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Bessie Buker Elementary

Public Grades K-5

66^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 899 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Better than 93% of Massachusetts elementary schools

Summary

Bessie Buker Elementary is a K–5 public school in Wenham, Massachusetts, serving 255 students as part of the Hamilton-Wenham district. In 2025–2026 it ranked 66th of 899 ranked Massachusetts elementary schools — the 93rd percentile, a 5-star rating, and roughly the top 7% of ranked elementary schools statewide. Its district is rated highly as well, and Bessie Buker is one of its standout schools.

Among nearby elementary schools, Bessie Buker has the highest statewide rank and the strongest proficiency profile. In 2025–2026, its all-grade MCAS proficiency was 68.75% in English language arts, 72.41% in math, and 65.79% in science — all above district and state averages. It beats its same-district peers Winthrop School (55.97% ELA, 62.26% math, 52.73% science) and Cutler School (61.21%, 69.23%, 57.14%) in every tested subject, and it also tops nearby schools such as Centerville Elementary and North Beverly Elementary. Science is a clear differentiator: 65.79% versus 34.92% at Willis E Thorpe, 34.15% at Riverside, and 30.56% at Ivan G Smith, though science comparisons only apply to schools serving grade 5.

The improvement is long-running rather than a one-year spike: the school rose from 285th of 938 in 2016–2017 and has been in the top 100 statewide since 2023–2024, and also in 2021–2022. Grade 3 is exceptionally strong, at 82.93% proficiency in both ELA and math. Grade 4 ELA, at 58.46%, is the relative low point internally but still exceeds district and state averages. Subgroup effectiveness is generally high, with male-student results rising to the 93rd percentile in 2025–2026. Notably, Bessie Buker achieves these results with a higher student-teacher ratio (14.1) and lower 2020–2021 per-pupil spending ($17,531) than Winthrop School and Cutler School. Spending figures and some subgroup data are older, and free/reduced-lunch information was not available, so those comparisons are context rather than proof.

255

Students ?

14.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,383

Per pupil spending ?

8.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1 School Street
Wenham, MA 01984

(978) 468-5324

District: Hamilton-Wenham

Students who attend Bessie Buker Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Miles River Middle
High:	Hamilton-Wenham Regional High

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.5%

Hispanic:

6.3%

Asian:

2.7%

See top rated Massachusetts elementary schools

Compare Bessie Buker Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 85th percentile in 2016 → 93rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Massachusetts average (70% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 7% of Massachusetts elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school70%

District avg65%

Massachusetts avg41%

66^th of 899

Massachusetts public elementary schools ?

Top 7%▲ up 7 pts since 2016

From top 15% (2016) to top 7% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 3Elementary Schools in the Hamilton-Wenham

32^nd of 351Hamilton-Wenham 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	90.8	66 of 899	92.7%	★★★★★
2025	90.1	67 of 906	92.6%	★★★★★
2024	89.5	81 of 916	91.2%	★★★★★
2023	83.6	150 of 928	83.8%	★★★★☆
2022	90.0	87 of 932	90.7%	★★★★★
2021	81.9	153 of 936	83.7%	★★★★☆
2019	74.6	237 of 942	74.8%	★★★★☆
2018	73.7	241 of 934	74.2%	★★★★☆
2017	68.4	285 of 938	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	82.5	138 of 932	85.2%	★★★★☆
2015	66.7	317 of 914	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	77.1	199 of 926	78.5%	★★★★☆
2013	76.1	216 of 928	76.7%	★★★★☆
2012	80.4	171 of 930	81.6%	★★★★☆
2011	72.1	285 of 924	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	66.8	330 of 920	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	67.9	315 of 909	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	65.1	333 of 908	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	70.2	280 of 911	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	71.3	258 of 911	71.7%	★★★★☆
2005	78.4	197 of 887	77.8%	★★★★☆
2004	78.4	188 of 882	78.7%	★★★★☆
2003	58.6	409 of 884	53.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	83.9	119 of 869	86.3%	★★★★☆
2025	88.7	76 of 869	91.3%	★★★★★
2024	94.4	21 of 886	97.6%	★★★★★
2023	88.8	76 of 887	91.4%	★★★★★
2022	89.9	72 of 901	92.0%	★★★★★
2021	85.2	121 of 898	86.5%	★★★★☆
2019	75.3	209 of 902	76.8%	★★★★☆
2018	65.2	326 of 893	63.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	90.4	59 of 879	93.3%	★★★★★
2025	83.1	131 of 884	85.2%	★★★★☆
2024	78.0	181 of 891	79.7%	★★★★☆
2023	72.5	244 of 896	72.8%	★★★★☆
2022	86.8	98 of 908	89.2%	★★★★☆
2021	73.9	235 of 904	74.0%	★★★★☆
2019	68.8	278 of 907	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	76.8	200 of 898	77.7%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	93.0	26 of 905	97.1%	★★★★★
2019	56.0	347 of 896	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.9	307 of 886	65.3%	★★★☆☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	81.6	160 of 925	82.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	86.0	60 of 734	91.8%	★★★★★
2025	86.3	59 of 737	92.0%	★★★★★
2024	84.1	80 of 753	89.4%	★★★★☆
2023	73.0	172 of 762	77.4%	★★★★☆
2022	81.6	109 of 764	85.7%	★★★★☆
2021	71.0	199 of 765	74.0%	★★★★☆
2019	63.7	273 of 780	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.1	285 of 772	63.1%	★★★☆☆

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)

