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Paul P Gates Elementary School

Public Grades K-6

3^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 906 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Better than 100% of Massachusetts elementary schools

Summary

Paul P Gates Elementary School is a public elementary school in Acton, Massachusetts, serving 356 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the highly-ranked Acton-Boxborough school district, which is ranked 38 out of 348 districts in the state.

Paul P Gates Elementary School consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Massachusetts, with a statewide ranking between 3 and 22 over the past several years. The school's MCAS Next Generation test scores are significantly higher than the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas, with proficiency rates reaching 82.74% in English Language Arts, 82.23% in Math, and 80% in Science, compared to state averages of 41.53%, 40.74%, and 41.51%, respectively.

The school's performance is exceptional across various student subgroups, including female, male, Asian, and special education students, who all rank among the top schools in the state. While nearby schools in the Acton-Boxborough district also perform well, they generally lag behind Paul P Gates Elementary School in academic achievement and statewide rankings, suggesting the school may have unique educational practices or a school culture that contributes to its exceptional performance.

380

Students ?

12.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,423

Per pupil spending ?

7.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

75 Spruce Street
Acton, MA 01720

(978) 266-2570

District: Acton-Boxborough

Students who attend Paul P Gates Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Raymond J Grey Junior High
High:	Acton-Boxborough Regional High

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

55.0%

White:

28.7%

Two or more races:

7.4%

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Compare Paul P Gates Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 96th percentile in 2017 → 100th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Massachusetts average (82% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 1% of Massachusetts elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Acton-Boxborough

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school82%

District avg68%

Massachusetts avg41%

3^rd of 906

Massachusetts public elementary schools ?

Top 1%▲ up 3 pts since 2017

From top 4% (2017) to top 1% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 6Elementary Schools in the Acton-Boxborough

38^th of 348Acton-Boxborough 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
2025	97.0	3 of 906	99.7%	★★★★★
2024	94.7	22 of 916	97.6%	★★★★★
2023	95.3	21 of 928	97.7%	★★★★★
2022	95.1	21 of 932	97.7%	★★★★★
2021	93.4	37 of 936	96.0%	★★★★★
2019	95.1	12 of 942	98.7%	★★★★★
2018	88.6	70 of 934	92.5%	★★★★★
2017	91.3	35 of 938	96.3%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	87.2	4 of 142	97.2%	★★★★★
2024	82.9	16 of 152	89.5%	★★★★★
2023	75.3	35 of 145	75.9%	★★★★☆
2022	77.5	33 of 143	76.9%	★★★★☆
2021	80.3	19 of 141	86.5%	★★★★☆
2019	83.3	11 of 155	92.9%	★★★★★
2018	77.7	23 of 154	85.1%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2019	96.4	10 of 665	98.5%	★★★★★
2018	86.3	49 of 656	92.5%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	95.3	10 of 869	98.8%	★★★★★
2024	92.9	32 of 886	96.4%	★★★★★
2023	95.6	10 of 887	98.9%	★★★★★
2022	91.3	52 of 901	94.2%	★★★★★
2021	86.3	109 of 898	87.9%	★★★★☆
2019	88.8	62 of 902	93.1%	★★★★★
2018	77.7	168 of 893	81.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	96.8	2 of 884	99.8%	★★★★★
2024	94.5	22 of 891	97.5%	★★★★★
2023	91.9	48 of 896	94.6%	★★★★★
2022	95.0	14 of 908	98.5%	★★★★★
2021	94.4	11 of 904	98.8%	★★★★★
2019	96.7	4 of 907	99.6%	★★★★★
2018	92.5	23 of 898	97.4%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	95.4	13 of 905	98.6%	★★★★★
2021	94.9	14 of 894	98.4%	★★★★★
2019	97.9	5 of 896	99.4%	★★★★★
2018	85.2	73 of 886	91.8%	★★★★★

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	87.0	108 of 925	88.3%	★★★★☆

Tested Remotely

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	97.8	4 of 399	99.0%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	66.3	234 of 737	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	76.9	146 of 753	80.6%	★★★★☆
2023	85.2	73 of 762	90.4%	★★★★★
2022	66.9	231 of 764	69.8%	★★★★☆
2021	47.8	409 of 765	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	77.5	135 of 780	82.7%	★★★★☆
2018	62.7	287 of 772	62.8%	★★★☆☆

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)

Male (2025)100th percentile~ school

Tested Remotely (2021)99th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2025)99th percentile~ school

Special Education (2022)99th percentile~ school

Disabled (2019)98th percentile~ school

Asian (2025)97th percentile~ school

Tested In Person (2021)88th percentile-8 vs school

White (2025)68th percentile-31 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts83%+41 vs state

