Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Petersham Center

Q: Is Petersham Center a good school?

Petersham Center ranks 270 th of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

270^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 899 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Better than 70% of Massachusetts elementary schools

Summary

Petersham Center is a K–6 public elementary school in rural Petersham, Massachusetts, in Worcester County, serving 142 students across seven grade levels—about 20 per grade—as the only school in the Petersham district. It holds a 4-star rating and ranks 270th of 899 Massachusetts schools (70th percentile) for 2025–2026, placing it in the top third statewide.

In 2025–2026, Petersham Center exceeds the state average in all three tested subjects: English language arts at 56.58% vs. 40.03%, math at 51.32% vs. 41.11%, and science at 60% vs. 40.98%. Among eleven nearby schools, it ranks second in ELA, math, and science, behind only Shutesbury Elementary, which spends $25,048 per student compared with Petersham’s $18,199. Petersham also outperforms Swift River, Oakham Center, Hubbardston Center, and Hardwick Elementary, often by wide margins. The Petersham district ranks 106th of 351 districts (70th percentile).

The school’s most distinctive asset is its long climb: its statewide percentile rose from 22nd in 2017–2018 to 70th in 2025–2026, with no significant reversal in the last four cycles. Its strength is concentrated in grades 5–6, where 6th-grade ELA reached 77.78% and math 72.22%, while grades 3–4 are close to the state average. A notable internal gap appears by gender: female students ranked at the 96th percentile in 2024–2025 and 80th in 2025–2026, while male students ranked at the 37th percentile in 2024–2025 and 40th in 2023–2024; no male figure is provided for 2025–2026. Because each grade has roughly 20 students, single-year subject scores can swing widely; the multi-year trend is the more reliable signal. Free- and reduced-price lunch data are unavailable, so the data cannot show how economic need factors into these results.

142

Students ?

11.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,591

Per pupil spending ?

30.3%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

All students in Massachusetts receive free school meals.

Not published

Kindergartners with all required immunizations (2025-26)

31 Spring Street
Petersham, MA 01366

(978) 724-3363

District: Petersham

Students who attend Petersham Center usually attend:

High:

Ralph C Mahar Regional

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.6%

Hispanic:

7.7%

African American:

2.1%

See top rated Massachusetts elementary schools

Compare Petersham Center to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 33rd percentile in 2016 → 70th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Massachusetts average (55% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 37 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Massachusetts median (70th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school55%

District avg55%

Massachusetts avg41%

270^th of 899

Massachusetts public elementary schools ?

Top 30%▲ up 37 pts since 2016

From bottom 33% (2016) to top 30% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

106^th of 351Petersham 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	69.6	270 of 899	70.0%	★★★★☆
2025	65.7	323 of 906	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.2	460 of 916	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.5	544 of 928	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.4	624 of 932	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.3	512 of 936	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.2	468 of 942	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	25.4	728 of 934	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	33.0	676 of 938	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	38.1	621 of 932	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	39.0	606 of 914	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2014	46.9	550 of 926	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	55.0	472 of 928	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	65.1	361 of 930	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	56.1	449 of 924	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	56.2	432 of 920	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	64.6	340 of 909	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	87.4	67 of 908	92.6%	★★★★★
2007	80.9	158 of 911	82.7%	★★★★☆
2006	58.8	392 of 911	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2005	62.1	361 of 887	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2004	59.9	384 of 882	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2003	55.8	435 of 884	50.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	77.9	172 of 869	80.2%	★★★★☆
2025	92.0	39 of 869	95.5%	★★★★★
2024	54.4	414 of 886	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.4	472 of 887	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.6	588 of 901	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.7	468 of 898	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	61.9	348 of 902	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	13.7	812 of 893	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	36.8	561 of 884	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.3	535 of 891	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.1	633 of 908	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.9	567 of 904	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.2	532 of 907	41.3%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	48.5	434 of 894	51.5%	★★★☆☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	45.3	519 of 925	43.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	61.1	275 of 734	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.6	341 of 737	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.2	484 of 753	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.1	510 of 762	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.3	615 of 764	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	35.1	541 of 765	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.6	535 of 780	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	10.8	728 of 772	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Female (2026)80th percentile+10 vs school

White (2026)63rd percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2021)51st percentile+6 vs school

Tested In Person (2021)44th percentile~ school

Male (2025)37th percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

Science60%+19 vs state

English Language Arts57%+17 vs state

Mathematics51%+10 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Petersham Center and help other families decide.

Rate Petersham Center

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Petersham Center

Load more schools when map is moved

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
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
Ruggles Lane	Public	PK, KG-5	105 Ruggles Lane	Barre	01005	Worcester County	Quabbin	No	No	No	Yes	(978) 355-2934	402	26	15.5	37.6%	353 (87.8%)	9 (2.2%)	22 (5.5%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.7%)	28.7	638^th of 899 public elementary schools	29.0%		37.2	576^th of 906 public elementary schools	36.4%	62	35.6	30.4	35.7		33.8	21.7	22.8	26.8		23.9	32.1	32.1	88%	2%	$19,304
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			95%	5%	$16,774
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
Hubbardston Center	Public	PK, KG-5	8 Elm Street	Hubbardston	01452	Worcester County	Quabbin	No	No	No	No	(978) 928-4487	304	15	19.9	21.1%	280 (92.1%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.9%)	5 (1.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	51.2	446^th of 899 public elementary schools	50.4%		59.2	366^th of 906 public elementary schools	59.6%	80	38.3	27.0	47.8		38.5	31.9	51.4	51.1		44.3	46.8	46.8	74%	3%	$16,992
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
Oakham Center	Public	K-5	1 Deacon Allen Drive	Oakham	01068	Worcester County	Quabbin	No	No	No	No	(508) 882-3392	152	10	14.6	22.4%	135 (88.8%)	5 (3.3%)	9 (5.9%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.3%)	52.2	434^th of 899 public elementary schools	51.7%		54.6	410^th of 906 public elementary schools	54.7%	24	59.1	34.6	52.6		48.8	59.1	16.0	13.2		25.9	55.3	55.3			$19,914
Hardwick Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	76 School House Dr.	Gilbertville	01031	Worcester County	Quabbin	No	No	No	Yes	(413) 477-6351	169	14	12.4	47.9%	145 (85.8%)	5 (3.0%)	13 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.6%)	34.7	583^rd of 899 public elementary schools	35.2%		38	571^st of 906 public elementary schools	37.0%	12	34.8	48.6	25.0		38.5	26.1	40.0	10.5		28.6	15.8	15.8			$21,213
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Petersham Center

What district is Petersham Center in?

Petersham

Is Petersham Center a good school?

Petersham Center ranks 270^th of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Petersham Center attend?

Students who attend Petersham Center usually go on to attend:

High : Ralph C Mahar Regional

How many students attend Petersham Center?

In the 2024-25 school year, 142 students attended Petersham Center.

What is the racial makeup of Petersham Center?

Students at Petersham Center are 87% White, 8% Hispanic, 2% African American, 2% Two or more races.

Rate Petersham Center!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MAMassachusetts Elementary School Rankings

MAMassachusetts District Rankings

Schools in Petersham, MA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Petersham Center!

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.