Summary:
Zip code 49262 is home to just one elementary school, North Adams-Jerome Elementary School, a small rural school serving grades Pre-K through 5th grade within the North Adams-Jerome Public Schools district.
With only 138 students and a 13:1 student-teacher ratio, this school offers a close-knit, small-classroom environment. However, the school faces significant challenges. Nearly 75% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating a high-poverty population, and the chronic absenteeism rate of 36% is well above the state average of 27.9%. Academically, the school generally trails state proficiency averages. In the most recent testing year, 3rd grade ELA proficiency was 21.1% (state: 38.2%), and 5th grade science was 25% (state: 40%). Math scores were also below state levels across all tested grades. The one bright spot is 4th grade ELA, which hit 40% proficiency, nearly matching the state's 41.3%.
Performance has been volatile year-over-year, likely due to very small class sizes where a few students can swing percentages dramatically. For example, 3rd grade math dropped from 43.8% (above the state average) to 26.3% in just one year, while 4th grade ELA jumped 15 points. The school's state ranking has fluctuated between the 13th and 30th percentiles over the past three years, currently sitting at the 25th percentile. Despite spending a relatively high $14,606 per student, results remain below average, suggesting that financial resources alone are not overcoming barriers like absenteeism and poverty. For parents, this is a school with dedicated small-class settings but one where academic struggles and attendance issues are prominent concerns that likely need targeted support.
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