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James Russell Lowell

Q: Is James Russell Lowell a good school?

James Russell Lowell ranks 251 st of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

251^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 899 Massachusetts Elementary Schools

Better than 72% of Massachusetts elementary schools

Summary

James Russell Lowell is a PK–5 elementary school in Watertown, MA, serving 422 students in a district that ranks 110th of 351 in Massachusetts, placing it near Newton, Cambridge, Belmont, and Waltham.

In 2025–2026, James Russell Lowell ranked 251st of 899 elementary schools, or the 72nd percentile, with 4 stars. That is above the Watertown district and above Cunniff, and roughly even with Hosmer, though it is below the 78th–80th percentile range the school held from 2021–2022 through 2023–2024. MCAS results show 47.88% proficient in English Language Arts, 56.02% in Math, and 64.71% in Science. Science is the clear standout: it is 8.84 points above the district and 23.73 points above the state, and only Underwood in Newton posts a higher nearby science score. ELA is the main watch area, falling from 58.20% in 2024–2025 and now only 2.05 points above the district. Math remains above district and state, with a strong 4th-grade result of 62.32%, but 3rd-grade math is below the district. Grade-level results are uneven: 5th grade is strongest, while 4th-grade ELA and 3rd-grade math trail district peers.

Compared with nearby schools, James Russell Lowell outperforms Cunniff, Cambridge’s Haggerty, and Waltham’s James Fitzgerald Elementary School in most subjects, but it generally trails Newton’s Underwood, Horace Mann, and Lincoln-Eliot in ELA and math. Belmont’s Daniel Butler, Roger E Wellington, and Mary Lee Burbank post much higher 3rd-grade results, though those are K–3 schools and not fully comparable. Resources include a student:teacher ratio of 9.7 and per-student spending of $24,276 (2020–2021). The school has shown strong effectiveness with English language learners—94th percentile in 2023–2024, up from 8th percentile in 2017–2018—and special education effectiveness rebounded to the 69th percentile in 2025–2026. Low-SES effectiveness was 68th percentile, down from 80th in 2023–2024. Overall, this is a 4-star, above-district school with standout science and solid math, but parents should watch the ELA decline and uneven grade-level results.

422

Students ?

9.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$28,031

Per pupil spending ?

26.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

123 Lowell Ave.
Watertown, MA 02472-1800

(617) 926-7770

District: Watertown

Students who attend James Russell Lowell usually attend:

Middle:	Watertown Middle
High:	Watertown High

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.5%

Hispanic:

21.8%

Asian:

12.8%

See top rated Massachusetts elementary schools

Compare James Russell Lowell to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 72nd percentile in 2016 → 72nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Massachusetts average (54% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Above the Massachusetts median (72nd percentile)

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school54%

District avg50%

Massachusetts avg41%

251^st of 899

Massachusetts public elementary schools ?

Top 28%▲ up 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3Elementary Schools in the Watertown

