Summary:
River Valley Charter (District) is a single-school district in Newburyport, Massachusetts, made up entirely of River Valley Charter School, an elementary school serving grades K–8 with 288 students at 2 Perry Way. Because there is only one school, the district's results and the school's results are identical. The district earns 4 stars and ranks 96th of 351 districts (73rd percentile), while the school itself is rated 3 stars and ranked 389th of 899 schools (57th percentile) in 2025–2026. Those are different comparison groups, so the difference is not contradictory. The school has improved markedly, moving from 2 stars and the 47th percentile in 2023–2024 to 3 stars and the 57th percentile in 2025–2026.
Science is the standout: 73.44% of all tested students scored proficient versus 40.98% statewide, and both tested grades are strong (5th grade 64.52%, 8th grade 81.82%). English language arts is above the state in every tested grade, with gaps ranging from +11.35 points in 6th grade to +44.47 points in 7th grade, and the all-grade ELA score rose from 59.16% to 63.16%. Upper grades are exceptionally strong — 7th grade ELA at 84.38% vs. 39.91% statewide, 8th grade math at 81.82% vs. 41.67%, and 8th grade civics at 78.79% vs. 39.77%.
Mathematics is the clear area to watch. Overall math sits only modestly above the state at 45.79% vs. 41.11%, hiding a sharp divide: grades 3–6 all score below the state, with 4th grade lowest at 23.33% vs. 43.20%, while grades 7 and 8 are far above. The school enrolls 288 students across K–8, so grade-level cohorts are small and percentages can swing on a few students. The free/reduced lunch rate is not reported, and the $18,542 per-student spending figure is from 2020–2021.
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