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Dawson

Q: Is Dawson a good school?

Dawson ranks 201 st of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

201^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 899 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Better than 78% of Massachusetts elementary schools

Summary

Dawson is a K–5 elementary school serving 487 students in Holden, MA, part of the Wachusett district in the suburban area north of Worcester. The district ranks 97th of 351 in Massachusetts (72nd percentile, 4 stars), and Dawson has stayed at 4 stars throughout its available rank history, ranging from the 78th to 89th percentile statewide. Its 2024–2025 rank was 101st of 906 (89th percentile), and in 2025–2026 it was 201st of 899 (78th percentile) — a modest step down that still leaves it in the top quarter of elementary schools statewide. Class sizes have also improved, with the student-teacher ratio dropping from 15.3 in 2022–2023 to 13.5 in 2024–2025.

In 2025–2026, Dawson's all-grade proficiency rates were 55.46% in ELA, 62.18% in mathematics, and 49.25% in science, compared with 49.40%, 53.76%, and 53.20% for Wachusett and 40.03%, 41.11%, and 40.98% statewide. Math is the clearest strength, and Dawson also beat the district and state in ELA. Science is the relative watch item: the school trailed its own district there and several nearby schools, though it stayed above the state average. The strongest grade-level results came in 3rd grade math (69.88%) and ELA (66.27%), and 5th grade math (64.18%) and ELA (53.73%).

Among nearby same-district schools, Dawson holds the highest overall rank, ahead of Davis Hill Elementary (240th) and Leroy E.Mayo (233rd), largely on the strength of math; Davis Hill is slightly higher in ELA, while Mayo is much stronger in science. Nearby Worcester schools split sharply: Flagg Street and West Tatnuck post competitive results, while Tatnuck, Norrback Avenue, Burncoat Street, and Nelson Place score well below Dawson. Major Edwards Elementary in West Boylston is comparable in math but lower in ELA. Dawson's subgroup results are a standout — low-income students reached the 90th percentile in 2025–2026 and 95th in 2022–2023, and special education students hit the 99th percentile in 2022–2023. Per-student spending was $13,212 in 2020–2021, lower than many nearby schools; free/reduced-lunch figures are blank in the source data, so economic composition cannot be assessed from them.

487

Students ?

13.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,257

Per pupil spending ?

14%

Free/discounted lunch ?

155 Salisbury Street
Holden, MA 01520-1499

(508) 829-6828

District: Wachusett

Students who attend Dawson usually attend:

Middle:	Mountview Middle
High:	Wachusett Regional High

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.3%

Hispanic:

8.4%

Two or more races:

5.1%

See top rated Massachusetts elementary schools

Compare Dawson to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 88th percentile in 2016 → 78th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Massachusetts average (58% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 22% of Massachusetts elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Wachusett

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 10 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school58%

District avg52%

Massachusetts avg41%

201^st of 899

Massachusetts public elementary schools ?

Top 22%▼ down 10 pts since 2016

From top 12% (2016) to top 22% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 7Elementary Schools in the Wachusett

