Dawson

Q: Is Dawson a good school?

Dawson ranks 161 st of 928 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public K-5

155 Salisbury Street
Holden, MA 01520

(508) 829-6828

District: Wachusett

SchoolDigger Rank:
161^st of 928 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,212

Students who attend Dawson usually attend:

Middle:	Mountview Middle
High:	Wachusett Regional High

Student/teacher ratio: 15.3

Number of students: 499

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.2%

Hispanic:

8.0%

Asian:

4.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 14%

See top rated Massachusetts elementary schools

Compare Dawson to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Dawson ranks better than 82.7% of elementary schools in Massachusetts. It also ranks 2^nd among 7 ranked elementary schools in the Wachusett School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 82.24. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Dawson has the largest elementary school student body size in the Wachusett School District. Racial makeup is: White (79.2%), Hispanic (8%), Asian (4.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Dawson is 15.3. 6 elementary schools in the Wachusett School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Dawson employs 32.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dawson is $13,212, which is the lowest among 9 elementary schools in the Wachusett School District!

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Dawson:

SchoolDigger ranks Dawson 161^st of 928 Massachusetts public elementary schools. (See Dawson in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Wachusett:

SchoolDigger ranks Wachusett 77^th of 356 Massachusetts school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Dawson

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Rank History for all students at Dawson

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MA State Percentile
2003	81.99	147^th	884	83.4%
2004	77.12	203^rd	882	77.0%
2005	77.87	204^th	887	77.0%
2006	80.68	162^nd	911	82.2%
2007	81.39	151^st	911	83.4%
2008	84.54	111^th	908	87.8%
2009	85.64	96^th	909	89.4%
2010	83.66	134^th	920	85.4%
2011	86.79	81^st	924	91.2%
2012	90.54	42^nd	930	95.5%
2013	91.08	26^th	928	97.2%
2014	88.35	60^th	926	93.5%
2015	87.29	71^st	914	92.2%
2016	84.97	112^th	932	88.0%
2017	85.90	103^rd	938	89.0%
2018	79.36	177^th	934	81.0%
2019	81.12	159^th	942	83.1%
2021	79.81	186^th	936	80.1%
2022	81.39	166^th	932	82.2%
2023	82.24	161^st	928	82.7%

See the entire list of Massachusetts Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Dawson

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MA State Percentile
2018	91.19	31^st	886	96.5%
2019	80.49	98^th	896	89.1%
2021	86.30	73^rd	894	91.8%
2022	85.09	79^th	905	91.3%
2023	97.92	7^th	703	99.0%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dawson

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MA State Percentile
2019	56.44	277^th	700	60.4%
2021	89.75	23^rd	705	96.7%
2022	72.88	137^th	772	82.3%
2023	88.33	39^th	757	94.8%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Dawson

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MA State Percentile
2018	74.34	213^th	893	76.1%
2019	77.21	187^th	902	79.3%
2021	75.02	214^th	898	76.2%
2022	73.11	227^th	901	74.8%
2023	73.23	236^th	887	73.4%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Dawson

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	95.08	10^th	656	98.5%
2019	89.62	30^th	665	95.5%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Dawson

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MA State Percentile
2018	81.54	138^th	898	84.6%
2019	81.36	143^rd	907	84.2%
2021	80.43	168^th	904	81.4%
2022	83.85	121^st	908	86.7%
2023	85.52	110^th	896	87.7%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Tested In Person students at Dawson

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	78.07	194^th	925	79.0%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for Tested In Person Students!

Rank History for White students at Dawson

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MA State Percentile
2018	71.34	200^th	772	74.1%
2019	74.33	168^th	780	78.5%
2021	70.26	202^nd	765	73.6%
2022	69.76	199^th	764	74.0%
2023	72.17	179^th	762	76.5%

See the entire list of Best Massachusetts Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for Dawson

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1995	552	4	7	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	565
1996	552	4	7	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	565
1997	542	5	6	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	554
1998	532	2	7	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	542
1999	520	4	8	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	532
2000	239	1	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	243
2001	447	2	9	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	460
2002	455	2	7	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	465
2003	455	2	7	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	465
2004	482	1	10	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	495
2005	460	2	20	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	483
2006	478	2	15	4	1	n/a	n/a	10	510
2007	496	1	12	8	0	n/a	n/a	9	526
2008	495	5	14	14	0	n/a	n/a	11	539
2009	553	4	15	18	0	1	16	0	607
2010	541	6	18	26	0	1	16	0	608
2011	512	6	21	29	0	2	18	0	588
2012	399	8	17	22	0	0	20	0	466
2013	397	8	23	21	0	0	20	0	469
2014	391	14	22	22	0	0	17	0	466
2015	412	17	21	17	0	0	11	0	478
2016	431	13	21	22	0	0	13	0	500
2017	432	15	22	23	0	0	15	0	507
2018	394	11	18	23	0	0	14	0	460
2019	403	20	22	23	0	0	11	0	479
2020	419	22	25	31	0	0	13	0	510
2021	362	15	24	31	0	0	13	0	445
2022	394	14	24	34	0	1	21	0	488
2023	395	17	23	40	1	1	22	0	499

