Summary:
ZIP code 02744 is home to three elementary schools — Irwin M. Jacobs Elementary School (PK–5, 388 students), John B Devalles (K–5, 292 students), and William H Taylor (PK–5, 267 students) — all part of the New Bedford district and together enrolling about 947 children. The district overall ranks 327th out of 351 districts in Massachusetts, at the 7th percentile with 0 stars, which makes the differences among these three nearby schools especially striking.
William H Taylor is the clear standout. In 2025-2026 its all-grade proficiency was 50% in ELA, 58.04% in math, and 48.57% in science — all above the state averages of 40.03%, 41.11%, and 40.98%, and far above district averages. It ranked 287th out of 899 schools statewide, at the 68th percentile with 3 stars. Its third-grade math result of 85.29% was more than double the state average. In 2024-2025 it also exceeded district and state averages in all three subjects. Its relatively weaker spot is fourth-grade ELA at 34.88%, slightly below the state's 37.43% but well above the district's 16.21%.
Irwin M. Jacobs and John B Devalles, by contrast, show very low proficiency and bottom-percentile rankings. In 2025-2026, Irwin's all-grade results were 7.39% in ELA, 7.95% in math, and 5.36% in science, ranking 892nd out of 899 at the 1st percentile with 0 stars. Devalles posted 12.41%, 8.03%, and 12.5%, ranking 873rd at the 3rd percentile with 0 stars. Both declined from 2024-2025, while Taylor improved or held steady. Per-student spending from 2020-2021 was highest at Irwin ($17,489) and lowest at Devalles ($15,244), so spending does not track outcomes here, though the years differ. Free/reduced-lunch percentages are not populated in this extract.
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