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Balch

Q: Is Balch a good school?

Balch ranks 633 rd of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 1-4

633^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 899 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Better than 30% of Massachusetts elementary schools

Summary

Balch is a grades 1–4 elementary school in Norwood, MA, with 303 students, in a district ranked 234th of 351 statewide and surrounded by higher-performing Westwood and Walpole districts. In 2025–2026, Balch ranked 633rd of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools — 30th percentile, 1 star. It has improved from the 18th percentile in 2023–2024 to 25th in 2024–2025 and 30th in 2025–2026, but remains below its 2015–2016 position near the 50th percentile. Its 2025–2026 MCAS proficiency was 30.16% in ELA and 32.54% in math, below the state in both subjects and below Norwood in ELA while slightly above Norwood in math.

Among Norwood grades 1–4 peers, Balch has the lowest 2025–2026 ELA and math scores and is the only 1-star school alongside John P Oldham, F A Cleveland, Charles J Prescott, and Cornelius M Callahan; its ELA is about 5.7 points below the peer average and math about 8.9 points below. Nearby out-of-district schools are in a different tier: William E Sheehan, Downey, and Martha Jones in Westwood and Fisher and Old Post Road in Walpole are all 5-star schools with proficiency roughly 35–55 points higher, though they serve K–5 while Balch serves grades 1–4.

Grade 4 ELA is a red flag at 24.62%, far below the Norwood district and state and lowest among same-district peers, while grade 3 ELA is a relative strength at 36.07%, above the district. Math is weak in both grade 3 (32.79%) and grade 4 (32.31%). English Language Learner students are a clear bright spot, ranking in the 82nd percentile with 4 stars in 2025–2026 and 78th percentile with 4 stars in 2024–2025. Low-income, special education, and male students generally rank in the lower quartile or lower-middle range. Smaller classes — a 10.4 student-teacher ratio — and comparable or higher spending than Walpole do not obviously explain the gap. Science data are not available for 2025–2026, and free/reduced-lunch fields are blank; no Balch test scores here are suppressed or bounded.

303

Students ?

10.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,250

Per pupil spending ?

56.1%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

All students in Massachusetts receive free school meals.

1170 Washington Street
Norwood, MA 02062

(781) 762-0694

District: Norwood

Students who attend Balch usually attend:

Middle:	Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School
High:	Norwood High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

41.6%

White:

37.6%

African American:

10.6%

See top rated Massachusetts elementary schools

Compare Balch to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 18th percentile in 2024 → 30th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 30th (2026) from a 18th-percentile low (2024)

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

!Near the bottom of Norwood's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school31%

District avg34%

Massachusetts avg41%

633^rd of 899

Massachusetts public elementary schools ?

Bottom 30%▼ down 20 pts since 2016

From top 50% (2016) to bottom 30% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 5Elementary Schools in the Norwood

234^th of 351Norwood 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	29.3	633 of 899	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.5	683 of 906	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.9	753 of 916	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.3	722 of 928	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.5	634 of 932	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.4	614 of 936	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.8	620 of 942	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.5	586 of 934	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	42.5	585 of 938	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	53.5	468 of 932	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	35.0	648 of 914	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	37.9	629 of 926	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	37.3	641 of 928	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	48.2	535 of 930	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	53.3	487 of 924	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	55.1	453 of 920	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	61.2	382 of 909	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	44.0	569 of 908	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2007	43.7	574 of 911	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2006	32.9	659 of 911	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	54.0	431 of 887	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2004	59.9	385 of 882	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2003	48.7	497 of 884	43.8%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	25.2	147 of 169	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	65.5	38 of 173	78.0%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	44.1	332 of 672	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.2	346 of 632	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.9	374 of 665	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.7	399 of 656	39.2%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	64.4	51 of 291	82.5%	★★★★☆
2025	57.6	62 of 281	77.9%	★★★★☆
2024	37.8	171 of 282	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.0	158 of 264	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.3	123 of 267	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.9	51 of 240	78.8%	★★★★☆
2019	47.7	102 of 258	60.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	30.7	599 of 869	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.0	558 of 869	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.6	700 of 886	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.6	670 of 887	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.8	713 of 901	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.8	649 of 898	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.3	627 of 902	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.4	589 of 893	34.0%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	26.4	388 of 475	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	38.2	280 of 458	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.5	357 of 446	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	45.1	207 of 420	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.2	151 of 401	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	32.6	255 of 379	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.8	232 of 398	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.8	191 of 379	49.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	30.6	566 of 742	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	35.4	504 of 736	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	19.4	687 of 760	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	26.4	616 of 757	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.0	562 of 772	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.1	456 of 705	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.9	436 of 700	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	52.1	305 of 685	55.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	29.9	628 of 879	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.6	767 of 884	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.8	756 of 891	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.3	719 of 896	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	43.6	511 of 908	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.4	493 of 904	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.5	560 of 907	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.1	532 of 898	40.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	31.3	504 of 709	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.5	556 of 717	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.2	623 of 731	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.9	639 of 703	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	33.3	640 of 905	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.7	626 of 894	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.5	625 of 896	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.0	593 of 886	33.1%	★★☆☆☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	35.9	612 of 925	33.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	30.0	557 of 734	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.3	540 of 737	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.2	632 of 753	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.6	643 of 762	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	35.3	531 of 764	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.3	459 of 765	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.9	367 of 780	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.4	450 of 772	41.7%	★★☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2026)82nd percentile+53 vs school

Disabled (2022)51st percentile+19 vs school

Tested In Person (2021)34th percentile~ school

Female (2026)31st percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)29th percentile~ school

