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Swift River

Q: Is Swift River a good school?

Swift River ranks 601 st of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

601^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 899 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Better than 33% of Massachusetts elementary schools

Summary

Swift River is a small public elementary school in rural New Salem, MA, serving grades PK–6 with 134 students as part of the New Salem-Wendell district. Because it is small, grade-level results can swing from year to year based on a small number of students. In 2025-2026, Swift River ranked 601st of 899 Massachusetts schools, placing in the 33rd percentile with 2 stars—a slight uptick from 30th percentile the prior year but below its earlier peak in the 51st–62nd percentile range.

Academically, Swift River shows a clear split. In 2025-2026 MCAS Next Generation results, 28% of students met expectations in English language arts and 29.33% in math, both about 12 points below the state. Science is the standout: 55% proficient, 14.02 points above the state, and science proficiency has risen from 42.86% in 2022-2023 to 55% in 2025-2026. The largest gaps are in upper grades: 6th-grade math (17.65% vs. 42.59% state), 6th-grade ELA (23.53% vs. 40.26%), and 4th-grade ELA (21.74% vs. 37.43%). Third-grade math is relatively close to the state, and 5th-grade science is 11.93 points above it.

Compared with nearby schools, Swift River outperforms Athol Community Elementary School, Fisher Hill School, and Sheffield Elementary School in ELA and math, and is far above those two in science. But it trails most small town elementary schools in ELA and math, including Shutesbury Elementary, Pelham Elementary, Petersham Center, Leverett Elementary, and Erving Elementary. Science is more competitive with Gill Elementary, Erving Elementary, and Petersham Center, though below Pelham Elementary and Shutesbury Elementary. Spending was $24,376 per student in 2020-2021, with a 9.1 student-teacher ratio in 2024-2025, but nearby Petersham Center spends less and has higher ELA and math proficiency, suggesting spending alone does not explain the differences. Subgroup results are uneven: low-income students ranked in the 80th percentile statewide with 4 stars in 2025-2026, up from the 50th percentile in 2022-2023 and 14th in 2018-2019, while some other groups rank lower. Free/reduced-lunch data is not available, and several subgroup years are missing, so economic context and long-term trends are hard to measure.

134

Students ?

9.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$27,551

Per pupil spending ?

34.3%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

All students in Massachusetts receive free school meals.

Not published

Kindergartners with all required immunizations (2025-26)

201 Wendell Rd
New Salem, MA 01355

(978) 544-6926

District: New Salem-Wendell

Students who attend Swift River usually attend:

High:

Ralph C Mahar Regional

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.6%

Two or more races:

7.5%

Hispanic:

4.5%

See top rated Massachusetts elementary schools

Compare Swift River to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 62nd percentile in 2016 → 33rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Massachusetts average (32% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 29 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school32%

District avg32%

Massachusetts avg41%

601^st of 899

Massachusetts public elementary schools ?

Bottom 33%▼ down 29 pts since 2016

From top 38% (2016) to bottom 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

276^th of 351New Salem-Wendell 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	33.4	601 of 899	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.5	631 of 906	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.5	607 of 916	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.0	620 of 928	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.8	595 of 932	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.4	459 of 936	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.5	433 of 942	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.0	591 of 934	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	29.9	698 of 938	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	62.7	356 of 932	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	81.8	136 of 914	85.1%	★★★★☆
2014	62.7	372 of 926	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	59.5	415 of 928	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	59.0	427 of 930	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	58.2	423 of 924	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	67.4	318 of 920	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2009	70.4	277 of 909	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	52.7	472 of 908	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	70.7	273 of 911	70.0%	★★★★☆
2006	62.6	353 of 911	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	45.9	508 of 887	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2004	55.9	429 of 882	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2003	37.8	604 of 884	31.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	31.3	587 of 869	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.0	617 of 869	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.8	715 of 886	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	65.4	308 of 902	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	8.3	852 of 893	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	68.8	148 of 742	80.1%	★★★★☆
2023	50.1	377 of 757	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	23.5	603 of 700	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	40.8	519 of 879	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.8	461 of 891	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.8	582 of 896	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.8	592 of 908	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	69.1	273 of 904	69.8%	★★★★☆
2019	64.5	314 of 907	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	34.2	625 of 898	30.4%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2023	81.0	75 of 703	89.3%	★★★★☆
2022	32.5	653 of 905	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	55.2	363 of 896	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	26.6	735 of 886	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	53.6	448 of 925	51.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	19.3	636 of 734	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.8	667 of 737	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.7	656 of 753	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.1	671 of 762	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.6	623 of 764	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	43.6	450 of 765	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.8	435 of 780	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.1	559 of 772	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆

