Oakdale

Located at 147 Cedar Street, in Dedham, Massachusetts, Oakdale is a modestly sized elementary campus that teaches 262 students (grades 1 through 5), one of the schools within Dedham. That puts it 31% leaner than the typical public school in Massachusetts, which averages around 381 students.

Across the 7 schools in Dedham (2,668 students total), Oakdale accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On the student-mix side, Oakdale lists that 71% of the student body identifies as White. The remainder breaks down as 12% Hispanic, 9% Black, 7% multiracial. That composition is broadly in line with Norfolk County as a whole.

On the resource side, The school lists 24 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 10.7:1. The state averages around 12.2:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical.

In the surrounding community, community-level numbers for Norfolk County indicate median household earnings sit near $130,739, roughly 59% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 4% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Oakdale is one of 198 public schools in Norfolk County (combined enrollment of about 101,300 students).

Nearest neighbor: Dedham High, around 0.6 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The school occupies a commuter-belt site.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count declined 8%: 285 students in 2018 compared to 262 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 13.2:1 in 2018 to 10.7:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, posts here usually surface around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.