Enrollment
262
Elementary
DISTRICT 331 · STATE 381
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·PENTUCKET·NCES 250945000406
Helen R Donaghue School
24 Union Street Ext., Merrimac, MA 01860 · (978) 346-8921 · Essex County
GRADES 03–06ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL262 STUDENTS
B
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 57% of Massachusetts public elementary schools
- B-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ·Beats expectations Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
- B+Three-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Massachusetts public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
11.2:1
23 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 11.9:1 · STATE 12.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
Community
0
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 73 | 28% |
| Grade 4 | 57 | 22% |
| Grade 5 | 61 | 23% |
| Grade 6 | 71 | 27% |
Student demographics
22%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 22% · 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
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within Pentucket. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
MCAS 2024-25 . % Meeting or Exceeding ExpectationsEnglish Language Arts
44.0%
MA avg 43.8% . +10.0pp since 2016
Math
47.0%
MA avg 42.2% . +7.0pp since 2016
What this means: On the MCAS, Massachusetts's statewide test, about 44 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 47 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Massachusetts schools, those numbers are about 44 and 42. Reading and writing scores are up about 10 points since 2016, while math scores are up about 7 points.
MCAS results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 44.0% | 47.0% |
| 2023-24 | 36.0% | 43.0% |
| 2022-23 | 42.0% | 48.0% |
| 2021-22 | 39.0% | 41.0% |
| 2020-21 | 52.0% | 36.0% |
| 2018-19 | 44.0% | 54.0% |
| 2017-18 | 44.0% | 35.0% |
| 2016-17 | 34.0% | 40.0% |
% Meeting or Exceeding Expectations, all students and all tested grades.
Source: MCAS. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where Helen R Donaghue School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Massachusetts | In Essex County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 47.0% | #405 of 920 ▲ 80 | #46 of 111 ▲ 6 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 44.0% | #427 of 920 ▲ 107 | #45 of 111 ▲ 9 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +5.5pp | #221 of 901 | #30 of 107 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 262 | #820 of 1,086 | #103 of 129 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 11.2:1 | #284 of 938 | #35 of 115 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 22.0% | #859 of 938 | #89 of 115 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +8.7% | #142 of 317 | #19 of 40 |
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
262
+24 (+10%) vs 2020
-36% since 2000-01, when it was 412
Student : Teacher
11.2:1
was 11.3:1
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 | 262 | 23.4 | 11.2:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 245 | 22.1 | 11.1:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 250 | 22.2 | 11.3:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 238 | 21 | 11.3:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 241 | 22.3 | 10.8:1 | N/A |
| 2015-16 | 281 | 22 | 12.8:1 | N/A |
| 2010-11 | 401 | 25 | 16.0:1 | 15% (60) |
| 2000-01 | 412 | N/A | N/A | 7% (29) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Helen R Donaghue School.
Since 2017-18: students up 9% (241 to 262); teachers up 5% (22.3 to 23.4).
About Helen R Donaghue School
Helen R Donaghue School is a public elementary school in Merrimac, Massachusetts. The school serves grades 3 through 6. Enrollment is 262 students. That is 31% below the average of about 381 students for elementary schools in Massachusetts.
Helen R Donaghue School is a school in Pentucket. The district has 6 schools and 2,238 students.
The share of students at Helen R Donaghue School who are White is 88%. Other students are 9% Hispanic and 2% multiracial. By comparison, Essex County residents are about 68% White. A diversity index of 22% means there is a 22% chance two randomly chosen students at Helen R Donaghue School are from different groups.
Its ratio of 11.2:1 is based on 23.4 full-time-equivalent teachers. The average for elementary schools in Massachusetts is 12.2:1, so this school has fewer students per teacher.
Helen R Donaghue School holds a B allk12 Grade, placing it above 57% of Massachusetts public elementary schools.
Essex County is the school's county. There, the median household earns about $101,883 a year, roughly 43% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Public schools in Essex County number 221, with about 113,427 students.
About 1.0 miles separate Helen R Donaghue School from the closest public school, Dr Frederick N Sweetsir. Within five miles are at least 8 other public schools.
The school's federal locale classification is Suburb: Large.
Over the 4 years from 2020-21 to 2024-25, enrollment increased 10%.
Anyone can start a thread about athletics, class schedules, and weather closures at Helen R Donaghue School. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
Essex County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
813,054
Census ACS
Median income
$101,883
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
43%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
221
113,427 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Pentucket
- Pentucket Regional Sr HighHigh · 578 students
- Elmer S BagnallElementary · 519 students
- Pentucket Regional MiddleMiddle · 335 students
- Dr John C Page SchoolElementary · 327 students
- Dr Frederick N SweetsirElementary · 217 students
Nearby schools
- Dr Frederick N Sweetsir1.0 mi · 217
- Whittier Regional Vocational1.6 mi · 1,285
- Dr John C Page School2.6 mi · 327
- Pentucket Regional Middle3.1 mi · 335
- Pentucket Regional Sr High3.1 mi · 578
- Charles C Cashman Elementary3.5 mi · 413
Frequently asked questions
About Helen R Donaghue SchoolHow many students attend Helen R Donaghue School?
Helen R Donaghue School enrolls approximately 262 students in grades 03-06.
Is Helen R Donaghue School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Helen R Donaghue School is an elementary school covering grades 03-06.
How many students per teacher at Helen R Donaghue School?
Approximately 11.2:1 students per teacher at Helen R Donaghue School.
What is the student diversity at Helen R Donaghue School?
Student demographics at Helen R Donaghue School are roughly 88% White, 9% Hispanic, 1% Asian, 2% Two or more.
What district is Helen R Donaghue School in?
Helen R Donaghue School is part of Pentucket.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.