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What do you wish you knew before starting at Center School?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
485
Elementary
DISTRICT 564 · STATE 381
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·NASHOBA·NCES 250831000362
Center School
403 Great Rd, Stow, MA 01775 · (978) 897-0290 · Middlesex County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL485 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
12.7:1
38 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.6:1 · STATE 12.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
Community
5
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 34 | 7% |
| Kindergarten | 69 | 14% |
| Grade 1 | 79 | 16% |
| Grade 2 | 73 | 15% |
| Grade 3 | 87 | 18% |
| Grade 4 | 73 | 15% |
| Grade 5 | 70 | 14% |
This year's kindergarten class (69) is about the same size as its 5th grade class (70).
Student demographics
36%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 36% · STATE 65% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
MCAS 2024-25 . % Meeting or Exceeding ExpectationsEnglish Language Arts
53.0%
MA avg 43.8% . -20.0pp since 2016
Math
59.0%
MA avg 42.2% . -15.0pp since 2016
What this means: On the MCAS, Massachusetts's statewide test, about 53 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 59 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Massachusetts schools, those numbers are about 44 and 42. Reading and writing scores are down about 20 points since 2016, while math scores are down about 15 points.
MCAS results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 53.0% | 59.0% |
| 2023-24 | 57.0% | 63.0% |
| 2022-23 | 69.0% | 67.0% |
| 2021-22 | 72.0% | 67.0% |
| 2020-21 | 78.0% | 59.0% |
| 2018-19 | 78.0% | 76.0% |
| 2017-18 | 76.0% | 75.0% |
| 2016-17 | 73.0% | 74.0% |
% Meeting or Exceeding Expectations, all students and all tested grades.
Source: MCAS. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where Center School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Massachusetts | In Middlesex County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 59.0% | #226 of 920 ▼ 37 | #90 of 207 ▼ 18 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 53.0% | #278 of 920 ▼ 88 | #107 of 207 ▼ 22 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -13.5pp | #25 of 901 | #3 of 206 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 485 | #272 of 1,086 | #63 of 238 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.7:1 | #555 of 938 | #139 of 222 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 36.0% | #697 of 938 | #199 of 222 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -14.5% | #220 of 602 | #49 of 141 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
485
+13 (+3%) vs 2020
+85% since 2000-01, when it was 262
Student : Teacher
12.7:1
was 11.8:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 485 | 38.3 | 12.7:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 500 | 41.2 | 12.1:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 498 | 43.3 | 11.5:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 472 | 40 | 11.8:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 567 | 41.7 | 13.6:1 | N/A |
| 2015-16 | 592 | 37 | 16.0:1 | N/A |
| 2010-11 | 201 | 14 | 14.4:1 | 3% (6) |
| 2000-01 | 262 | N/A | N/A | 3% (7) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Center School.
Since 2017-18: students down 14% (567 to 485); teachers down 8% (41.7 to 38.3).
About Center School
Among the schools in Stow, Massachusetts, is Center School, a mid-sized elementary school. The school enrolls 485 students in pre-K through 5. Across elementary schools in Massachusetts, the average enrollment is about 381.
Center School is run by Nashoba, whose 6 schools enroll 2,990 students.
The share of White students at Center School is 79%, a majority. It is also 8% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, and 5% Asian. For comparison, the population of Middlesex County is roughly 67% White. Its diversity index, the chance that two randomly chosen students belong to different racial or ethnic groups, is 36%.
Its staff includes 38.3 full-time-equivalent teachers, for about 12.7 students per teacher. The 12.2:1 average for elementary schools in Massachusetts is close to this figure.
In the wider Middlesex County area, median household income comes to about $130,847, 60% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Middlesex County counts 386 public schools with about 215,896 students.
Among nearby public schools, Hale is closest at about 0.2 miles. In all, at least 8 other public schools sit within five miles of Center School.
Center School is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more, a location NCES labels Suburb: Large.
The 2020-21-to-2024-25 change in enrollment was a 3% rise, from 472 to 485.
This page is set up for the Center School community to discuss special education services, counseling, and support programs. Current and former families are welcome to add their experience.
Middlesex County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
1,638,365
Census ACS
Median income
$130,847
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
60%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
5%
Below federal line
Schools in county
386
215,896 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Nashoba
- Nashoba RegionalHigh · 806 students
- Florence Sawyer SchoolElementary · 734 students
- Mary Rowlandson ElementaryElementary · 473 students
- HaleMiddle · 247 students
- Luther Burbank Middle SchoolMiddle · 245 students
Other Center schools
9 other US public schools in 3 states are named Center. Center School is the largest of the 10.
- CenterLongmeadow, MA · 412 students
- CenterMattapoisett, MA · 227 students
- CenterPeabody, MA · 123 students
- Center SchoolEllington, CT · 445 students
- Center SchoolLitchfield, CT · 263 students
Nearby schools
- Hale0.2 mi · 247
- Green Meadow2.7 mi · 456
- Fowler School2.9 mi · 451
- Maynard High3.1 mi · 310
- Blanchard Memorial School3.1 mi · 469
- Mulready Elementary3.2 mi · 249
Frequently asked questions
About Center SchoolHow large is Center School?
Center School enrolls approximately 485 students in grades PK-05.
What grades does Center School serve?
Center School serves grades PK-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Center School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Center School is approximately 12.7:1 (38 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Center School?
At Center School, the student body is approximately 79% White, 8% Hispanic, 1% Black, 5% Asian, 6% Two or more.
Who oversees Center School?
Center School is overseen by Nashoba in Middlesex County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.