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Dawson

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	565	n/a	0.0	n/a
1996	565	n/a	0.0	n/a
1997	554	n/a	0.0	n/a
1998	542	n/a	0.0	n/a
1999	532	n/a	0.0	0
2000	243	n/a	0.0	2.9
2001	460	n/a	0.0	2.8
2002	465	n/a	n/a	3.2
2003	465	n/a	n/a	3.2
2004	495	32.0	15.5	3.6
2005	483	31.0	15.6	3.5
2006	510	32.8	15.5	3
2007	526	33.0	15.9	3.9
2008	539	31.9	16.9	3.8
2009	607	33.0	18.4	2.3
2010	608	31.5	19.2	1.5
2011	588	32.4	18.1	2.2
2012	466	26.7	17.4	5.2
2013	469	25.6	18.3	7.9
2014	466	26.0	17.9	5.4
2015	478	27.0	17.7	14
2016	500	29.0	17.2	n/a
2017	507	30.9	16.3	n/a
2018	460	29.9	15.3	n/a
2019	479	29.9	15.9	n/a
2020	510	26.0	19.6	n/a
2021	445	28.0	15.8	n/a
2022	488	31.3	15.5	n/a
2023	499	32.5	15.3	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Dawson

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	565	n/a	0.0	n/a
1996	565	n/a	0.0	n/a
1997	554	n/a	0.0	n/a
1998	542	n/a	0.0	n/a
1999	532	n/a	0.0	0
2000	243	n/a	0.0	2.9
2001	460	n/a	0.0	2.8
2002	465	n/a	n/a	3.2
2003	465	n/a	n/a	3.2
2004	495	32.0	15.5	3.6
2005	483	31.0	15.6	3.5
2006	510	32.8	15.5	3
2007	526	33.0	15.9	3.9
2008	539	31.9	16.9	3.8
2009	607	33.0	18.4	2.3
2010	608	31.5	19.2	1.5
2011	588	32.4	18.1	2.2
2012	466	26.7	17.4	5.2
2013	469	25.6	18.3	7.9
2014	466	26.0	17.9	5.4
2015	478	27.0	17.7	14
2016	500	29.0	17.2	n/a
2017	507	30.9	16.3	n/a
2018	460	29.9	15.3	n/a
2019	479	29.9	15.9	n/a
2020	510	26.0	19.6	n/a
2021	445	28.0	15.8	n/a
2022	488	31.3	15.5	n/a
2023	499	32.5	15.3	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Dawson

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$77 (0.6%)	$12,010 (99.4%)	$12,087
2020	$360 (2.1%)	$16,845 (97.9%)	$17,206
2021	$438 (3.3%)	$12,774 (96.7%)	$13,212

Data source: Massachusetts Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Dawson

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 159^th of 942 Elementary schools	Ranks 161^st of 928 Elementary schools	0.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Dawson)	76	64.4	11.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wachusett)	72	55.2	16.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)	56	43.9	12.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Dawson)	72	65.8	6.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Wachusett)	62	47	15%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)	49	41	8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Dawson)	63	50	13%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Wachusett)	64	46.8	17.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)	52	39.7	12.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Dawson)	63	65.6	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Wachusett)	61	53.6	7.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)	49	45	4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Dawson)	72	64	8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Wachusett)	58	56.7	1.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Massachusetts)	52	43.8	8.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Dawson)	70	64	6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Wachusett)	64	59.2	4.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Massachusetts)	49	40.9	8.2%
5th Grade Science (Dawson)	64	58.7	5.3%
5th Grade Science (Wachusett)	62	56.7	5.3%
5th Grade Science (Massachusetts)	48	41.6	6.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Dawson)	70	58.8	11.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Wachusett)	68	54.5	13.5%
All Grades English Language Arts (Massachusetts)	52	42.3	9.7%
All Grades Mathematics (Dawson)	68	65.1	2.9%
All Grades Mathematics (Wachusett)	64	54.1	9.9%
All Grades Mathematics (Massachusetts)	49	40.6	8.4%
All Grades Science (Dawson)	64	58.7	5.3%
All Grades Science (Wachusett)	67	58.1	8.9%
All Grades Science (Massachusetts)	47	41.2	5.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	479	499	4.2%
African American	20	17	15%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	22	23	4.5%
Hispanic	23	40	73.9%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	403	395	2%
Two or More Races	11	22	100%

