1
What's the one class at Varnum Brook every student should take?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
606
Elementary
DISTRICT 315 · STATE 381
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·NORTH MIDDLESEX·NCES 250879002281
Varnum Brook
10 Hollis Street, Pepperell, MA 01463 · (978) 433-6722 · Middlesex County
GRADES KG–04ELEMENTARY31-TOWNREGULAR SCHOOL606 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
14.1:1
43 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 14.3:1 · 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 112 | 18% |
| Grade 1 | 110 | 18% |
| Grade 2 | 122 | 20% |
| Grade 3 | 120 | 20% |
| Grade 4 | 142 | 23% |
This year's kindergarten class (112) is 21% smaller than its 4th grade class (142).
Student demographics
36%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 34% · 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
44.0%
MA avg 43.8% . -9.0pp since 2016
Math
51.0%
MA avg 42.2% . -3.0pp 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 51 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 9 points since 2016, while math scores are down about 3 points.
MCAS results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 44.0% | 51.0% |
| 2023-24 | 42.0% | 53.0% |
| 2022-23 | 45.0% | 45.0% |
| 2021-22 | 50.0% | 50.0% |
| 2020-21 | 57.0% | 47.0% |
| 2018-19 | 62.0% | 61.0% |
| 2017-18 | 59.0% | 53.0% |
| 2016-17 | 53.0% | 54.0% |
% Meeting or Exceeding Expectations, all students and all tested grades.
Source: MCAS. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where Varnum Brook ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Massachusetts | In Middlesex County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 51.0% | #345 of 920 ▼ 10 | #121 of 207 ▲ 2 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 44.0% | #425 of 920 no change | #139 of 207 ▲ 1 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -2.5pp | #269 of 901 | #67 of 206 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 606 | #123 of 1,086 | #25 of 238 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.1:1 | #788 of 938 | #198 of 222 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 36.2% | #694 of 938 | #198 of 222 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +12.8% | #92 of 317 | #19 of 77 |
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
606
+111 (+22%) vs 2020
-15% since 1990-91, when it was 714
Student : Teacher
14.1:1
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 | 606 | 43 | 14.1:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 612 | 45 | 13.6:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 633 | 48.4 | 13.1:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 495 | 42 | 11.8:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 537 | 42.3 | 12.7:1 | N/A |
| 2015-16 | 574 | 44 | 13.1:1 | N/A |
| 2010-11 | 698 | 47 | 14.8:1 | 13% (88) |
| 2000-01 | 938 | N/A | N/A | 8% (79) |
| 1990-91 | 714 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Varnum Brook.
Since 2017-18: students up 13% (537 to 606); teachers up 2% (42.3 to 43).
About Varnum Brook
Varnum Brook is a large elementary school in Pepperell, Massachusetts. It had 606 students in 2024-25, spanning kindergarten through 4. Elementary schools in Massachusetts have about 381 students on average; enrollment here is 59% higher.
North Middlesex serves 2,914 students across 7 schools.
The share of White students at Varnum Brook is 79%, a majority. After that, the student body is 10% Hispanic, 4% Asian, 3% Black, and 3% multiracial. Census figures show Middlesex County is about 67% White. On a 0 to 100 scale, the school's diversity index is 36, compared with 70 nationally.
Classroom staffing at Varnum Brook totals 43 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the student-to-teacher ratio is 14.1:1. The average for elementary schools in Massachusetts, 12.2:1, is lower.
Middlesex County is the school's county. There, median household income comes to about $130,847, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 60% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 5%. Public schools in Middlesex County number 386, with about 215,896 students.
Of the public schools around it, Varnum Brook is closest to Nissitissit Middle School, about 0.3 miles away. There are at least 8 other public schools within five miles.
Varnum Brook is coded as Town: Fringe in federal locale data.
From 495 students in 2020-21, enrollment increased to 606 by 2024-25. By 2024-25, the school had 14.1 students per teacher, compared with 11.8 in 2020-21.
Anyone can start a thread about open houses, carpools, and field trips at Varnum Brook. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to post.
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 North Middlesex
- North Middlesex RegionalHigh · 711 students
- Nissitissit Middle SchoolMiddle · 494 students
- Hawthorne BrookMiddle · 449 students
- Spaulding MemorialElementary · 413 students
- Ashby ElementaryElementary · 152 students
- Squannacook Early Childhood CenterElementary · 89 students
Nearby schools
- Nissitissit Middle School0.3 mi · 494
- Groton Dunstable Regional2.8 mi · 659
- Groton Dunstable Regional Middle3.6 mi · 739
- Florence Roche School3.7 mi · 615
- North Middlesex Regional3.9 mi · 711
- Boutwell School4.0 mi · 77
Frequently asked questions
About Varnum BrookWhat is the total enrollment at Varnum Brook?
Varnum Brook enrolls approximately 606 students in grades KG-04.
Is Varnum Brook an elementary, middle, or high school?
Varnum Brook is an elementary school covering grades KG-04.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Varnum Brook?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Varnum Brook is approximately 14.1:1 (43 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Varnum Brook?
At Varnum Brook, the student body is approximately 79% White, 10% Hispanic, 3% Black, 4% Asian, 3% Two or more.
Is Varnum Brook public or private?
Varnum Brook is a public K-12 school, overseen by North Middlesex.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.