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Lura A. White Elementary School

Q: Is Lura A. White Elementary School a good school?

Lura A. White Elementary School ranks 527 th of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

527^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 899 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Better than 41% of Massachusetts elementary schools

Summary

Lura A. White Elementary School is a K–5 school in Shirley, MA, serving 357 students as part of the Ayer Shirley School District. It has a favorable student-teacher ratio of 11.5 in 2024–2025 and per-student spending of $19,027 in 2020–2021, though its latest state rank was 527 of 899 schools in 2025–2026—the 41st percentile, 2 stars—down from the 54th percentile in 2023–2024.

In 2025–2026 MCAS results, science was the school’s clearest relative strength: 43.86% proficient, above the state’s 40.98% and close to the district. ELA was the largest gap, with 31.72% proficient—more than 8 points below the state—and math was 38.17%, about 3 points below the state. Grade-level data show 4th grade as the main pressure point: 4th-grade ELA was 15.38% proficient, far below district and state, and 4th-grade math was 30.77%. By contrast, 3rd-grade ELA was above the state average and 3rd-grade math matched it, while 5th grade was closer to or above state in math and science.

Compared with nearby schools, Lura A. White Elementary School sits below Page Hilltop Elementary School in the same Ayer Shirley School District: Page Hilltop was at the 60th percentile with 3 stars, with 44.59% proficient in ELA and 48.48% in math, while science was nearly identical. Hildreth Elementary School in Harvard was the highest-performing nearby school at the 87th percentile and 4 stars, far above Lura in every subject. Fall Brook in Leominster was also higher in ELA and math despite being in a district with lower per-student spending than Lura. Lura did outperform Northwest and Frances Drake School, but ranked below most other nearby schools in the comparison. Notably, Lura had the lowest student-teacher ratio among the compared schools with data, yet that advantage has not translated into top-tier MCAS results. Recent subgroup effectiveness also weakened for special education and low-income students. Overall, science is a relative bright spot, while ELA, math, and 4th-grade performance are the areas to watch.

357

Students ?

11.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,503

Per pupil spending ?

31.1%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

All students in Massachusetts receive free school meals.

98%

Kindergartners with all required immunizations (2025-26)

Exemptions: 2% (any vaccine)

34 Lancaster Road
Shirley, MA 01464

(978) 772-8600

District: Ayer Shirley School District

Students who attend Lura A. White Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Ayer Shirley Regional Middle School
High:	Ayer Shirley Regional High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.1%

Hispanic:

11.2%

African American:

7.0%

See top rated Massachusetts elementary schools

Compare Lura A. White Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 65th percentile in 2016 → 41st in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 24 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school36%

District avg41%

Massachusetts avg41%

527^th of 899

Massachusetts public elementary schools ?

Bottom 41%▼ down 24 pts since 2016

From top 35% (2016) to bottom 41% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Elementary Schools in the Ayer Shirley School District

158^th of 351Ayer Shirley School District among Massachusetts districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	40.7	527 of 899	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.6	487 of 906	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.5	422 of 916	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.7	476 of 928	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.9	524 of 932	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.5	540 of 936	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.1	499 of 942	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.0	581 of 934	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	50.3	484 of 938	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	64.8	327 of 932	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	40.6	590 of 914	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	58.7	420 of 926	54.6%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	47.1	311 of 672	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.1	305 of 632	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.8	143 of 665	78.5%	★★★★☆
2018	46.7	300 of 656	54.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	40.9	507 of 869	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.7	562 of 869	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.0	545 of 886	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.2	529 of 887	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.2	552 of 901	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.9	464 of 898	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.8	519 of 902	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.5	549 of 893	38.5%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	24.1	405 of 475	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	39.7	456 of 742	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.6	311 of 736	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.0	351 of 760	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.5	208 of 757	72.5%	★★★★☆
2022	29.0	597 of 772	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	43.5	396 of 705	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.6	252 of 700	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.2	294 of 685	57.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	40.4	525 of 879	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	57.0	368 of 884	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.0	295 of 891	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.8	393 of 896	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.4	486 of 908	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.2	562 of 904	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.8	474 of 907	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.9	560 of 898	37.6%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	36.4	442 of 709	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.4	398 of 717	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	55.0	267 of 731	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.3	269 of 703	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	26.2	724 of 905	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	35.6	595 of 894	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.0	463 of 896	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.4	601 of 886	32.2%	★★☆☆☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	42.7	541 of 925	41.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	32.0	537 of 734	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	35.0	517 of 737	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.6	489 of 753	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.7	557 of 762	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.6	553 of 764	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.3	593 of 765	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.5	555 of 780	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.9	622 of 772	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Disabled (2022)54th percentile+10 vs school

Female (2026)42nd percentile~ school

Tested In Person (2021)42nd percentile~ school

Male (2026)40th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)39th percentile-3 vs school

Special Education (2026)38th percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)27th percentile-15 vs school

Hispanic (2026)15th percentile-27 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

Science44%+3 vs state

Mathematics38%-3 vs state

English Language Arts32%-8 vs state

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Tuesday, November 10, 2015

There has been several complaints about racial discrimination and abuse against some of the teachers. Specifically parents of colored students often complained to the state authorities on these abuses. Some of these charges include isolating the colored kids during the play time and study hours, making fun of them for their color, smell and habits. Close Quote

