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Public elementary school · Shrewsbury · Shrewsbury, Massachusetts

Walter J. Paton School

Walter J. Paton School rates 7.9, above the middle of Shrewsbury's elementary schools, whose rated median is 7.1.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
7.9this school

7.9 on a one-to-ten scale; the Shrewsbury median is 7.1.

#361 of 1,793 schools in Massachusetts · Shrewsbury: 5 elementary schools rated, median 7.1

The brief

A Shrewsbury elementary school where students score 72 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 361 of 1,793 schools in Massachusetts and 2 of 9 in Shrewsbury.

Walter J. Paton School is listed in Shrewsbury, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math77%33 points above the Massachusetts average of 44%Grades 3–4 · 117 students tested · 2026 MCAS
Reading67%26 points above the Massachusetts average of 41%Grades 3–4 · 115 students tested · 2026 MCAS
Proficiency has held near 72% across the 9-year record (2018–2026).2026 MCAS; 60 test records from MA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
7.5
50% of the rating
Academics
9.6
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
6.3
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 6 sources, 2019–2026

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

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 75% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 71% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

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 · 2026 MCAS · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2026 MCAS. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 MCAS · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2026 MCAS. A newer release may be available.
  • 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 01545; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

About our dataHow we calculate scores

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Walter J. Paton School and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

Open the Boston school map to see school quality against home prices across the metro.

The area

Median income
$136,225
Median home value
$555,500
Median rent
$2,046/mo
College educated
65.6%
Homeownership
72.1%
Poverty rate
3.8%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 01545; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
63
Somewhat Walkable
Bike Score
37
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
690/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Shrewsbury. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Shrewsbury), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Boylston Elementary School3.0 mi
    8.7Compare →
  2. Lake View2.9 mi
    8.3Compare →
  3. Major Howard W. Beal School1.5 mi
    8.3Compare →
  4. Walter J. Paton Schoolthis school
    7.9
  5. Fannie E Proctor3.2 mi
    7.9Compare →
  6. Calvin Coolidge School2.6 mi
    7.1Compare →
  7. Lincoln Street2.9 mi
    6.9Compare →
  8. Floral Street School1.1 mi
    6.6Compare →
  9. Spring Street School1.1 mi
    6.1Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and three rate higher than Walter J. Paton School.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Walter J. Paton School serve?

Walter J. Paton School serves students in grades Kindergarten through 4th.

How many students attend Walter J. Paton School?

Walter J. Paton School has an enrollment of approximately 270 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Walter J. Paton School?

The student-teacher ratio at Walter J. Paton School is 11.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Walter J. Paton School rank in MA?

Walter J. Paton School ranks #361 of 1,793 schools in MA.

What is Walter J. Paton School's MySchoolScout rating?

Walter J. Paton School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.9 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 Walter J. Paton School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Walter J. Paton School has 75% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 71% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Walter J. Paton School a charter school?

No, Walter J. Paton School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Walter J. Paton School a Title I school?

No, Walter J. Paton School is not currently a Title I school.

School facts

Grades
Kindergarten – 4th
Enrollment
270
Student-teacher ratio
11.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
24
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Worcester County
Phone
(508) 841-8626
Rank in district
#2 of 9
Schools in district
9
District spending per student
$18,868
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
3.5%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 01545)
38,440
Area average commute
30.4 min
Area median age
40.5

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Sources and official links

Keep exploring

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Mass. Dept. of Elementary & Secondary Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.