share of students meeting the bar in those grades. Science was tested only in fifth grade, where results landed in a moderate range. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not clear whether this represents a one-year dip or a persistent pattern. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, particularly the slide in upper-grade math, to understand what supports are in place and how the school is responding.
The comparison framework among Chittenden County districts did not yield a proficiency index for this school because the comparable cohort was too small to produce a reliable measure. Graduation and chronic absenteeism comparisons do not apply to an elementary school. So there is no county-level benchmark to set against the results described above; the read rests on the state assessment data alone.
Housing in the school's zip code is expensive relative to both Vermont and the nation. Typical home values run well above the state benchmark and considerably above national figures, reflecting Burlington's desirability and limited supply. Rents are also high, though renting remains somewhat less costly monthly than carrying a mortgage at current interest rates. The price-to-income ratio is steep, meaning families buying into this area face a stretched affordability picture. Home values have dipped slightly year over year, while rents have crept up modestly.
At the district level, Burlington is in a period of active investment. Voters approved a major bond to build a new high school and technical center, with that campus on schedule to open in fall 2026. A renovated airplane hangar at Burlington International Airport was converted into a new Aviation, Career, and Technical Education Center for Burlington Technical Center, opening to students in the most recent school year and housing automotive, design engineering and fabrication, and aviation programs. The district also completed a renovation of the Integrated Arts Academy, adding kindergarten classrooms and a geothermal heating and cooling system. On the discipline side, the district implemented a Restorative Code of Conduct aimed at reducing suspensions and addressing racial disparities, and has reported eliminating those disparities in suspensions for the first time. These are district-wide changes that will shape the environment Edmunds students eventually move into.
For a parent weighing Edmunds, the school offers a downtown Burlington setting, a diverse peer group, and a prekindergarten-through-grade-five pathway in a district investing heavily in its facilities and equity practices. The academic results raise questions about upper-grade math in particular, and the absence of trend data or demographic breakdowns beyond the aggregate means a fuller picture would require asking the school directly. The housing market surrounding the school is among the pricier in Vermont, which shapes who can realistically access the neighborhood.
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