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Helen R Donaghue School

Q: Is Helen R Donaghue School a good school?

Helen R Donaghue School ranks 398 th of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 3-6

398^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 899 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Better than 56% of Massachusetts elementary schools

Summary

Helen R Donaghue School is a public elementary school in Merrimac, MA, serving grades 3–6 with 262 students as part of the Pentucket district. In 2025–2026 it ranked 398th of 899 Massachusetts schools—the 56th percentile with 3 stars—while Pentucket ranks 131st of 351 districts at the 63rd percentile. The trend is clearly upward: the school sat at the 26th–27th percentile in 2016–2018, reached the 59th percentile in 2024–2025, and is now at 56th, making it a solidly mid-pack school that has improved a great deal over the past decade.

On 2025–2026 MCAS tests, Helen R Donaghue students scored 43.95% in English language arts and 44.84% in math—above the state averages of 40.03% and 41.11%, but slightly below its own district's averages. Science was the soft spot at 37.50%, below both the district (40.24%) and the state (40.98%). Within Pentucket, Dr John C Page School is the stronger tested elementary school (ELA 53.04%, math 59.55%, science 67.74%; 232nd of 899, 74th percentile, 4 stars), and Francis T Bresnahan Elementary in Newburyport also scores higher. The Haverhill elementaries—Tilton, Bradford Elementary, Golden Hill, Walnut Square, and Pentucket Lake Elementary—generally trail Helen in ELA and often in math. Charles C Cashman Elementary in Amesbury is a mixed comparison: Helen leads in ELA and math, while Cashman is slightly ahead in science.

Grade-level results show strengths in Grade 3 ELA (46.77%) and Grade 4 math (47.89%), both above state. Grade 6 is the weakest area: math 47.54% and ELA 45.90% beat the state but trail the district by roughly 12 and 9 points, and Grade 5 science (37.50%) falls below both. Page's Grade 5 and Grade 6 math rates (80.65% and 72.41%) highlight that contrast. Subgroup results are a relative bright spot for low-income students (64th percentile in 2025–2026, 84th in 2024–2025) and special education students (54th and 71st). The student-teacher ratio is 11.2, and per-student spending was $16,470 in 2020–2021—historical context only, since that spending data is several years old.

262

Students ?

11.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,207

Per pupil spending ?

18.7%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

All students in Massachusetts receive free school meals.

24 Union Street Ext.
Merrimac, MA 01860-2244

(978) 346-8921

District: Pentucket

Students who attend Helen R Donaghue School usually attend:

Middle:	Pentucket Regional Middle
High:	Pentucket Regional Senior High

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.8%

Hispanic:

9.2%

Two or more races:

2.3%

See top rated Massachusetts elementary schools

Compare Helen R Donaghue School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 34th percentile in 2016 → 56th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 22 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Massachusetts median (56th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school44%

District avg45%

Massachusetts avg41%

398^th of 899

Massachusetts public elementary schools ?

Top 44%▲ up 22 pts since 2016

From bottom 34% (2016) to top 44% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3Elementary Schools in the Pentucket

131^st of 351Pentucket 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	55.2	398 of 899	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.1	374 of 906	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.0	494 of 916	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.3	455 of 928	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.2	468 of 932	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	56.3	425 of 936	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.7	530 of 942	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.1	680 of 934	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	29.9	696 of 938	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	38.6	615 of 932	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2015	48.8	513 of 914	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	58.4	428 of 926	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	56.2	458 of 928	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	55.8	463 of 930	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	58.0	426 of 924	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	60.0	384 of 920	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	60.3	386 of 909	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	58.8	395 of 908	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	66.6	316 of 911	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	69.5	273 of 911	70.0%	★★★★☆
2005	78.4	198 of 887	77.7%	★★★★☆
2004	79.2	177 of 882	79.9%	★★★★☆
2003	76.0	217 of 884	75.5%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	45.4	325 of 672	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.4	184 of 632	70.9%	★★★★☆
2019	52.6	255 of 665	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.0	283 of 656	56.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	57.4	377 of 869	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.5	325 of 869	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.3	436 of 886	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.9	393 of 887	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.8	385 of 901	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.7	357 of 898	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.3	403 of 902	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	37.5	600 of 893	32.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	57.1	264 of 742	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	73.2	118 of 736	84.0%	★★★★☆
2024	44.1	422 of 760	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	70.7	144 of 757	81.0%	★★★★☆
2022	58.3	282 of 772	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.0	241 of 705	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	39.9	438 of 700	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.7	582 of 685	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	52.3	414 of 879	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.7	420 of 884	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.8	513 of 891	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.4	480 of 896	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.6	512 of 908	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.1	460 of 904	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.3	590 of 907	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.5	707 of 898	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	46.9	329 of 709	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.3	210 of 717	70.7%	★★★★☆
2024	47.0	327 of 731	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.0	380 of 703	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.6	533 of 905	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.6	448 of 894	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	39.3	582 of 896	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.6	693 of 886	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	58.7	406 of 925	56.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	39.8	466 of 734	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.1	423 of 737	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.8	527 of 753	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.1	498 of 762	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.7	505 of 764	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.6	479 of 765	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.8	551 of 780	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.6	663 of 772	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)64th percentile+9 vs school

Female (2026)57th percentile~ school

Tested In Person (2021)56th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)54th percentile~ school

