Canton

Canton, MA is a district of five public schools — three elementary, one middle, and one high school — serving about 3,193 students, and it ranks in the 83rd percentile among Massachusetts districts with a 4-star rating. The Canton district's strength is consistent: every school also carries 4 stars, and in 2025–26 every reported school score came in above the corresponding state score. One caveat for families comparing schools: free/reduced lunch data is blank for all five schools, and spending figures date from 2020–21.

The clearest standout is John F Kennedy, the top-ranked elementary school at the 89th percentile (101 of 899) and the only school with a steady three-year climb: 74th → 86th → 89th percentile. Its all-grade math score of 71.84% proficient is the highest in the district and well above both district (60.42) and state (41.11). Wm H Galvin Middle is the highest-ranked middle school at the 84th percentile, with a notable 8th-grade math score of 75.88 and the lowest student/teacher ratio at 10.5. Lt Peter M Hansen is solid in science (61.00) and 4th-grade math, but its 3rd-grade results lag the district. The two schools with the weakest relative results are Dean S Luce (74th percentile) and Hansen (78th), while Canton High sits at the 82nd percentile.

At the high school level, Canton High pairs strong science — 10th-grade science 68.37 and biology 66.97, both roughly 28–29 points above state — with a 96.1% graduation rate and a 1.3% dropout rate. The biggest area of concern in the district is Dean S Luce, where all-grade science fell from 61.11 to 43.33 in a single year and 5th-grade science runs 11.71 points below district. Notably, class size and spending don't track cleanly with outcomes: JFK and Luce share a 12.9 student/teacher ratio, yet JFK ranks 89th percentile and Luce 74th.