Mary O Pottenger

Mary O Pottenger, a medium-sized primary school in Springfield, Massachusetts, overseen by Springfield, instructs 365 students, covering grades pre-K through 5.

Across the 66 schools in Springfield (23,670 students total), Mary O Pottenger accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, Mary O Pottenger logs that the largest single group is Hispanic, at 77% of enrollment; the rest reads as 12% Black, 8% White, 3% multiracial. That is considerably more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 27%.

On the income-and-resources front, The school currently runs with 33 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 10.9:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 12.2:1, putting Mary O Pottenger tighter than the state norm the norm.

In the area at large, the surrounding county (Hampden County) shows that median household earnings sit near $71,306, 29% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 12%. Mary O Pottenger is one of 168 public schools in Hampden County (combined enrollment of about 68,540 students).

The closest other public school is Van Sickle Prep, roughly 0.5 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The school occupies a city-core site.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Mary O Pottenger has decreased 14%, going from 425 students in 2018 to 365 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment grew from 70% to 77% over that span. Class-load math has narrowed: from 15.7:1 in 2018 to 10.9:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.