Special Education (2022)97th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)93rd percentile~ school

White (2026)92nd percentile~ school

Female (2026)86th percentile-6 vs school

Tested In Person (2021)83rd percentile~ school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics72%+31 vs state

English Language Arts69%+29 vs state

Science66%+25 vs state

★

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Schools Near Bessie Buker Elementary

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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 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	Total
Bessie Buker Elementary	Public	K-5	1 School Street	Wenham	01984	Essex County	Hamilton-Wenham	No	No	No	No	(978) 468-5324	255	18	14.1	8.8%	223 (87.5%)	3 (1.2%)	16 (6.3%)	7 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.4%)	90.8	66^th of 899 public elementary schools	92.7%		90.1	67^th of 906 public elementary schools	92.6%	1	82.9	58.5	71.1	68.8	82.9	63.1	76.9	72.4	65.8	65.8	$20,383
Winthrop School	Public	PK, KG-5	325 Bay Rd	South Hamilton	01982	Essex County	Hamilton-Wenham	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 468-5340	329	27	12.1	13.4%	284 (86.3%)	2 (0.6%)	19 (5.8%)	15 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.7%)	78.7	182^nd of 899 public elementary schools	79.8%		79	192^nd of 906 public elementary schools	78.8%	10	56.9	51.1	58.9	56.0	73.7	62.2	50.9	62.3	52.7	52.7	$22,442
Cutler School	Public	K-5	237 Asbury Street	South Hamilton	01982	Essex County	Hamilton-Wenham	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 468-5330	246	22	11.1	7.7%	217 (88.2%)	1 (0.4%)	18 (7.3%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.4%)	85.7	121^st of 899 public elementary schools	86.5%		80.8	172^nd of 906 public elementary schools	81.0%	51	59.5	61.4	62.9	61.2	70.3	60.0	80.0	69.2	57.1	57.1	$20,524
North Beverly Elementary	Public	K-4	48 Putnam Street	Beverly	01915	Essex County	Beverly	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 921-6130	356	29	12.2	28.3%	263 (73.9%)	13 (3.7%)	48 (13.5%)	16 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	14 (3.9%)	77.7	193^rd of 899 public elementary schools	78.5%		86.3	113^th of 906 public elementary schools	87.5%	80	53.6	56.1		54.8	55.1	67.2		60.6			$19,489
Hannah Elementary	Public	K-4	41R Brimbal Avenue	Beverly	01915	Essex County	Beverly	No	No	No	No	(978) 921-6126	312	26	12.0	22.5%	238 (76.3%)	6 (1.9%)	39 (12.5%)	11 (3.5%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.8%)	68	281^st of 899 public elementary schools	68.7%		76.9	219^th of 906 public elementary schools	75.8%	62	57.9	47.8		52.4	45.6	53.6		50.0			$19,275
Centerville Elementary	Public	K-4	17 Hull Street	Beverly	01915	Essex County	Beverly	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 921-6120	327	29	11.4	38.7%	230 (70.3%)	15 (4.6%)	56 (17.1%)	7 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.8%)	81.2	158^th of 899 public elementary schools	82.4%		81.1	170^th of 906 public elementary schools	81.2%	12	55.1	58.3		56.6	60.3	66.7		63.3			$20,236
Willis E Thorpe	Public	K-5	1 Avon Road	Danvers	01923	Essex County	Danvers	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 774-6946	294	21	14.1	21.1%	253 (86.1%)	6 (2.0%)	31 (10.5%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	60.1	357^th of 899 public elementary schools	60.3%		63.1	338^th of 906 public elementary schools	62.7%	19	46.7	50.0	46.0	47.1	40.9	59.4	55.6	51.8	34.9	34.9	$18,174
Steward Elementary	Public	PK, KG-3	261 Perkins Row	Topsfield	01983	Essex County	Topsfield	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 887-1538	347	31	11.1	1.4%	319 (91.9%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.0%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.3%)								(n/a)	62.0			62.0	56.3			56.3			$21,700
Ivan G Smith	Public	K-5	15 Lobao Drive	Danvers	01923	Essex County	Danvers	No	No	No	No	(978) 774-1350	389	32	12.0	21.6%	298 (76.6%)	30 (7.7%)	47 (12.1%)	11 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	52	437^th of 899 public elementary schools	51.4%		56.9	387^th of 906 public elementary schools	57.3%	50	53.0	39.7	37.0	43.2	57.6	43.1	37.0	45.7	30.6	30.6	$18,852
Cove Elementary	Public	K-4	20 Eisenhower Avenue	Beverly	01915	Essex County	Beverly	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 921-6121	394	32	12.4	30.1%	285 (72.3%)	15 (3.8%)	71 (18.0%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.6%)	76.9	207^th of 899 public elementary schools	77.0%		59.4	362^nd of 906 public elementary schools	60.0%	155	56.5	52.8		54.5	61.9	55.6		58.5			$19,578

Frequently Asked Questions about Bessie Buker Elementary

How many students attend Bessie Buker Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 255 students attended Bessie Buker Elementary.

Is Bessie Buker Elementary a good school?

Yes. Bessie Buker Elementary ranks in the top 7.3% of Massachusetts elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Bessie Buker Elementary?

Students at Bessie Buker Elementary are 87% White, 6% Hispanic, 3% Asian, 2% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Bessie Buker Elementary attend?

Students who attend Bessie Buker Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Miles River Middle
High : Hamilton-Wenham Regional High

What district is Bessie Buker Elementary in?

Hamilton-Wenham

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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.