97^th of 351Wachusett 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	77.5	201 of 899	77.6%	★★★★☆
2025	87.5	101 of 906	88.9%	★★★★☆
2024	79.6	188 of 916	79.5%	★★★★☆
2023	82.2	161 of 928	82.7%	★★★★☆
2022	81.4	166 of 932	82.2%	★★★★☆
2021	79.8	186 of 936	80.1%	★★★★☆
2019	81.1	159 of 942	83.1%	★★★★☆
2018	79.4	177 of 934	81.0%	★★★★☆
2017	85.9	103 of 938	89.0%	★★★★☆
2016	85.0	112 of 932	88.0%	★★★★☆
2015	87.3	71 of 914	92.2%	★★★★★
2014	88.3	60 of 926	93.5%	★★★★★
2013	91.1	26 of 928	97.2%	★★★★★
2012	90.5	42 of 930	95.5%	★★★★★
2011	86.8	81 of 924	91.2%	★★★★★
2010	83.7	134 of 920	85.4%	★★★★☆
2009	85.6	96 of 909	89.4%	★★★★☆
2008	84.5	111 of 908	87.8%	★★★★☆
2007	81.4	151 of 911	83.4%	★★★★☆
2006	80.7	162 of 911	82.2%	★★★★☆
2005	77.9	204 of 887	77.0%	★★★★☆
2004	77.1	203 of 882	77.0%	★★★★☆
2003	82.0	147 of 884	83.4%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2019	89.6	30 of 665	95.5%	★★★★★
2018	95.1	10 of 656	98.5%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	79.6	154 of 869	82.3%	★★★★☆
2025	84.4	116 of 869	86.7%	★★★★☆
2024	80.9	160 of 886	81.9%	★★★★☆
2023	73.2	236 of 887	73.4%	★★★★☆
2022	73.1	227 of 901	74.8%	★★★★☆
2021	75.0	214 of 898	76.2%	★★★★☆
2019	77.2	187 of 902	79.3%	★★★★☆
2018	74.3	213 of 893	76.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	79.5	72 of 742	90.3%	★★★★★
2024	67.9	170 of 760	77.6%	★★★★☆
2023	88.3	39 of 757	94.8%	★★★★★
2022	72.9	137 of 772	82.3%	★★★★☆
2021	89.8	23 of 705	96.7%	★★★★★
2019	56.4	277 of 700	60.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	70.4	253 of 879	71.2%	★★★★☆
2025	88.3	80 of 884	91.0%	★★★★★
2024	73.8	230 of 891	74.2%	★★★★☆
2023	85.5	110 of 896	87.7%	★★★★☆
2022	83.8	121 of 908	86.7%	★★★★☆
2021	80.4	168 of 904	81.4%	★★★★☆
2019	81.4	143 of 907	84.2%	★★★★☆
2018	81.5	138 of 898	84.6%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2023	97.9	7 of 703	99.0%	★★★★★
2022	85.1	79 of 905	91.3%	★★★★★
2021	86.3	73 of 894	91.8%	★★★★★
2019	80.5	98 of 896	89.1%	★★★★☆
2018	91.2	31 of 886	96.5%	★★★★★

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	78.1	194 of 925	79.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	64.7	238 of 734	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	79.8	112 of 737	84.8%	★★★★☆
2024	67.9	230 of 753	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.2	179 of 762	76.5%	★★★★☆
2022	69.8	199 of 764	74.0%	★★★★☆
2021	70.3	202 of 765	73.6%	★★★★☆
2019	74.3	168 of 780	78.5%	★★★★☆
2018	71.3	200 of 772	74.1%	★★★★☆

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)

Special Education (2023)99th percentile+16 vs school

Disabled (2019)95th percentile+12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)90th percentile+13 vs school

Female (2026)82nd percentile+5 vs school

Tested In Person (2021)79th percentile~ school

Male (2026)71st percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)68th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics62%+21 vs state

