Best Public Schools in Carlisle, MA

Carlisle, Massachusetts is served by just one school in this data set — Carlisle School, a PK–8 elementary school with 612 students that makes up the entire Carlisle district, so there is no other school in the area with which to compare it. Because the district contains only this one campus, every district-level result reported is identical to the school's result. The school is located at 83 School Street, reports a student-teacher ratio of 10.2 to 1 in 2024–2025, and spent $20,751 per pupil in 2020–2021. Free/reduced-price lunch data was not reported for 2024–2025, so no economic-disadvantage context is available here.

Carlisle School performs at an elite level by the measures included. The Carlisle district ranks 2nd of 351 Massachusetts districts — the 99th percentile, with 5 stars — and the school has held 5 stars in each of the three reported years, ranking 19th of 899 schools (98th percentile) in 2025–2026, up from 43rd the year before. In 2025–2026 MCAS testing, all-grade proficiency was 75.37% in English language arts versus 40.03% statewide, 76.49% in mathematics versus 41.11%, and 81.97% in science versus 40.98% — science proficiency is almost exactly double the state rate. Every reported 2025–2026 school result is at least 25 percentage points above the state rate, from a +25.00-point gap in 3rd-grade mathematics to +42.74 points in 8th-grade science.

Eighth grade is a particular peak, with 83.33% proficient in ELA, 83.61% in mathematics, and 81.67% in science. Eighth-grade civics is the relative soft spot at 71.67% versus 39.77% statewide — still a +31.90-point advantage, but down 7 points from 78.67% the prior year while the state rate rose slightly. Year over year, all-grade ELA and science softened modestly (77.67% to 75.37% and 83.70% to 81.97%) and mathematics was essentially flat; the state also declined in ELA and science, so the school's lead narrowed slightly in each comparison. Even the lowest reported result, 3rd-grade mathematics at 67.19%, is far above the state's 42.19%. Overall: a small, consistently top-ranked school.