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Very Good

#527 of 1,793 schools in MA

Top 29% in state

Thoreau

Elementary School · Concord · Concord, MA

A Concord elementary school where students score 6 points above what's typical for similar communities.

29 Prairie Street, Concord, MA 01742

  • Math 68% vs MA 42% (2025)
  • Reading 63% vs MA 41% (2025)
  • 10.4:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress5.4Average50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data17
Annual Change-2.05 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics8.7Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency67.7% (2025 MCAS)
Reading/ELA Proficiency62.7% (2025 MCAS)
Math vs. State Avg+25.6 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+20.1 pts
Overall Proficiency65% (2025 MCAS, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)59% (model expectation from 2025 MCAS)
vs. Expected+6.5 pts
Adjusted Percentile79th
Resources & Environment9.8Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio10.4:1
District spending per student$28,110
Chronic Absenteeism10.3%

Students at Thoreau score 65% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 59%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 MCAS proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. MA average.

Math Proficiency68%(2025 MCAS)
School
State
42%(2025 MCAS)
ELA Proficiency63%(2025 MCAS)
School
State
41%(2025 MCAS)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 18 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 65% recently.

Show all 17 years
2009
Math
78%
ELA
89%
2010
Math
79%
ELA
88%
2011
Math
85%
ELA
86%
2012
Math
86%
ELA
86%
2013
Math
88%
ELA
89%
2014
Math
82%
ELA
88%
2015
Math
86%
ELA
82%
2016
Math
81%
ELA
78%
2017
Math
80%
ELA
79%
2018
Math
81%
ELA
82%
2019
Math
83%
ELA
80%
2020*
Math
65%
ELA
75%
2021*
Math
67%
ELA
75%
2022
Math
71%
ELA
68%
2023
Math
76%
ELA
72%
2024
Math
78%
ELA
69%
2025
Math
68%
ELA
63%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 77% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 76% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 82 test records from MA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Thoreau sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Open the Boston map →

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 53Somewhat Walkable
  • Bike 52Bikeable
  • City Safety: Average589/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Concord), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$211,435

Median home value

$1,139,200

Median rent

$2,471/mo

College educated

79.1%

Homeownership

79.1%

Poverty rate

2.5%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 01742; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
WillardEnrollment path unverified7.2PK–51.7 mi451Compare →
Nashoba Brooks SchoolPrivate · tuition7.3privatePK–82.0 mi199Compare →
AlcottEnrollment path unverified7.6PK–52.6 mi430Compare →
Josiah HaynesEnrollment path unverified7.8K–52.6 mi389Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Concord

Schools in district
4
Rank in district
#3 of 4
District spending per student
$28,110NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
3.7%Census SAIPE · 2024

Thoreau is listed in Concord; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Thoreau

Thoreau is a public elementary school in Concord, MA, part of Concord, serving approximately 436 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 10.4:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 7.3 out of 10 and ranks #527 of 1,793 schools in MA. State assessment records show 77% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 76% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Thoreau

What grades does Thoreau serve?

Thoreau serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Thoreau?

Thoreau has an enrollment of approximately 436 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Thoreau?

The student-teacher ratio at Thoreau is 10.4:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Thoreau rank in MA?

Thoreau ranks #527 of 1,793 schools in MA.

What is Thoreau's MySchoolScout rating?

Thoreau has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.3 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Thoreau?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Thoreau has 77% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 76% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Thoreau a charter school?

No, Thoreau is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Thoreau a Title I school?

No, Thoreau is not currently a Title I school.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
436
Student-Teacher Ratio
10.4:1
Teachers (FTE)
42
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Middlesex County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
10.3%
Area population (ZIP 01742)
18,337
Area average commute
32.1 min
Area median age
44.7
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 MCAS · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 MCAS · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 01742; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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