Polaris Charter School

The Polaris Charter School area includes one public charter school, Polaris Charter School, serving approximately 119 students in kindergarten through Grade 5 in Manchester, New Hampshire. It is a small elementary school with a 13.5-to-1 student-teacher ratio and a 21.01% free- or reduced-price lunch rate. Because it is the only school in the Polaris Charter School district, there are no nearby schools in this dataset for direct school-to-school comparison.

Polaris Charter School showed strong recent improvement. Its reported ranking rose from 150th of 224 schools and the 33rd percentile in 2024–25 to 96th of 230 schools and the 58th percentile in 2025–26, while its rating increased from two stars to three. Mathematics proficiency climbed from 43% to 55%, and reading proficiency rose from 46% to 62%. The school now exceeds New Hampshire averages in mathematics by 11 percentage points and in reading by 7 points. Reading is the clearest strength: proficiency was higher than the state average in Grades 3, 4, and 5, reaching 69% in Grade 5.

Parents should also note important differences among subjects and grades. Mathematics was strong in Grade 3 at 67% and Grade 4 at 58%, but Grade 5 fell to 38%, slightly below the state average. Science is the largest concern: only 19% of Grade 5 students were proficient, compared with 38% statewide. This creates a particularly wide Grade 5 gap between reading and science performance. Families may want to ask about science instruction, hands-on learning, and upper-grade mathematics support, while recognizing that results can vary from year to year in a small school. Overall, Polaris Charter School appears to be improving and offers strong reading performance, but science and Grade 5 mathematics warrant closer attention.