110^th of 351Watertown 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	71.5	251 of 899	72.1%	★★★★☆
2025	78.1	201 of 906	77.8%	★★★★☆
2024	79.2	191 of 916	79.1%	★★★★☆
2023	78.2	202 of 928	78.2%	★★★★☆
2022	78.9	188 of 932	79.8%	★★★★☆
2021	59.9	397 of 936	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.5	280 of 942	70.3%	★★★★☆
2018	60.6	391 of 934	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	56.3	420 of 938	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	70.7	265 of 932	71.6%	★★★★☆
2015	77.0	200 of 914	78.1%	★★★★☆
2014	61.5	388 of 926	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	62.5	381 of 928	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	68.5	328 of 930	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	54.0	475 of 924	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	72.7	262 of 920	71.5%	★★★★☆
2009	73.8	242 of 909	73.4%	★★★★☆
2008	66.1	322 of 908	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	69.0	292 of 911	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2006	64.1	334 of 911	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	56.6	411 of 887	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2004	67.0	316 of 882	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2003	73.4	247 of 884	72.1%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	69.4	143 of 672	78.7%	★★★★☆
2021	39.3	361 of 632	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.7	396 of 665	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.5	390 of 656	40.5%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2024	78.7	17 of 282	94.0%	★★★★★
2018	22.5	225 of 244	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	63.2	317 of 869	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	77.0	186 of 869	78.6%	★★★★☆
2024	84.5	124 of 886	86.0%	★★★★☆
2023	85.0	121 of 887	86.4%	★★★★☆
2022	80.2	164 of 901	81.8%	★★★★☆
2021	61.5	343 of 898	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.3	313 of 902	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.0	366 of 893	59.0%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	79.3	51 of 475	89.3%	★★★★☆
2025	81.9	38 of 458	91.7%	★★★★★
2024	71.5	72 of 446	83.9%	★★★★☆
2023	86.5	28 of 420	93.3%	★★★★★
2022	74.3	56 of 401	86.0%	★★★★☆
2019	42.5	234 of 398	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	24.0	324 of 379	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	59.5	240 of 742	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.4	216 of 736	70.7%	★★★★☆
2024	69.8	154 of 760	79.7%	★★★★☆
2023	79.6	78 of 757	89.7%	★★★★☆
2022	58.7	280 of 772	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	32.1	502 of 705	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	66.9	176 of 700	74.9%	★★★★☆
2018	64.7	179 of 685	73.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	76.9	189 of 879	78.5%	★★★★☆
2025	76.5	197 of 884	77.7%	★★★★☆
2024	66.4	291 of 891	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.2	349 of 896	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.5	257 of 908	71.7%	★★★★☆
2021	56.5	401 of 904	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	73.7	229 of 907	74.8%	★★★★☆
2018	58.6	388 of 898	56.8%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	59.3	218 of 709	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.2	353 of 717	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.5	148 of 731	79.8%	★★★★☆
2023	69.0	159 of 703	77.4%	★★★★☆
2022	62.7	265 of 905	70.7%	★★★★☆
2021	31.7	645 of 894	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	64.0	246 of 896	72.5%	★★★★☆
2018	54.4	364 of 886	58.9%	★★★☆☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	61.1	374 of 925	59.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	70.4	186 of 734	74.7%	★★★★☆
2025	78.6	126 of 737	82.9%	★★★★☆
2024	89.1	42 of 753	94.4%	★★★★★
2023	79.1	132 of 762	82.7%	★★★★☆
2022	82.4	98 of 764	87.2%	★★★★☆
2021	60.9	284 of 765	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	72.2	187 of 780	76.0%	★★★★☆
2018	59.5	330 of 772	57.3%	★★★☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2024)94th percentile+15 vs school

Hispanic (2026)89th percentile+17 vs school

Disabled (2022)79th percentile~ school

Male (2026)78th percentile+6 vs school

White (2026)75th percentile+3 vs school

Special Education (2026)69th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)68th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)64th percentile-9 vs school

Tested In Person (2021)60th percentile~ school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

Science65%+24 vs state

Mathematics56%+15 vs state

English Language Arts48%+8 vs state

★

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Schools Near James Russell Lowell

