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Below Average

#1465 of 1,793 schools in MA

Whaling City Junior/senior High School

High School · New Bedford · New Bedford, MA

A New Bedford high school where students score 14 points below what's typical for similar communities.

455 County Street, New Bedford, MA 02740

  • Math 0% vs MA 50% (2024)
  • Reading 6% vs MA 52% (2025)
  • 30.0% 4-year graduation

Academics

Full Profile · 4/4 metrics
Student Progress9.8Excellent25%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data16
Annual Change+1.57 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendImproving
Academics2.3Needs Improvement25%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency0% (2024 MCAS)
Reading/ELA Proficiency6% (2025 MCAS)
Math vs. State Avg-49.9 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-46 pts
Overall Proficiency3% (2025 MCAS, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)17% (model expectation from 2025 MCAS)
vs. Expected-13.6 pts
Adjusted Percentile6th
College Readiness4.1Below Average30%
Graduation rates, AP course participation, and IB availability.
View breakdown
4-Year Graduation Rate30%
IB ProgramNo
Resources & Environment1.5Needs Improvement20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio9.9:1
District spending per student$23,022
Chronic Absenteeism89.4%

Students at Whaling City Junior/senior High School score 3% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 17%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 MCAS proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. MA average.

Math Proficiency0%(2024 MCAS)
School
State
50%(2024 MCAS)
ELA Proficiency6%(2025 MCAS)
School
State
52%(2025 MCAS)

Trend

↓ Declining

Proficiency has fallen 11 points since 2020, to 6% in 2025, across a 17-year record (2009–2025).

Show all 16 years
2009
Math
15%
ELA
5%
2010
Math
25%
ELA
25%
2011
Math
10%
ELA
30%
2012
Math
15%
ELA
25%
2013
Math
10%
ELA
25%
2014
Math
10%
ELA
50%
2015
Math
30%
ELA
30%
2016
Math
5%
ELA
25%
2017
Math
5%
ELA
15%
2018
Math
5%
ELA
3%
2019
Math
5%
ELA
2%
2020*
Math
25%
ELA
10%
2021*
Math
25%
ELA
12%
2023
Math
33%
ELA
7%
2024
2025
ELA
6%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 14% (multi-year average, 2009-2024) · reading/ELA 14% (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 38 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 Whaling City Junior/senior High School sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 88Very Walkable
  • Transit 54Good Transit
  • Bike 58Bikeable
  • City Safety: High1,719/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (New Bedford), 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

$54,563

Median home value

$303,400

Median rent

$1,052/mo

College educated

18.1%

Homeownership

37.9%

Poverty rate

19.6%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 02740; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Advanced STEM Courses1of 5 advanced subjects offered
Algebra II, Advanced Math, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

3 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Trinity Day AcademyEnrollment path unverified5.75–120.4 mi86Compare →
New Bedford HighEnrollment path unverified5.59–121.0 mi2,893Compare →
Fairhaven HighEnrollment path unverified5.69–121.5 mi591Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

New Bedford

Schools in district
24
Rank in district
#14 of 24
District spending per student
$23,022NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
18.3%Census SAIPE · 2024

Whaling City Junior/senior High School is listed in New Bedford; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Whaling City Junior/senior High School

Whaling City Junior/senior High School is a public high school in New Bedford, MA, part of New Bedford, serving approximately 179 students in grades 6th-12th with a 9.9:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 4.6 out of 10 and ranks #1,465 of 1,793 schools in MA. State assessment records show 14% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 14% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Whaling City Junior/senior High School

What grades does Whaling City Junior/senior High School serve?

Whaling City Junior/senior High School serves students in grades 6th through 12th.

How many students attend Whaling City Junior/senior High School?

Whaling City Junior/senior High School has an enrollment of approximately 179 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Whaling City Junior/senior High School?

The student-teacher ratio at Whaling City Junior/senior High School is 9.9:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Whaling City Junior/senior High School rank in MA?

Whaling City Junior/senior High School ranks #1,465 of 1,793 schools in MA.

What is Whaling City Junior/senior High School's MySchoolScout rating?

Whaling City Junior/senior High School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.6 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 Whaling City Junior/senior High School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Whaling City Junior/senior High School has 14% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 14% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Whaling City Junior/senior High School a charter school?

No, Whaling City Junior/senior High School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Whaling City Junior/senior High School a Title I school?

No, Whaling City Junior/senior High School is not currently a Title I school.

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

Grades
6th – 12th
Enrollment
179
Student-Teacher Ratio
9.9:1
Teachers (FTE)
18
Type
regular
Setting
Midsize Suburb
County
Bristol County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
89.4%
4-Year Graduation
30.0%
Area population (ZIP 02740)
46,336
Area average commute
24.1 min
Area median age
37
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 · 2024 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 02740; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2024, multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

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