Male (2026)53rd percentile-3 vs school

Disabled (2022)52nd percentile~ school

White (2026)37th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics45%+4 vs state

English Language Arts44%+4 vs state

Science38%-3 vs state

★

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Schools Near Helen R Donaghue 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 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 (2025)
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
Helen R Donaghue School	Public	3-6	24 Union Street Ext.	Merrimac	01860	Essex County	Pentucket	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 346-8921	262	23	11.2	18.7%	230 (87.8%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (9.2%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.3%)	55.2	398^th of 899 public elementary schools	55.7%		58.1	374^th of 906 public elementary schools	58.7%	24	46.8	40.9	42.6	45.9	44.0	42.2	47.9	41.1	47.5	44.8	37.5	37.5			$19,207
Dr Frederick N Sweetsir	Public	PK, KG-2	104 Church Street	Merrimac	01860	Essex County	Pentucket	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 346-8319	217	17	12.4	18.9%	185 (85.3%)	2 (0.9%)	15 (6.9%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.0%)								(n/a)													97%	2%	$21,143
Dr John C Page School	Public	PK, KG-6	694 Main Street	West Newbury	01985	Essex County	Pentucket	No	No	No	No	(978) 363-2671	327	28	11.7	5.5%	299 (91.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.8%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.8%)	74	232^nd of 899 public elementary schools	74.2%		83.4	140^th of 906 public elementary schools	84.5%	92	37.8	57.5	61.3	56.9	53.0	29.6	57.8	80.7	72.4	59.6	67.7	67.7	96%	4%	$18,471
Charles C Cashman Elementary	Public	3-5	193 Lions Mouth Road	Amesbury	01913	Essex County	Amesbury	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 388-4407	413	34	12.3	34.9%	334 (80.9%)	5 (1.2%)	61 (14.8%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.2%)	44.7	494^th of 899 public elementary schools	45.1%		38.2	569^th of 906 public elementary schools	37.2%	75	53.2	36.7	33.3		41.3	40.3	36.4	29.0		35.2	39.9	39.9			$21,399
Shay Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	193R Lions Mouth Road	Amesbury	01913	Essex County	Amesbury	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 388-3659	485	41	11.9	31.1%	389 (80.2%)	15 (3.1%)	62 (12.8%)	4 (0.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.7%)								(n/a)													86%	1%	$22,114
Pentucket Lake Elementary	Public	K-5	252 Concord Street	Haverhill	01830	Essex County	Haverhill	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 374-2421	527	48	10.9	68.7%	192 (36.4%)	44 (8.3%)	272 (51.6%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.3%)	25.2	673^rd of 899 public elementary schools	25.1%		21.3	718^th of 906 public elementary schools	20.8%	45	29.1	30.4	16.7		27.7	37.2	27.7	11.1		28.7	19.4	19.4	92%	0%	$21,121
Golden Hill	Public	K-4	140 Boardman Street	Haverhill	01830	Essex County	Haverhill	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 374-5794	502	42	11.9	69.5%	215 (42.8%)	31 (6.2%)	236 (47.0%)	7 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.4%)	34.9	582^nd of 899 public elementary schools	35.3%		31.9	618^th of 906 public elementary schools	31.8%	36	35.4	31.6			33.5	39.6	30.9			35.3			100%	0%	$20,883
Walnut Square	Public	K-3	645 Main Street	Haverhill	01830	Essex County	Haverhill	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 374-3471	161	13	12.0	48.4%	85 (52.8%)	15 (9.3%)	55 (34.2%)	3 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.9%)								(n/a)	42.1				42.1	42.1				42.1			82%	0%	$20,999
Francis T Bresnahan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-3	333 High Street	Newburyport	01950	Essex County	Newburyport	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 465-4431	584	61	9.5	13.5%	514 (88.0%)	4 (0.7%)	42 (7.2%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.9%)								(n/a)	59.5				59.5	63.3				63.3			94%	1%	$24,187
Tilton	Public	K-4	70 Grove Street	Haverhill	01832	Essex County	Haverhill	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 374-3475	471	41	11.4	73.2%	122 (25.9%)	26 (5.5%)	308 (65.4%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (2.1%)	25.1	674^th of 899 public elementary schools	25.0%		30.9	626^th of 906 public elementary schools	30.9%	48	27.1	15.1			20.3	44.3	28.6			35.4			90%	1%	$20,673

Frequently Asked Questions about Helen R Donaghue School

Is Helen R Donaghue School a good school?

Helen R Donaghue School ranks 398^th of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Helen R Donaghue School in?

Pentucket

What schools do graduates of Helen R Donaghue School attend?

Students who attend Helen R Donaghue School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Pentucket Regional Middle
High : Pentucket Regional Senior High

How many students attend Helen R Donaghue School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 262 students attended Helen R Donaghue School.

What is the racial makeup of Helen R Donaghue School?

Students at Helen R Donaghue School are 88% White, 9% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Rate Helen R Donaghue School!

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Latest Massachusetts data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataNewNov 1, 2026

2020–21 through 2023–24 school spending data (updated)NewNov 1, 2026

2023–24 through 2024–25 teacher salary dataNewNov 1, 2026

2020–21 through 2022–23 teacher salary data (updated)NewNov 1, 2026

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.