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 (2023)89th percentile+56 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)80th percentile+47 vs school

Tested In Person (2021)52nd percentile~ school

Male (2026)41st percentile+8 vs school

Female (2026)32nd percentile~ school

White (2026)13th percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

Science55%+14 vs state

Mathematics29%-12 vs state

English Language Arts28%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Swift River

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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 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	Vaccination: Kindergartners with all required immunizations	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Total
Swift River	Public	PK, KG-6	201 Wendell Rd	New Salem	01355	Franklin County	New Salem-Wendell	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 544-6926	134	15	9.1	34.3%	116 (86.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.5%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (7.5%)	33.4	601^st of 899 public elementary schools	33.1%		30.5	631^st of 906 public elementary schools	30.4%	30	33.3	21.7	35.0	23.5	28.0	40.0	30.4	30.0	17.7	29.3	55.0	55.0			$27,551
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	93%	4%	$21,808
Shutesbury Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	23 West Pelham Rd	Shutesbury	01072	Franklin County	Shutesbury	No	No	No	Yes	(413) 259-1212	125	18	6.8	29.6%	105 (84.0%)	1 (0.8%)	13 (10.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.8%)	83	145^th of 899 public elementary schools	83.9%		78.6	195^th of 906 public elementary schools	78.5%	50	57.1	66.7	54.6	75.0	64.4	50.0	77.8	27.3	75.0	61.0	90.9	90.9			$26,909
Erving Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	28 Northfield Rd	Erving	01344	Franklin County	Erving	No	No	No	Yes	(413) 423-3326	113	18	6.1	43.4%	95 (84.1%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (8.8%)	62.2	339^th of 899 public elementary schools	62.3%		30.3	634^th of 906 public elementary schools	30.0%	295	58.3	13.3	35.7	50.0	39.3	75.0	26.7	57.1	65.0	55.7	57.1	57.1			$34,568
Leverett Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	85 Montague Rd	Leverett	01054	Franklin County	Leverett	No	No	No	No	(413) 548-9144	137	16	8.7	19.7%	115 (83.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.6%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (10.2%)	63.1	332^nd of 899 public elementary schools	63.1%		75.1	228^th of 906 public elementary schools	74.8%	104	61.5	70.0	27.8	77.8	59.4	23.1	70.0	21.1	83.3	51.4	31.6	31.6			$21,946
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
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
Gill Elementary	Public	K-6	48 Boyle Rd	Gill	01354	Franklin County	Gill-Montague	No	No	No	No	(413) 863-3255	110	10	10.7	38.2%	89 (80.9%)	2 (1.8%)	7 (6.4%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (9.1%)	55.1	402^nd of 899 public elementary schools	55.3%		64.1	333^rd of 906 public elementary schools	63.2%	69	57.1	18.8	45.0	53.3	43.1	42.9	17.7	50.0	46.7	39.4	55.0	55.0			$25,289
Hillcrest Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-1	30 Griswold Street	Turners Falls	01376	Franklin County	Gill-Montague	No	No	No	Yes	(413) 863-9526	122	14	8.5	58.2%	86 (70.5%)	7 (5.7%)	19 (15.6%)	2 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (6.6%)								(n/a)													92%	0%	$30,214
Pelham Elementary	Public	K-6	45 Amherst Road	Pelham	01002	Hampshire County	Pelham	No	No	No	No	(413) 362-1100	128	12	10.6	26.6%	81 (63.3%)	7 (5.5%)	17 (13.3%)	5 (3.9%)	2 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (10.2%)	78.1	189^th of 899 public elementary schools	79.0%		67.6	306^th of 906 public elementary schools	66.2%	117	75.0	42.9	54.6	46.7	55.1	65.0	52.4	54.6	54.6	56.8	77.3	77.3			$23,039

Frequently Asked Questions about Swift River

What is the racial makeup of Swift River?

Students at Swift River are 87% White, 7% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic.

What district is Swift River in?

New Salem-Wendell

Is Swift River a good school?

Swift River ranks 601^st of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Swift River attend?

Students who attend Swift River usually go on to attend:

High : Ralph C Mahar Regional

How many students attend Swift River?

In the 2024-25 school year, 134 students attended Swift River.

Rate Swift River!

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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.