English Language Arts55%+15 vs state

Science49%+8 vs state

★

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Schools Near Dawson

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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	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2015)	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	Total
Dawson	Public	K-5	155 Salisbury Street	Holden	01520	Worcester County	Wachusett	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 829-6828	487	36	13.5	14.0%	386 (79.3%)	13 (2.7%)	41 (8.4%)	20 (4.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (5.1%)	77.5	201^st of 899 public elementary schools	77.6%		87.5	101^st of 906 public elementary schools	88.9%	100	66.3	46.6	53.7		55.5	69.9	53.4	64.2		62.2	49.3	49.3	$16,257
Davis Hill Elementary	Public	K-5	78 Jamieson Road	Holden	01520	Worcester County	Wachusett	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 829-1754	431	38	11.3	14.6%	366 (84.9%)	13 (3.0%)	30 (7.0%)	10 (2.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.6%)	72.9	240^th of 899 public elementary schools	73.3%		81.2	166^th of 906 public elementary schools	81.7%	74	59.7	55.8	53.4		56.2	56.6	54.6	47.7		52.7	48.9	48.9	$16,122
Leroy E.Mayo	Public	K-5	351 Bullard Street	Holden	01520	Worcester County	Wachusett	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 829-3203	472	35	13.6	8.8%	373 (79.0%)	22 (4.7%)	41 (8.7%)	18 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.6%)	74	233^rd of 899 public elementary schools	74.1%		69.2	288^th of 906 public elementary schools	68.2%	55	56.4	52.6	47.9		52.0	48.7	50.0	64.2		55.0	61.5	61.5	$16,448
Norrback Avenue	Public	PK, KG-6	44 Malden Street	Worcester	01606	Worcester County	Worcester	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 799-3500	504	43	11.8	57.4%	143 (28.4%)	146 (29.0%)	183 (36.3%)	12 (2.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.8%)	19.5	734^th of 899 public elementary schools	18.4%		17.4	770^th of 906 public elementary schools	15.0%	36	25.0	17.2	21.7	20.0	21.0	20.3	25.9	23.9	24.6	23.6	37.0	37.0	$27,007
Burncoat Street	Public	K-6	526 Burncoat Street	Worcester	01606	Worcester County	Worcester	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 799-3537	223	21	10.8	94.5%	63 (28.3%)	32 (14.3%)	118 (52.9%)	6 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.8%)	18.1	747^th of 899 public elementary schools	16.9%		12.2	822^nd of 906 public elementary schools	9.3%	75	33.3	21.1	23.3	19.2	24.2	26.7	7.9	13.3	23.1	16.9	30.0	30.0	$23,532
Worcester Academic Center for Transition (ACT)	Public	K-6	14 New Bond Street	Worcester	01609	Worcester County	Worcester	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(508) 538-9106	49	13	3.8		15 (30.6%)	7 (14.3%)	23 (46.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (6.1%)								(n/a)				0.0	0.0				0.0	0.0
Nelson Place	Public	PK, KG-6	35 Nelson Pl	Worcester	01605	Worcester County	Worcester	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 799-3506	621	46	13.4	35.6%	274 (44.1%)	109 (17.6%)	158 (25.4%)	46 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.5%)	43.5	507^th of 899 public elementary schools	43.6%		43.3	522^nd of 906 public elementary schools	42.4%	15	34.7	36.8	23.0	50.7	36.4	36.5	36.4	41.9	40.0	38.7	38.9	38.9	$23,581
Flagg Street	Public	K-6	115 Flagg Street	Worcester	01602	Worcester County	Worcester	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 799-3522	412	23	18.2	25.7%	285 (69.2%)	22 (5.3%)	55 (13.3%)	20 (4.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.8%)	81.9	153^rd of 899 public elementary schools	83.0%		78.9	194^th of 906 public elementary schools	78.6%	41	65.5	57.6	43.4	53.2	55.2	56.4	72.7	59.6	83.0	67.7	59.6	59.6	$20,092
West Tatnuck	Public	PK, KG-6	300 Mower Street	Worcester	01602	Worcester County	Worcester	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 799-3596	343	24	14.4	38.9%	168 (49.0%)	49 (14.3%)	74 (21.6%)	27 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.3%)	75.9	213^th of 899 public elementary schools	76.3%		73.2	244^th of 906 public elementary schools	73.1%	31	56.5	44.4	55.0	71.1	56.9	45.7	58.3	65.0	50.0	54.4	65.0	65.0	$20,404
Major Edwards Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	70 Crescent Street	West Boylston	01583	Worcester County	West Boylston	No	No	No	Yes	(508) 835-4461	462	34	13.7	22.0%	340 (73.6%)	23 (5.0%)	56 (12.1%)	14 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.1%)	68.2	280^th of 899 public elementary schools	68.9%		64.8	331^st of 906 public elementary schools	63.5%	51	39.2	57.0	31.7		43.7	48.7	64.6	70.0		60.6	58.3	58.3	$18,617

Frequently Asked Questions about Dawson

How many students attend Dawson?

In the 2024-25 school year, 487 students attended Dawson.

What schools do graduates of Dawson attend?

Students who attend Dawson usually go on to attend:

Middle : Mountview Middle
High : Wachusett Regional High

Is Dawson a good school?

Dawson ranks 201^st of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Dawson in?

Wachusett

What is the racial makeup of Dawson?

Students at Dawson are 79% White, 8% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 3% African American.

Rate Dawson!

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Schools in Holden, MA

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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.