Summary:
Gloucester, Massachusetts has six public schools serving students from kindergarten through 12th grade: four elementary schools (East Veterans, West Parish, Beeman Memorial, and Plum Cove), one middle school (Ralph B O'Maley Middle), and one high school (Gloucester High), with 2,737 students enrolled overall. The Gloucester district ranks 259th of 351 in Massachusetts — 26th percentile, 1 star — but that single district figure hides wide differences between individual schools, with a 33-point percentile gap between the top and bottom elementary schools.
Plum Cove School is the clear standout: 57th percentile, 3 stars, and the only Gloucester school above the state average in all three 2025-2026 all-grade subjects (ELA 45.45%, math 42.42%, science 45.71%, versus state results of 40.03%, 41.11%, and 40.98%). With just 217 students, its scores swing year to year — science ran 82.14% in 2024-2025 before falling to 45.71%. West Parish posts the highest science score in the city at 48.39% but weaker ELA (28.02%) and math (30.22%). Ralph B O'Maley Middle is improving, moving from the 41st to the 47th percentile, with 7th grade ELA above state, though civics lags at 27.57% versus 39.77%.
Gloucester High is close to state in math (42.37% vs 43.73%) but trails in ELA (35.00% vs 45.48%), science (30.59% vs 40.50%), and biology (24.73% vs 37.68%), with an 85.8% graduation rate. East Veterans Elementary School (27th percentile, 1 star, declining from the 35th) and Beeman Memorial (24th percentile, 1 star, lowest math at 22.08%) rank lowest. Math is the broadest weakness, and free/reduced lunch data are missing for every school, limiting economic context.
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