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Paul P Gates Elementary School

Public Grades K-6

8^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 899 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Better than 99% of Massachusetts elementary schools

Summary

Paul P Gates Elementary School is a K–6 school at 75 Spruce Street in Acton, MA, enrolling 380 students as part of the Acton-Boxborough district. It is a statewide standout: in 2025–2026 it ranked 8th of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools (99th percentile, 5 stars), and in 2024–2025 it ranked 3rd of 906 (100th percentile, 5 stars). Its 2025–2026 MCAS Next Generation proficiency rates are ELA 77.93%, math 79.44%, and science 97.5%, compared with district rates of 63.88%, 67.82%, and 73.34%, and state rates of 40.03%, 41.11%, and 40.98%. The school has earned 5 stars every listed year since 2016–2017 and never fell below the 93rd percentile statewide in that span.

Compared with nearby schools, Paul P Gates outperforms every same-district elementary peer in all reported subjects. It leads Luther Conant School by about 10.5 points in ELA, 4.6 points in math, and 21.9 points in science. Its closest neighbor, C.T. Douglas Elementary School, is only 0.05 miles away but trails by about 22.2 points in ELA, 21.6 points in math, and 42.7 points in science. The school also beats Thoreau in Concord by roughly 10 points in ELA and math and 37 points in science. Every tested grade exceeded district averages. 5th-grade ELA (92.5%) and science (97.5%) are especially strong, and 6th-grade math (86.36%) stands out. Even the relatively lowest result—4th-grade ELA at 67.19%—is well above the district’s 49.87% and the state’s 37.43%.

Class sizes are mid-range, with a student-teacher ratio of 12.6 in 2024–2025. Per-student spending was $16,703 in 2020–2021, lower than several nearby schools—including Thoreau, which has a lower ratio (10.1) and higher spending ($22,631) but lower 2025–2026 proficiency in all three subjects. Data limitations: free/reduced-lunch percentages are not available, spending data only go through 2020–2021, and subgroup rankings are missing for several recent years. Overall, Paul P Gates Elementary School is an elite school with nearly a decade of top-decile performance, a signature strength in science, consistently excellent math, and broad grade-level success that outpaces its district and neighboring schools.

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%

See top rated Massachusetts elementary schools

Compare Paul P Gates Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 96th percentile in 2017 → 99th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Massachusetts average (80% 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 (2025-2026) ?

This school80%

District avg67%

Massachusetts avg41%

8^th of 899

Massachusetts public elementary schools ?

Top 1%▲ up 3 pts since 2017

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

44^th of 351Acton-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
2026	96.6	8 of 899	99.1%	★★★★★
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
2026	84.4	3 of 149	98.0%	★★★★★
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
2026	97.0	4 of 869	99.5%	★★★★★
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
2026	94.3	21 of 879	97.6%	★★★★★
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
2026	56.8	319 of 734	56.5%	★★★☆☆
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)

Female (2026)100th percentile~ school

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

Special Education (2022)99th percentile~ school

Disabled (2019)98th percentile~ school

Asian (2026)98th percentile~ school

Male (2026)98th percentile~ school

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

White (2026)57th percentile-43 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

Science98%+57 vs state

Mathematics79%+38 vs state

English Language Arts78%+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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts (2026)					MCAS Next Generation Mathematics (2026)					MCAS Next Generation Science (2026)		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 (2015)	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 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	7.9%	109 (28.7%)	10 (2.6%)	24 (6.3%)	209 (55.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.4%)	96.6	8^th of 899 public elementary schools	99.1%		97	3^rd of 906 public elementary schools	99.7%	5	78.8	67.2	92.5	79.1	77.9	74.2	78.1	82.5	86.4	79.4	97.5	97.5	$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	6.7%	256 (62.7%)	7 (1.7%)	49 (12.0%)	58 (14.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (9.3%)	72.3	245^th of 899 public elementary schools	72.7%		69.1	290^th of 906 public elementary schools	68.0%	45	46.9	42.4	54.1	78.3	55.8	43.8	47.0	56.5	82.6	57.9	54.8	54.8	$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	9.6%	286 (66.4%)	18 (4.2%)	62 (14.4%)	40 (9.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.8%)	66.8	293^rd of 899 public elementary schools	67.4%		72.3	256^th of 906 public elementary schools	71.7%	37	52.3	47.8	38.6	54.8	48.7	47.7	55.6	41.1	58.7	50.7	54.4	54.4	$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	5.2%	254 (64.3%)	16 (4.1%)	30 (7.6%)	65 (16.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.3%)	61.6	342^nd of 899 public elementary schools	62.0%		79.5	188^th of 906 public elementary schools	79.2%	154	35.7	35.4	46.4	69.4	47.6	23.8	38.5	57.9	64.1	47.8	56.1	56.1	$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	10.6%	235 (50.1%)	12 (2.6%)	44 (9.4%)	142 (30.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.0%)	88.8	90^th of 899 public elementary schools	90.0%		87.5	102^nd of 906 public elementary schools	88.7%	12	63.9	65.1	62.5	56.1	61.9	59.0	73.0	72.5	80.6	71.6	66.3	66.3	$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	6.1%	124 (30.2%)	17 (4.1%)	29 (7.1%)	215 (52.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.1%)	89.2	84^th of 899 public elementary schools	90.7%		89.7	74^th of 906 public elementary schools	91.8%	10	73.2	44.6	70.7	83.8	67.4	80.5	59.1	70.0	89.7	74.9	75.6	75.6	$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	6.5%	384 (79.2%)	7 (1.4%)	40 (8.2%)	24 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.2%)	75.5	220^th of 899 public elementary schools	75.5%		74.1	235^th of 906 public elementary schools	74.1%	15	56.9	62.1	44.6		54.9	63.4	67.4	44.6		58.9	50.7	50.7	$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	11.1%	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	15.1%	322 (70.6%)	20 (4.4%)	70 (15.4%)	12 (2.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.6%)								(n/a)	32.2				32.2	29.6				29.6			$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	5.7%	276 (68.8%)	6 (1.5%)	32 (8.0%)	41 (10.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (11.2%)	88.4	98^th of 899 public elementary schools	89.1%		87.5	100^th of 906 public elementary schools	89.0%	2	85.1	68.8	56.2		67.9	66.0	79.7	61.6		69.0	60.3	60.3	$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 8^th of 899 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.