Gathering Waters Charter School

Gathering Waters Charter School operates two campuses serving grades K–12 in Keene, New Hampshire: a K–8 school with 219 students and a 9–12 high school with 67 students, for 286 students overall. Both campuses are small, with about seven to eight students per teacher, and report similar free/reduced-price lunch participation of roughly 24%. The schools are part of a district ranked 133rd of 166 statewide, or about the 20th percentile.

The high school is the stronger of the two campuses. Gathering Waters Charter School (H) ranks in the 66th percentile statewide and has a 95.2% graduation rate, well above the 87% state average. Its strongest subject is science, with 64% of students proficient compared with 38% statewide. Reading proficiency is also relatively solid at 50%, although mathematics remains a concern at 25%, below the 44% state rate. Parents should also note the 4.7% dropout rate, which is about twice the state rate; because enrollment is small, a few students can significantly affect these percentages.

Gathering Waters Charter School (E) faces more significant academic challenges and ranks in the 10th percentile statewide. Mathematics is the clearest weakness: only 13% of students are proficient overall, including 0% in seventh grade and below 15% in grades 5, 6, and 8. Reading is stronger at 42%, with an encouraging 59% proficiency rate in third grade, but results fall sharply in grades 4–6. Science proficiency is 29%, below the state’s 38%. Overall, families may view the high school as a notable strength in science, graduation, and individualized support, while the K–8 campus would benefit most from focused improvement in mathematics and intermediate-grade reading.