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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 All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Science 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science All Grades	Total
James Russell Lowell	Public	PK, KG-5	123 Lowell Ave.	Watertown	02472	Middlesex County	Watertown	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 926-7770	422	43	9.7	26.7%	230 (54.5%)	11 (2.6%)	92 (21.8%)	54 (12.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (8.3%)	71.5	251^st of 899 public elementary schools	72.1%		78.1	201^st of 906 public elementary schools	77.8%	50	47.8	40.6	58.0	47.9	45.7	62.3	56.9	56.0	64.7	64.7	$28,031
Daniel Butler	Public	K-3	90 White Street	Belmont	02478	Middlesex County	Belmont	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 993-5550	261	22	11.9	13.8%	112 (42.9%)	7 (2.7%)	29 (11.1%)	81 (31.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (11.9%)								(n/a)	76.5			76.5	72.1			72.1			$20,030
Cunniff	Public	PK, KG-5	246 Warren Street	Watertown	02472	Middlesex County	Watertown	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 926-7726	320	40	8.0	23.6%	181 (56.6%)	8 (2.5%)	76 (23.8%)	21 (6.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (10.3%)	63.7	324^th of 899 public elementary schools	64.0%		65.2	327^th of 906 public elementary schools	63.9%	3	43.9	32.0	52.1	42.5	43.9	56.0	54.2	51.8	60.4	60.4	$28,636
Hosmer	Public	PK, KG-5	1 Concord Rd	Watertown	02472	Middlesex County	Watertown	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 926-7740	758	71	10.7	29.8%	393 (51.8%)	54 (7.1%)	158 (20.8%)	67 (8.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	84 (11.1%)	72.6	244^th of 899 public elementary schools	72.9%		66.7	312^th of 906 public elementary schools	65.6%	68	51.0	48.0	53.8	50.7	54.0	59.8	58.0	57.2	51.9	51.9	$23,811
Roger E Wellington	Public	PK, KG-3	121 Orchard Street	Belmont	02478	Middlesex County	Belmont	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 993-5600	426	32	13.2	7.4%	245 (57.5%)	33 (7.7%)	29 (6.8%)	76 (17.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (9.4%)								(n/a)	69.2			69.2	76.6			76.6			$19,979
Mary Lee Burbank	Public	K-3	266 School Street	Belmont	02478	Middlesex County	Belmont	No	No	No	No	(617) 993-5500	238	18	13.2	3.7%	134 (56.3%)	9 (3.8%)	10 (4.2%)	73 (30.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.2%)								(n/a)	70.8			70.8	80.0			80.0			$20,065
Lincoln-Eliot	Public	K-5	150 Jackson Street	Newton	02458	Middlesex County	Newton	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 559-9540	336	36	9.3	31.2%	129 (38.4%)	24 (7.1%)	71 (21.1%)	74 (22.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (11.3%)	79.7	172^nd of 899 public elementary schools	80.9%		70.8	274^th of 906 public elementary schools	69.8%	102	60.3	42.6	55.2	53.3	64.1	59.3	65.7	63.2	61.2	61.2	$26,479
James Fitzgerald Elementary School	Public	K-5	138 Beal Road	Waltham	02453	Middlesex County	Waltham	No	No	No	No	(781) 314-5685	350	35	9.9	32.3%	177 (50.6%)	11 (3.1%)	121 (34.6%)	20 (5.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.7%)	65.5	307^th of 899 public elementary schools	65.9%		53.7	417^th of 906 public elementary schools	54.0%	110	46.7	43.8	49.1	46.4	50.0	59.4	52.7	54.2	45.5	45.5	$25,923
Underwood	Public	K-5	101 Vernon Street	Newton	02458	Middlesex County	Newton	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 559-9660	253	23	11.1	13.2%	113 (44.7%)	15 (5.9%)	41 (16.2%)	54 (21.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (11.1%)	83.6	140^th of 899 public elementary schools	84.4%		84.5	131^st of 906 public elementary schools	85.5%	9	59.0	63.2	59.1	60.3	64.1	65.8	52.3	60.3	65.9	65.9	$24,362
Haggerty	Public	PK, KG-5	110 Cushing Street	Cambridge	02138	Middlesex County	Cambridge	No	No	No	No	(617) 349-6555	250	30	8.3	37.5%	87 (34.8%)	47 (18.8%)	26 (10.4%)	63 (25.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (10.8%)	56.9	385^th of 899 public elementary schools	57.2%		79	193^rd of 906 public elementary schools	78.7%	192	47.4	41.0	50.0	46.3	44.7	55.0	45.7	48.4	30.4	30.4	$39,237

Frequently Asked Questions about James Russell Lowell

Is James Russell Lowell a good school?

James Russell Lowell ranks 251^st of 899 Massachusetts elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend James Russell Lowell?

In the 2024-25 school year, 422 students attended James Russell Lowell.

What is the racial makeup of James Russell Lowell?

Students at James Russell Lowell are 55% White, 22% Hispanic, 13% Asian, 8% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What district is James Russell Lowell in?

Watertown

What schools do graduates of James Russell Lowell attend?

Students who attend James Russell Lowell usually go on to attend:

Middle : Watertown Middle
High : Watertown 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.