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Royalston Community School

Q: Is Royalston Community School a good school?

Royalston Community School ranks 594 th of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

594^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 899 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Better than 34% of Massachusetts elementary schools

Summary

Royalston Community School is a small, rural PK–6 school at 96 Winchendon Rd in Royalston, MA, serving 152 students as one of two elementary schools in the Athol-Royalston district. In 2025-26 it ranked 594th of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools—34th percentile, 2 stars—placing it in the bottom third statewide but well above its own district’s 10th-percentile, 1-star profile and far above its same-district peer, Athol Community Elementary School (6th percentile).

The school’s clearest academic strength is science: 50% proficiency in 2025-26, above the state’s 40.98% and nearly triple the district’s 16.82%, and it has exceeded the state every year on record. ELA (27.14%) and math (30.00%) trail the state (40.03% and 41.11%) and have done so in every reported year. Compared with nearby schools, Royalston beats Toy Town Elementary (4.6 mi), Fisher Hill School (10.0 mi), Gardner Elementary School (10.9 mi), and Athol Community Elementary School in the subjects both report, and it outranks every school in its district. It trails Petersham Center (13.6 mi), a similarly small rural school, in all three subjects, and Templeton Elementary School in ELA and math, while Briggs Elementary edges it in ELA and math but not science.

Long term, Royalston climbed from the 19th percentile in 2015-16 to a high of the 75th percentile in 2020-21, then gave back most of that ground, settling around the low-to-mid 30s for the last three cycles. Because the school tests only about 70 students across grades 3–6, one student can shift results by roughly 6 points, so year-to-year swings—like 3rd-grade math at 5.88% and 4th-grade math at 47.62% in 2025-26—should be read as noisy rather than diagnostic. Resources are not the issue: Royalston spends $17,390 per student, above most neighbors, with a 12.3 student-teacher ratio. A notable bright spot is low-income students, who ranked 75th percentile (4 stars) in 2025-26. The bottom line: a small rural school that reliably outperforms its low-performing district and most immediate neighbors, with a durable science advantage, but ELA and math declines remain the clearest areas to watch.

152

Students ?

12.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,782

Per pupil spending ?

49.3%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

All students in Massachusetts receive free school meals.

96 Winchendon Rd
Royalston, MA 01368

(978) 249-2900

District: Athol-Royalston

Students who attend Royalston Community School usually attend:

High:

Athol High

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.8%

Hispanic:

6.6%

Two or more races:

2.6%

See top rated Massachusetts elementary schools

Compare Royalston Community School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 75th percentile in 2021 → 34th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Massachusetts average (31% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 75th-percentile peak (2021) to 34th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school31%

District avg19%

Massachusetts avg41%

594^th of 899

Massachusetts public elementary schools ?

Bottom 34%▲ up 15 pts since 2016

From bottom 19% (2016) to bottom 34% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Elementary Schools in the Athol-Royalston

316^th of 351Athol-Royalston 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	34.1	594 of 899	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	31.0	624 of 906	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.6	569 of 916	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.7	505 of 928	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	61.7	373 of 932	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	74.3	234 of 936	75.0%	★★★★☆
2019	65.5	326 of 942	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.5	438 of 934	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	34.7	660 of 938	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	22.1	759 of 932	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	31.1	679 of 914	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	34.6	655 of 926	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	38.4	629 of 928	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	45.3	566 of 930	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	36.4	640 of 924	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	30.4	694 of 920	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	32.1	665 of 909	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	29.3	699 of 908	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	41.5	605 of 911	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2006	35.2	637 of 911	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2005	33.9	610 of 887	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2004	49.6	486 of 882	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2003	43.0	551 of 884	37.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	77.1	189 of 898	79.0%	★★★★☆
2019	67.8	278 of 902	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.2	348 of 893	61.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	65.9	183 of 742	75.3%	★★★★☆
2022	59.2	269 of 772	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	72.7	116 of 685	83.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	36.3	566 of 879	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.6	463 of 884	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.0	541 of 891	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.6	698 of 896	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	36.0	588 of 908	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	62.4	342 of 907	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.0	487 of 898	45.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	53.8	378 of 905	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	88.0	64 of 894	92.8%	★★★★★
2018	54.5	362 of 886	59.1%	★★★☆☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	70.6	271 of 925	70.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	22.4	617 of 734	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.7	671 of 737	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	23.4	630 of 753	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.7	514 of 762	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.6	401 of 764	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	64.0	260 of 765	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.5	394 of 780	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.3	477 of 772	38.2%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2021)79th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)75th percentile+41 vs school

Tested In Person (2021)71st percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2022)58th percentile~ school

