Summary:
Pelham Elementary School is the sole elementary school in the Pelham City district, serving grades PK through 5 with 578 students in a high-poverty area where 100% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch.
This school stands out for its strong upward trajectory, climbing from the 22nd percentile in state rankings in 2023-2024 to the 47th percentile in 2025-2026—a gain of 317 positions. The most impressive academic highlight is 5th-grade science, where 50% of students are proficient, exceeding the state average by nearly 6 points. Fifth-grade math also showed remarkable improvement, jumping from 26.5% proficiency last year to 38.2% this year. The school maintains a favorable 13:1 student-teacher ratio and invests $13,723 per student, which is notably robust for a high-needs population. Chronic absenteeism is just 8.9%, roughly half the state rate of 17.7%, indicating strong attendance culture despite economic challenges.
However, challenges remain. Based on the most recent available data from 2024-2025, English Language Arts proficiency ranged from 18.5% to 25.0% across grades 3-5, consistently 16-20 points below state averages—this remains the school's biggest academic hurdle. Current-year math scores show mixed results: 4th and 5th grades are close to state averages (within 6.5 points), but 3rd grade dropped sharply from 50% to 29.8% proficiency, likely reflecting cohort differences. The current year's ELA scores will be released in December, which will be critical to see if the school's math and science gains extend to reading and writing. Overall, Pelham Elementary is a school investing heavily in its students and showing meaningful progress, particularly in science and upper-grade math, though ELA proficiency and early-grade math stability will be key areas to watch.
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