John D Hardy vs Katharine Lee Bates
John D Hardy and Katharine Lee Bates are very closely rated, both scoring around 9.5 out of 10. In math proficiency, John D Hardy leads at 82.0%.
Attendance data is under correction. A public school's existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating shown here may still reflect an unverified attendance input.
John D Hardy
Wellesley, MA
225 students
Katharine Lee Bates
Wellesley, MA
253 students
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| Metric | John D Hardy | Katharine Lee Bates |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 9.5 / 10 | 9.7 / 10 |
| Academic Score | 9.9 | 9.9 |
| Growth Score | 9.1 | 9.6 |
| Diversity Index | — | — |
| Free/Reduced Lunch | — | — |
| Environment Score | 9.9 | 9.8 |
| State Rank | #25 of 1,793 | #9 of 1,793 |
| State Percentile | 99th | 100th |
Test Scores
| Subject | John D Hardy | Katharine Lee Bates |
|---|---|---|
| Math Proficiency | 82.0% | 72.0% |
| Math (State Avg) | — | — |
| ELA Proficiency | 82.0% | 82.0% |
| ELA (State Avg) | — | — |
School Details
Neighborhood
| Metric | Wellesley (02482) | Wellesley (02481) |
|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $240,069 | $250,001 |
| Median Home Value | $1,255,200 | $1,642,700 |
| Median Rent | $2,674 | $3,064 |
| College Educated (Bachelor's+) | 83.5% | 90.1% |
| Poverty Rate | 4.0% | 2.7% |
| Avg Commute | 31 min | 28 min |
The data story: John D Hardy vs Katharine Lee Bates
John D Hardy and Katharine Lee Bates are both exceptional elementary schools sitting 0.6 miles apart in Wellesley, Massachusetts, yet they are not identical. John D Hardy holds an overall rating of 9.5/10 versus Katharine Lee Bates at 9.2/10 — a 0.3-point gap that reflects a meaningful difference in how each school performs against state benchmarks. In absolute terms, John D Hardy ranks #9 of 1,791 schools in Massachusetts while Katharine Lee Bates ranks #31 — both elite, but Hardy sits 22 spots higher in a state with no shortage of strong elementary programs.
The academic score delta is the sharpest distinction between the two schools. John D Hardy scores 9.7/10 in academics against Katharine Lee Bates's 9.0/10 — a 0.7-point gap that signals consistently higher proficiency outcomes at Hardy. The growth picture flips: Katharine Lee Bates earns a 9.6/10 growth score compared to John D Hardy's 9.4/10, meaning Bates is pushing students forward at a marginally faster pace year over year. Families prioritizing current achievement levels will find Hardy's academic edge compelling; those who weight trajectory and instructional momentum may view Bates's growth advantage as the more predictive signal.
Katharine Lee Bates enrolls 253 students compared to John D Hardy's 225, a modest 28-student difference in a district where both schools are small by any measure. The more consequential gap is in student-teacher ratio: John D Hardy runs at 11.8 students per teacher versus 13.3 at Katharine Lee Bates. That 1.5-student difference per classroom compounds across a school day — Hardy families get meaningfully more individualized adult attention per child without leaving the same Wellesley zip code.
Both schools serve grades KG through 05, so neither offers a structural advantage in grade span. The comparison ultimately comes down to whether a family values Hardy's sharper academic scores and lower class sizes, or Bates's slightly stronger growth score and marginally larger peer community — two different expressions of excellence within a single high-performing district.
Editorial summary generated April 2026 · sonnet
Who each school fits
John D Hardy
John D Hardy suits families where demonstrated academic proficiency is the primary criterion — its 9.7/10 academic score and 11.8:1 student-teacher ratio make it the stronger fit for children who benefit from more direct teacher attention and for parents who want the top-ranked option within Wellesley's already exceptional elementary tier.
Katharine Lee Bates
Katharine Lee Bates suits families who prioritize learning velocity over static proficiency rankings. Its 9.6/10 growth score edges Hardy, signaling strong instructional momentum — a meaningful differentiator for students entering below grade level or for parents who believe growth trajectory better predicts long-term academic outcomes than a single-year proficiency snapshot.