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Benjamin G Brown

Public Grades K-5
6th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 899 Massachusetts Elementary Schools
Better than 99% of Massachusetts elementary schools
Summary

Benjamin G Brown is a K–5 elementary school at 201 Willow Avenue in Somerville, Massachusetts, with 219 students, part of the Somerville district — a district that ranks 198th of 351 statewide, even though the school itself ranks 6th of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools in 2025–2026 (99th percentile, 5 stars). That gap between school and district is the single most striking thing about Brown.

In 2025–2026, Brown's all-grade MCAS proficiency was 79.8% in English language arts, 78.79% in math, and 85.19% in science — roughly double the Somerville district and about 38–44 points above the state depending on subject. It outperforms every nearby Somerville school by wide margins: John F Kennedy by 15.3 points in ELA, 12.7 in math, and 21.2 in science; West Somerville Neighborhood by about 33–38 points; Arthur D Healey by roughly 52–57 points; and Albert F. Argenziano School at Lincoln Park by 34–42 points. Among nearby schools, only Benjamin Banneker Charter Public School and Maria L. Baldwin are in the same tier — Brown trails them slightly in math but leads both in science.

Grade-level results are strong across the board: 3rd grade ELA and math both 87.1, 5th grade ELA 81.48, and 5th grade science 85.19. Math has improved dramatically, from 59.3 in 2022–2023 to 78.79 in 2025–2026. In reported subgroup data, male students ranked 1st of 879 statewide and female students 13th of 869; older special education results were also in the top 1%, though recent data for those groups is not available. Notably, Brown achieves this with the lowest per-student spending ($18,254 in 2020–2021) among listed nearby schools and a higher student-teacher ratio (14.5) than most — though spending data is dated and free/reduced-price lunch figures are unavailable, so economic context can't be assessed.

219
Students ?
14.5
Student/teacher ratio ?
$23,433
Per pupil spending ?
23%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 201 Willow Avenue
       Somerville, MA  02144

(617) 629-5620

District: Somerville


Students who attend Benjamin G Brown usually attend:

High:    Somerville High
Racial breakdown:

White:
63.9%
Two or more races:
14.6%
African American:
7.8%
more
 See top rated Massachusetts elementary schools

 Compare Benjamin G Brown to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 94th percentile in 2016 → 99th in 2026
Strengths
✓Test scores above the Massachusetts average (80% vs 41% meeting standards)
✓Ranks in the top 1% of Massachusetts elementary schools
✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2016
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school80%
District avg38%
Massachusetts avg41%
6th of 899
Massachusetts public elementary schools ?
Top 1%▲ up 5 pts since 2016
From top 6% (2016) to top 1% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Elementary Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
1st of 7Elementary Schools in the Somerville
198th of 351Somerville 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202697.06 of 89999.3%★★★★★
202590.070 of 90692.3%★★★★★
202486.2113 of 91687.7%★★★★☆
202383.8148 of 92884.1%★★★★☆
202296.58 of 93299.1%★★★★★
202187.3116 of 93687.6%★★★★☆
201995.68 of 94299.2%★★★★★
201894.011 of 93498.8%★★★★★
201794.313 of 93898.6%★★★★★
201689.855 of 93294.1%★★★★★
201590.237 of 91496.0%★★★★★
201476.5208 of 92677.5%★★★★☆
201370.5295 of 92868.2%★★★☆☆
201272.8269 of 93071.1%★★★★☆
201165.1351 of 92462.0%★★★☆☆
201080.4167 of 92081.8%★★★★☆
200980.0168 of 90981.5%★★★★☆
200862.5355 of 90860.9%★★★☆☆
200771.2271 of 91170.3%★★★★☆
200666.2307 of 91166.3%★★★☆☆
200567.4314 of 88764.6%★★★☆☆
200467.8311 of 88264.7%★★★☆☆
200375.3224 of 88474.7%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202695.413 of 86998.5%★★★★★
202593.331 of 86996.4%★★★★★
202487.092 of 88689.6%★★★★☆
202386.9110 of 88787.6%★★★★☆
202296.55 of 90199.4%★★★★★
202189.665 of 89892.8%★★★★★
201992.719 of 90297.9%★★★★★
201889.256 of 89393.7%★★★★★

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202698.51 of 87999.9%★★★★★
202577.5192 of 88478.3%★★★★☆
202295.313 of 90898.6%★★★★★
202185.8105 of 90488.4%★★★★☆
201995.96 of 90799.3%★★★★★
201894.58 of 89899.1%★★★★★

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
201996.68 of 89699.1%★★★★★
201894.88 of 88699.1%★★★★★

Tested In Person

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202188.785 of 92590.8%★★★★★

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMassachusetts percentileRating
202696.24 of 73499.5%★★★★★
202584.676 of 73789.7%★★★★☆
202478.5130 of 75382.7%★★★★☆
202376.5148 of 76280.6%★★★★☆
202297.54 of 76499.5%★★★★★
202179.4136 of 76582.2%★★★★☆
201991.324 of 78096.9%★★★★★
201890.620 of 77297.4%★★★★★
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)
Male (2026)100th percentile~ school
White (2026)99th percentile~ school
Special Education (2019)99th percentile~ school
Female (2026)99th percentile~ school
Tested In Person (2021)91st percentile+3 vs school
By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?
Science85%+44 vs state
English Language Arts80%+40 vs state
Mathematics79%+38 vs state

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Frequently Asked Questions about Benjamin G Brown

Yes! Benjamin G Brown is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 6th of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools.

In the 2024-25 school year, 219 students attended Benjamin G Brown.

Students at Benjamin G Brown are 64% White, 15% Two or more races, 8% African American, 6% Asian, 6% Hispanic.

Students who attend Benjamin G Brown usually go on to attend:

High : Somerville High

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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.

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