Manning Elementary School vs Curley K-8 School

Manning Elementary School holds a 1.0-point overall rating advantage over Curley K-8 School — 9.6 versus 8.6 out of 10 — a gap that looks modest until you examine state rankings. Manning Elementary School sits at #4 of 1,791 Massachusetts schools, placing it in the top 0.2 percent statewide. Curley K-8 School ranks #111 of 1,791, which is still a strong top-7 percent result, but a substantial 107 positions behind its neighbor 1.3 miles away.

The academic score difference drives most of that gap: Manning Elementary School scores 9.4 out of 10 on academics while Curley K-8 School scores 6.1 — a 3.3-point delta that represents a meaningful difference in measured proficiency outcomes. Growth scores, however, are identical: both Manning Elementary School and Curley K-8 School earn a 9.7 out of 10, indicating that students at both schools make strong year-over-year learning gains regardless of where they start. A family weighing current achievement levels will lean toward Manning; a family focused on trajectory can take confidence in both.

The two schools differ sharply in scale and structure. Manning Elementary School enrolls 169 students, giving it an intimate feel that its 10.6:1 student-teacher ratio supports. Curley K-8 School enrolls 912 students — more than five times as many — and actually achieves a tighter 8.9:1 student-teacher ratio despite the larger headcount, meaning more adults relative to students in the building overall. Families who prefer a smaller community will feel that difference daily; those who value a larger peer group and more extracurricular depth will find Curley's scale an asset.

The grade-span distinction matters for long-term planning. Manning Elementary School serves grades PK through 06, meaning families will face a middle-school transition at seventh grade. Curley K-8 School runs PK through 08, letting students stay in one building through eighth grade before the high school move. For parents trying to minimize school transitions during the middle-school years, Curley's extended grade span offers two additional years of continuity that Manning simply cannot match.