Schools Near Lura A. White Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts (2026)				MCAS Next Generation Mathematics (2026)				MCAS Next Generation Science (2026)		Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Science 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science All Grades	Vaccination: Kindergartners with all required immunizations	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Total
Lura A. White Elementary School	Public	K-5	34 Lancaster Road	Shirley	01464	Middlesex County	Ayer Shirley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 772-8600	357	31	11.5	31.1%	261 (73.1%)	25 (7.0%)	40 (11.2%)	12 (3.4%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.6%)	40.7	527^th of 899 public elementary schools	41.4%		46.6	487^th of 906 public elementary schools	46.2%	40	43.8	15.4	36.8	31.7	42.2	30.8	42.1	38.2	43.9	43.9	98%	2%	$19,503
Page Hilltop Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	115 Washington Street	Ayer	01432	Middlesex County	Ayer Shirley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 772-8600	539	43	12.5	36.5%	326 (60.5%)	44 (8.2%)	95 (17.6%)	38 (7.1%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (6.3%)	59.4	362^nd of 899 public elementary schools	59.7%		46.8	485^th of 906 public elementary schools	46.5%	123	51.8	43.6	34.6	44.6	51.8	46.8	46.2	48.5	44.2	44.2	100%	0%	$17,605
Johnny Appleseed	Public	K-5	845 Main Street	Leominster	01453	Worcester County	Leominster	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 534-7765	692	49	14.1	53.0%	291 (42.1%)	86 (12.4%)	260 (37.6%)	26 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.2%)	57.2	377^th of 899 public elementary schools	58.1%		48	475^th of 906 public elementary schools	47.6%	98	42.9	40.3	44.9	42.6	42.9	52.0	41.7	45.8	50.9	50.9	98%	0%	$18,708
Frances Drake School	Public	K-5	95 Viscoloid Ave	Leominster	01453	Worcester County	Leominster	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 534-7751	512	41	12.5	63.1%	150 (29.3%)	49 (9.6%)	274 (53.5%)	18 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.1%)	37.4	565^th of 899 public elementary schools	37.2%		27.1	659^th of 906 public elementary schools	27.3%	94	36.7	41.1	30.0	36.0	36.7	45.2	20.0	34.0	30.0	30.0	94%	4%	$21,617
Lunenburg Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	1401 Massachusetts Avenue	Lunenburg	01462	Worcester County	Lunenburg	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 582-4122	374	24	15.9	25.7%	285 (76.2%)	13 (3.5%)	58 (15.5%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	13 (3.5%)								(n/a)											96%	1%	$16,037
Hildreth Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	27 Massachusetts Avenue	Harvard	01451	Worcester County	Harvard	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 456-4145	451	34	13.4	11.8%	300 (66.5%)	8 (1.8%)	37 (8.2%)	67 (14.9%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (8.0%)	86.1	119^th of 899 public elementary schools	86.8%		89.9	71^st of 906 public elementary schools	92.2%	48	67.1	60.6	52.5	60.4	59.2	70.4	60.7	63.6	77.1	77.1	98%	2%	$24,074
Priest Street	Public	K	115 Priest Street	Leominster	01453	Worcester County	Leominster	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 534-7761	151	11	14.2	60.9%	46 (30.5%)	15 (9.9%)	74 (49.0%)	5 (3.3%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (6.6%)								(n/a)											97%	3%	$21,553
Mary Rowlandson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	103 Hollywood Drive	Lancaster	01523	Worcester County	Nashoba	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 368-8482	473	38	12.4	21.6%	339 (71.7%)	11 (2.3%)	85 (18.0%)	14 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.1%)	57.1	380^th of 899 public elementary schools	57.7%		60.4	356^th of 906 public elementary schools	60.7%	24	42.9	47.0	39.4	43.3	37.1	57.8	41.4	46.2	47.1	47.1	95%	3%	$22,132
Turkey Hill Elementary School	Public	3-5	129 Northfield Road	Lunenburg	01462	Worcester County	Lunenburg	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 582-4110	345	19	18.1	24.3%	281 (81.4%)	12 (3.5%)	37 (10.7%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.2%)	52.1	435^th of 899 public elementary schools	51.6%		55.6	400^th of 906 public elementary schools	55.8%	35	45.0	36.4	20.8	34.3	44.0	52.3	53.3	50.0	44.9	44.9			$16,613
Northwest	Public	1-5	45 Stearns Avenue	Leominster	01453	Worcester County	Leominster	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 534-7756	665	49	13.5	60.5%	213 (32.0%)	67 (10.1%)	331 (49.8%)	25 (3.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.1%)	22.5	706^th of 899 public elementary schools	21.5%		26.5	667^th of 906 public elementary schools	26.4%	39	27.6	24.0	24.8	25.4	28.5	29.7	19.4	26.0	29.3	29.3			$17,993

Frequently Asked Questions about Lura A. White Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Lura A. White Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Lura A. White Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ayer Shirley Regional Middle School
High : Ayer Shirley Regional High School

Is Lura A. White Elementary School a good school?

Lura A. White Elementary School ranks 527^th of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Lura A. White Elementary School?

Students at Lura A. White Elementary School are 73% White, 11% Hispanic, 7% African American, 4% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 2% American Indian.

How many students attend Lura A. White Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 357 students attended Lura A. White Elementary School.

What district is Lura A. White Elementary School in?

Ayer Shirley School District

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Latest Massachusetts data All new data »

2013–14 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 20, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesMar 5, 2026

2024–25 MCAS Next Generation test scoresSep 29, 2025

2023–24 school spending dataMay 8, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.