Elementary Schools in Mohawk Trail

Elementary schools in the Mohawk Trail district — three PK–6 schools serving 489 students — are Buckland-Shelburne Regional, Sanderson Academy, and Colrain Central. The district itself ranks 235 of 351 in Massachusetts, at the 33rd percentile with 2 stars.

Sanderson Academy is the standout: it ranks 349 of 899, 61st percentile, 3 stars, has held 3 stars across all three rank-history years, and is above the state in all three 2025-26 subjects (ELA 41.67%, math 56.25%, science 45.45%). Colrain Central is most improved, rising from 671 of 916 (27th percentile, 1 star) to 530 of 899 (41st percentile, 2 stars), but its all-grade ELA 34.09% and math 31.82% remain below state; grade-5 math is 7.14%. Buckland-Shelburne Regional is largest (270 students), has the highest student-teacher ratio 14.8 and lowest per-student spending $22,191, and its science is 20.59%, below district and state.

Grade 6 is a bright spot across all three schools, with math 68.75% at Buckland-Shelburne Regional, 78.57% at Sanderson Academy, and 80.00% at Colrain Central. Grade 3 and 5 math are weak at Buckland-Shelburne Regional (12.12% and 14.29%) and Colrain Central (7.14% grade 5). Math improved at all three schools year over year, while ELA declined at all three. Science declined sharply at Buckland-Shelburne Regional and Sanderson Academy, though Sanderson Academy remained above state. More spending and smaller classes do not automatically produce higher proficiency: Colrain Central spends $31,395 per student with a 9.9 ratio, yet Sanderson Academy spends $25,439 with a 12.3 ratio and leads overall. Free/reduced-lunch data is blank, spending is from 2020-21 and ratios from 2024-25, and small cohorts mean percentages can swing; interpret changes with caution.