Mathematics82%+41 vs state

Science80%+38 vs state

★

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Schools Near Paul P Gates 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 Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts (2025)					MCAS Next Generation Mathematics (2025)					MCAS Next Generation Science (2025)		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	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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 6th 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 6th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Science 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science All Grades	Total
Paul P Gates Elementary School	Public	K-6	75 Spruce Street	Acton	01720	Middlesex County	Acton-Boxborough	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 266-2570	380	30	12.6		109 (28.7%)	10 (2.6%)	24 (6.3%)	209 (55.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.4%)	97	3^rd of 906 public elementary schools	99.7%		94.7	22^nd of 916 public elementary schools	97.6%	19	76.6	92.7	80.0	85.1	82.7	82.8	85.4	71.1	89.4	82.2	80.0	80.0	$21,423
C.T. Douglas Elementary School	Public	K-6	73 Spruce Street	Acton	01720	Middlesex County	Acton-Boxborough	No	No	No	No	(978) 266-2560	408	30	13.8		256 (62.7%)	7 (1.7%)	49 (12.0%)	58 (14.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (9.3%)	69.1	290^th of 906 public elementary schools	68.0%		76.8	224^th of 916 public elementary schools	75.5%	66	40.3	42.1	61.5	79.1	54.2	40.3	45.6	58.5	75.6	53.7	61.5	61.5	$19,611
McCarthy-Towne School	Public	K-6	11 Charter Road	Acton	01720	Middlesex County	Acton-Boxborough	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 264-3377	431	35	12.3		286 (66.4%)	18 (4.2%)	62 (14.4%)	40 (9.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.8%)	72.3	256^th of 906 public elementary schools	71.7%		74.2	254^th of 916 public elementary schools	72.3%	2	40.5	57.8	56.3	62.5	55.8	48.8	54.7	37.5	62.5	51.4	60.9	60.9	$20,924
Merriam School	Public	K-6	11 Charter Road	Acton	01720	Middlesex County	Acton-Boxborough	No	No	No	No	(978) 264-3371	395	30	13.1		254 (64.3%)	16 (4.1%)	30 (7.6%)	65 (16.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.3%)	79.5	188^th of 906 public elementary schools	79.2%		77.6	212^th of 916 public elementary schools	76.9%	24	63.1	56.9	50.8	58.3	57.3	75.0	51.7	43.8	65.3	59.3	70.3	70.3	$20,044
Blanchard Memorial School	Public	K-6	493 Massachusetts Avenue	Boxborough	01719	Middlesex County	Acton-Boxborough	No	No	No	No	(978) 263-4569	469	40	11.8		235 (50.1%)	12 (2.6%)	44 (9.4%)	142 (30.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.0%)	87.5	102^nd of 906 public elementary schools	88.7%		89.1	85^th of 916 public elementary schools	90.7%	17	65.1	65.3	56.5	71.4	65.1	75.8	66.7	64.5	61.2	66.6	62.9	62.9	$20,694
Luther Conant School	Public	K-6	80 Taylor Road	Acton	01720	Middlesex County	Acton-Boxborough	No	No	No	No	(978) 266-2550	410	33	12.4		124 (30.2%)	17 (4.1%)	29 (7.1%)	215 (52.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.1%)	89.7	74^th of 906 public elementary schools	91.8%		91.8	54^th of 916 public elementary schools	94.1%	20	55.4	76.3	77.9	79.2	72.0	56.9	69.2	63.2	86.1	69.3	79.4	79.4	$20,867
Center School	Public	PK, KG-5	403 Great Rd	Stow	01775	Middlesex County	Nashoba	No	No	No	No	(978) 897-0290	485	38	12.6		384 (79.2%)	7 (1.4%)	40 (8.2%)	24 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.2%)	74.1	235^th of 906 public elementary schools	74.1%		82.7	149^th of 916 public elementary schools	83.7%	86	63.5	49.3	44.3		53.1	61.9	56.9	58.6		59.3	54.3	54.3	$20,841
Shaker Lane Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	35 Shaker Lane	Littleton	01460	Middlesex County	Littleton	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 486-3959	425	32	13.2		306 (72.0%)	5 (1.2%)	23 (5.4%)	62 (14.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (6.4%)								(n/a)													$19,290
Green Meadow	Public	PK, KG-3	5 Tiger Drive	Maynard	01754	Middlesex County	Maynard	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 897-8246	456	38	11.9		322 (70.6%)	20 (4.4%)	70 (15.4%)	12 (2.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.6%)								(n/a)	38.3				38.3	26.3				26.3			$24,114
Thoreau	Public	PK, KG-5	29 Prairie Street	Concord	01742	Middlesex County	Concord	No	No	No	No	(978) 318-1300	401	40	10.1		276 (68.8%)	6 (1.5%)	32 (8.0%)	41 (10.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (11.2%)	87.5	100^th of 906 public elementary schools	89.0%		93.9	31^st of 916 public elementary schools	96.6%	69	76.1	58.9	62.9		65.8	64.2	56.2	80.7		66.3	79.4	79.4	$27,678

Frequently Asked Questions about Paul P Gates Elementary School

Is Paul P Gates Elementary School a good school?

Yes! Paul P Gates Elementary School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 3^rd of 906 Massachusetts elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Paul P Gates Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Paul P Gates Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Raymond J Grey Junior High
High : Acton-Boxborough Regional High

How many students attend Paul P Gates Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 380 students attended Paul P Gates Elementary School.

What district is Paul P Gates Elementary School in?

Acton-Boxborough

What is the racial makeup of Paul P Gates Elementary School?

Students at Paul P Gates Elementary School are 55% Asian, 29% White, 7% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic, 3% African American.

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Latest Massachusetts data All new data »

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesMar 5, 2026

2024–25 MCAS Next Generation test scoresSep 29, 2025

2023–24 school spending dataMay 8, 2025

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesMay 1, 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.