Schools Near Dawson

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts (2023)					MCAS Next Generation Mathematics (2023)					MCAS Next Generation Science (2023)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Dawson	Public	K-5	155 Salisbury Street	Holden	01520	Worcester County	Wachusett	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(508) 829-6828	499	33	15.3		395 (79.2%)	17 (3.4%)	40 (8.0%)	23 (4.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (4.4%)	82.2	161^st of 928 public elementary schools	82.7%		81.4	166^th of 932 public elementary schools	82.2%	5	64.4	50.0	64.0		58.8	65.8	65.6	64.0		65.1	58.7	58.7	$13,212	$438	$12,774
Davis Hill Elementary	Public	K-5	78 Jamieson Road	Holden	01520	Worcester County	Wachusett	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(508) 829-1754	447	31	14.3		374 (83.7%)	17 (3.8%)	38 (8.5%)	6 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.5%)	69.9	286^th of 928 public elementary schools	69.2%		66.3	315^th of 932 public elementary schools	66.2%	29	52.3	50.0	50.7		50.9	42.7	59.0	58.9		54.0	58.3	58.3	$14,197	$429	$13,768
Leroy E.Mayo	Public	K-5	351 Bullard Street	Holden	01520	Worcester County	Wachusett	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(508) 829-3203	491	32	15.4		400 (81.5%)	21 (4.3%)	42 (8.6%)	16 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.4%)	67.8	299^th of 928 public elementary schools	67.8%		60.5	385^th of 932 public elementary schools	58.7%	86	63.9	35.4	65.0		54.3	36.1	44.4	68.7		50.4	60.2	60.2	$13,283	$427	$12,856
Early Childhood Center	Public	PK	1745 Main Street	Jefferson	01522	Worcester County	Wachusett	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(508) 829-4786	130	9	14.4		95 (73.1%)	4 (3.1%)	17 (13.1%)	8 (6.2%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.8%)								(n/a)													$30,721	$1,269	$29,452
Norrback Avenue	Public	PK, KG-6	44 Malden Street	Worcester	01606	Worcester County	Worcester	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(508) 799-3500	507	43	11.8		163 (32.1%)	141 (27.8%)	166 (32.7%)	13 (2.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.3%)	18	767^th of 928 public elementary schools	17.3%		19.2	762^nd of 932 public elementary schools	18.2%	5	12.3	19.5	30.0	34.0	22.7	12.3	14.3	21.7	31.4	18.8	28.3	28.3	$18,792	$1,681	$17,112
Burncoat Street	Public	K-6	526 Burncoat Street	Worcester	01606	Worcester County	Worcester	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(508) 799-3537	240	19	12.4		60 (25.0%)	28 (11.7%)	131 (54.6%)	10 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.6%)	15.3	806^th of 928 public elementary schools	13.1%		20.3	752^nd of 932 public elementary schools	19.3%	54	0.0	21.2	15.8	36.4	19.7	0.0	21.2	8.1	30.3	15.9	13.9	13.9	$16,851	$1,679	$15,172
Nelson Place	Public	PK, KG-6	35 Nelson Pl	Worcester	01605	Worcester County	Worcester	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(508) 799-3506	575	43	13.5		271 (47.1%)	92 (16.0%)	131 (22.8%)	51 (8.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.2%)	50	472^nd of 928 public elementary schools	49.1%		41.6	548^th of 932 public elementary schools	41.2%	76	34.3	30.5	37.7	47.5	36.8	41.4	35.4	57.1	51.7	46.0	48.1	48.1	$19,681	$2,439	$17,242
Flagg Street	Public	K-6	115 Flagg Street	Worcester	01602	Worcester County	Worcester	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(508) 799-3522	359	23	15.8		264 (73.5%)	16 (4.5%)	50 (13.9%)	16 (4.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.3%)	73.8	246^th of 928 public elementary schools	73.5%		73.5	241^st of 932 public elementary schools	74.1%	5	52.6	48.9	63.2	48.6	53.1	57.9	68.9	65.8	51.4	61.1	42.1	42.1	$16,220	$1,609	$14,611
West Tatnuck	Public	PK, KG-6	300 Mower Street	Worcester	01602	Worcester County	Worcester	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(508) 799-3596	364	19	18.9		180 (49.5%)	56 (15.4%)	72 (19.8%)	26 (7.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (8.0%)	72	266^th of 928 public elementary schools	71.3%		69.2	286^th of 932 public elementary schools	69.3%	20	60.0	50.0	60.0	84.4	61.9	53.3	53.5	49.1	68.8	54.9	38.2	38.2	$16,494	$2,793	$13,701
Major Edwards Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	70 Crescent Street	West Boylston	01583	Worcester County	West Boylston	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(508) 835-4461	431	35	12.4		330 (76.6%)	15 (3.5%)	52 (12.1%)	11 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (5.1%)	65.5	320^th of 928 public elementary schools	65.5%		75.2	221^st of 932 public elementary schools	76.3%	99	36.4	49.2	51.5		45.7	47.0	50.8	71.2		56.4	56.1	56.1	$20,838	$1,322	$19,517

Frequently Asked Questions about 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 161^st of 928 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Dawson?

In the 2022-23 school year, 499 students attended Dawson.

What is the racial makeup of Dawson?

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

What district is Dawson in?

Wachusett

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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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