Florida Ruffin Ridley School vs William H Lincoln

Florida Ruffin Ridley School and William H Lincoln sit 1.2 miles apart in Brookline, Massachusetts, yet their overall ratings diverge more than the distance suggests. William H Lincoln scores 9.3 out of 10 against Florida Ruffin Ridley School's 8.9 out of 10 — a 0.4-point gap that translates into a substantial difference in state standing: Lincoln ranks #26 of 1,791 Massachusetts schools while Ruffin Ridley ranks #89 of 1,791. Both schools perform well above average, but Lincoln's position in the top 1.5 percent of the state gives it a meaningful edge.

On academic and growth measures, the separation is consistent. William H Lincoln's academic score of 9.5 out of 10 beats Florida Ruffin Ridley School's 8.8 out of 10 by 0.7 points — the largest delta between the two schools across any rated dimension. The growth score gap is narrower but follows the same direction: Lincoln earns a 9.2 versus Ruffin Ridley's 8.8, meaning students at Lincoln are not only achieving at higher levels but also advancing at a faster rate relative to their peers.

The two schools differ considerably in size and staffing density. Florida Ruffin Ridley School enrolls 852 students — nearly 380 more than William H Lincoln's 474 — while running a student-teacher ratio of 12.9 to 1. Lincoln's ratio of 10.8 to 1 means roughly two fewer students per teacher on average, which translates to more individual attention per child. Families who prioritize smaller class environments will find that gap meaningful at the elementary level.

One structural difference is worth noting for families with younger children: Florida Ruffin Ridley School serves grades PK through 08, offering a prekindergarten entry point that William H Lincoln does not — Lincoln's enrollment begins at kindergarten. Ruffin Ridley's larger campus and broader grade band make it a one-building option for families seeking early childhood continuity through middle school, while Lincoln's tighter enrollment and KG–08 span keeps the community more compact across the same grade range.