Male (2026)36th percentile~ school

White (2026)16th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

Science50%+9 vs state

Mathematics30%-11 vs state

English Language Arts27%-13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Royalston Community 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	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 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
Royalston Community School	Public	PK, KG-6	96 Winchendon Rd	Royalston	01368	Worcester County	Athol-Royalston	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 249-2900	152	12	12.3	49.3%	138 (90.8%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.6%)	34.1	594^th of 899 public elementary schools	33.9%		31	624^th of 906 public elementary schools	31.1%	30	35.3	19.1	12.5	43.8	27.1	5.9	47.6	31.3	31.3	30.0	50.0	50.0	$19,782
Toy Town Elementary	Public	3-5	175 Grove Street	Winchendon	01475	Worcester County	Winchendon	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 297-2005	292	18	16.0	56.2%	238 (81.5%)	4 (1.4%)	33 (11.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.8%)	20.4	723^rd of 899 public elementary schools	19.6%		22.9	700^th of 906 public elementary schools	22.7%	23	28.7	17.0	34.1		26.0	22.8	13.3	20.9		18.8	32.6	32.6	$20,247
Memorial	Public	K-2	32 Elmwood Rd	Winchendon	01475	Worcester County	Winchendon	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 616-1501	268	16	16.6	54.5%	212 (79.1%)	5 (1.9%)	31 (11.6%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (6.0%)								(n/a)													$19,395
Athol Community Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1064 Pleasant Street	Athol	01331	Worcester County	Athol-Royalston	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 645-9657	589	42	13.9	62.3%	447 (75.9%)	15 (2.5%)	90 (15.3%)	11 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (4.4%)	9.9	843^rd of 899 public elementary schools	6.2%		14.2	795^th of 906 public elementary schools	12.3%	48	21.6	6.8			13.6	17.0	20.5			18.9			$19,815
Templeton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	17 South Rd.	Templeton	01468	Worcester County	Narragansett	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 939-8892	581	41	14.2	36.5%	485 (83.5%)	8 (1.4%)	62 (10.7%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.6%)	40.1	533^rd of 899 public elementary schools	40.7%		30.7	628^th of 906 public elementary schools	30.7%	95	39.2	29.4			34.2	43.3	37.3			40.2			$16,774
Warwick Community School	Public	PK, KG-6	41 Winchester Road	Warwick	01378	Franklin County	Warwick	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(978) 544-6310	27	5	5.3	29.6%	22 (81.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (11.1%)								(n/a)			50.0		30.4			20.0		17.4			$22,750
Fisher Hill School	Public	PK, KG-6	59 Dexter Street	Orange	01364	Franklin County	Orange	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 544-0018	494	40	12.5	66.8%	397 (80.4%)	5 (1.0%)	58 (11.7%)	7 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (5.1%)	18.1	746^th of 899 public elementary schools	17.0%		13.7	801^st of 906 public elementary schools	11.6%	55	30.8	14.6	13.2	13.0	17.2	31.4	22.0	15.1	24.6	23.1	37.7	37.7	$21,808
Gardner Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	278 Pearl Street	Gardner	01440	Worcester County	Gardner	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 991-0900	1,087	73	14.9	66.7%	584 (53.7%)	53 (4.9%)	345 (31.7%)	15 (1.4%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	87 (8.0%)	13.7	797^th of 899 public elementary schools	11.3%		13.4	805^th of 906 public elementary schools	11.1%	8	28.8	14.5			21.6	19.0	18.8			18.9			$18,536
Briggs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	96 Williams Rd	Ashburnham	01430	Worcester County	Ashburnham-Westminster	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 827-5750	461	38	12.1	27.3%	403 (87.4%)	14 (3.0%)	26 (5.6%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.8%)	39.6	543^rd of 899 public elementary schools	39.6%		49.4	460^th of 906 public elementary schools	49.2%	83	47.2	35.9	33.3		38.7	37.0	44.2	20.0		33.8	30.7	30.7	$17,446
Petersham Center	Public	K-6	31 Spring Street	Petersham	01366	Worcester County	Petersham	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 724-3363	142	13	11.3	30.3%	123 (86.6%)	3 (2.1%)	11 (7.7%)	1 (0.7%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.1%)	69.6	270^th of 899 public elementary schools	70.0%		65.7	323^rd of 906 public elementary schools	64.3%	53	45.5	37.5	65.0	77.8	56.6	40.9	37.5	55.0	72.2	51.3	60.0	60.0	$19,591

Frequently Asked Questions about Royalston Community School

What is the racial makeup of Royalston Community School?

Students at Royalston Community School are 91% White, 7% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend Royalston Community School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 152 students attended Royalston Community School.

What district is Royalston Community School in?

Athol-Royalston

Is Royalston Community School a good school?

Royalston Community School ranks 594^th of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Royalston Community School attend?

Students who attend Royalston Community School usually go on to attend:

High : Athol High

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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.