Male (2026)29th percentile~ school

White (2026)24th percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)24th percentile-6 vs school

Hispanic (2026)18th percentile-11 vs school

African American (2025)13th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics33%-9 vs state

English Language Arts30%-10 vs state

★

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Schools Near Balch

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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 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
Balch	Public	1-4	1170 Washington Street	Norwood	02062	Norfolk County	Norwood	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 762-0694	303	29	10.4	56.1%	114 (37.6%)	32 (10.6%)	126 (41.6%)	20 (6.6%)	2 (0.7%)	4 (1.3%)	5 (1.7%)	29.3	633^rd of 899 public elementary schools	29.6%		24.5	683^rd of 906 public elementary schools	24.6%	50	36.1	24.6		30.2	32.8	32.3		32.5			$22,250
F A Cleveland	Public	1-4	33 George Willett Parkway	Norwood	02062	Norfolk County	Norwood	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 762-6522	339	30	11.3	25.7%	221 (65.2%)	34 (10.0%)	53 (15.6%)	13 (3.8%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	15 (4.4%)	48.2	468^th of 899 public elementary schools	47.9%		62.2	345^th of 906 public elementary schools	61.9%	123	32.7	39.0		36.0	49.1	44.1		46.5			$21,184
Charles J Prescott	Public	1-4	66 Richland Road	Norwood	02062	Norfolk County	Norwood	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 762-6497	267	24	11.0	40.8%	105 (39.3%)	40 (15.0%)	49 (18.4%)	49 (18.4%)	2 (0.7%)	4 (1.5%)	18 (6.7%)	43.9	502^nd of 899 public elementary schools	44.2%		45.1	504^th of 906 public elementary schools	44.4%	2	37.2	40.0		38.6	39.5	39.1		39.3			$21,601
George F. Willett	Public	K-1	100 Westover Parkway	Norwood	02062	Norfolk County	Norwood	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 762-6805	256	24	10.7	39.5%	140 (54.7%)	28 (10.9%)	53 (20.7%)	17 (6.6%)	2 (0.8%)	3 (1.2%)	13 (5.1%)								(n/a)											$21,423
Cornelius M Callahan	Public	1-4	116 Garfield Avenue	Norwood	02062	Norfolk County	Norwood	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 762-0693	247	24	10.2	47.0%	124 (50.2%)	33 (13.4%)	59 (23.9%)	17 (6.9%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	12 (4.9%)	40.7	529^th of 899 public elementary schools	41.2%		47.2	483^rd of 906 public elementary schools	46.7%	46	37.2	35.7		36.5	40.9	35.7		38.4			$21,006
John P Oldham	Public	1-4	165 Prospect Street	Norwood	02062	Norfolk County	Norwood	No	No	No	Yes	(781) 769-2417	261	26	9.8	37.5%	170 (65.1%)	33 (12.6%)	32 (12.3%)	11 (4.2%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.5%)	10 (3.8%)	40	534^th of 899 public elementary schools	40.6%		43.4	521^st of 906 public elementary schools	42.5%	13	32.5	32.1		32.3	42.5	41.1		41.7			$21,631
Fisher	Public	K-5	65 Gould Street	Walpole	02081	Norfolk County	Walpole	No	No	No	No	(508) 660-7234	463	37	12.5	12.5%	328 (70.8%)	7 (1.5%)	44 (9.5%)	61 (13.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.5%)	91.5	57^th of 899 public elementary schools	93.7%		88.2	94^th of 906 public elementary schools	89.6%	37	58.0	66.7	67.7	64.2	74.1	77.2	71.6	73.8	75.5	75.5	$18,790
Martha Jones	Public	K-5	80 Martha Jones Rd	Westwood	02090	Norfolk County	Westwood	No	No	No	No	(781) 326-7500	275	19	14.1	2.5%	218 (79.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.3%)	27 (9.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (7.6%)	96.9	7^th of 899 public elementary schools	99.2%		97.3	2^nd of 906 public elementary schools	99.8%	5	71.8	87.0	86.0	82.4	74.4	82.6	79.0	78.9	82.5	82.5	$21,857
Old Post Road	Public	K-5	99 Old Post Road	East Walpole	02032	Norfolk County	Walpole	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 660-7219	458	33	14.0	9.6%	352 (76.9%)	9 (2.0%)	52 (11.4%)	17 (3.7%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.5%)	96.4	10^th of 899 public elementary schools	98.9%		91.7	52^nd of 906 public elementary schools	94.3%	42	75.4	67.1	71.3	70.7	80.7	85.9	80.0	82.4	83.8	83.8	$17,389
William E Sheehan	Public	K-5	549 Pond Street	Westwood	02090	Norfolk County	Westwood	No	No	No	No	(781) 326-7500	278	24	11.7	5.4%	213 (76.6%)	1 (0.4%)	18 (6.5%)	26 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.2%)	93.8	36^th of 899 public elementary schools	96.0%		96.8	4^th of 906 public elementary schools	99.6%	32	64.3	72.6	71.2	69.7	72.1	74.5	82.7	76.7	73.1	73.1	$23,759

Frequently Asked Questions about Balch

What is the racial makeup of Balch?

Students at Balch are 42% Hispanic, 38% White, 11% African American, 7% Asian, 2% Two or more races, 1% Pacific Islander.

How many students attend Balch?

In the 2024-25 school year, 303 students attended Balch.

What district is Balch in?

Norwood

What schools do graduates of Balch attend?

Students who attend Balch usually go on to attend:

Middle : Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School
High : Norwood High

Is Balch a good school?

Balch ranks 633^rd of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Rate Balch!

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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.