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Alton Central School (Elem)

Q: Is Alton Central School (Elem) a good school?

Alton Central School (Elem) ranks 171 st of 230 New Hampshire elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

171^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 230 New Hampshire Elementary Schools

Better than 26% of New Hampshire elementary schools

Summary

Alton Central School (Elem) is a public PK–8 school serving about 407 students in the community of Alton, New Hampshire, within the Alton School District. Its small student-teacher ratio of 9.3 is favorable for the area, and about 15% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–2025.

The school’s overall results are below the state average, but the direction is encouraging. Its ranking improved from 205th of 237 schools in 2022–2023 to 171st of 230 in 2025–2026, while its percentile rose from 14th to 26th. Reading proficiency is 51%, mathematics is 32%, and science is 40%; science is slightly above the statewide rate. Mathematics is the clearest concern, especially in fifth grade (15% proficient) and sixth grade (17%), compared with 43% statewide in both grades. Seventh-grade reading is also weak at 40%, versus 57% statewide. By eighth grade, however, results are much stronger: 67% are proficient in reading and 50% in science, both above state averages, while eighth-grade mathematics is close to the state rate.

Alton performs better overall than Paul Elementary School, Milton Elementary School, Pittsfield Elementary School, and Barnstead Elementary School, but trails higher-performing nearby schools such as Gilmanton Elementary School, Gilford Elementary School, and New Durham Elementary School. One notable strength is special education effectiveness, ranked in the 79th percentile statewide. Families may view Alton as an improving school with strong later-grade and special education outcomes, while asking specifically about fifth- and sixth-grade math support and consistency across grade levels.

407

Students ?

9.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,872

Per pupil spending ?

15%

Free/discounted lunch ?

41 School St.
Alton, NH 03809-0910

(603) 875-7500

District: Alton School District

Students who attend Alton Central School (Elem) usually attend:

High:

Prospect Mountain High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

95.6%

Two or more races:

2.9%

Hispanic:

1.0%

See top rated New Hampshire elementary schools

Compare Alton Central School (Elem) to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 14th percentile in 2023 → 26th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 26th (2026) from a 14th-percentile low (2023)

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Mathematics scores 12 pts below the New Hampshire average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school41%

District avg41%

New Hampshire avg46%

Elementary school

171^st of 230

New Hampshire public elementary schools ?

Bottom 26%▼ down 22 pts since 2016

From bottom 48% (2016) to bottom 26% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of New Hampshire Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

81^st of 138

New Hampshire public middle schools ?

Bottom 41%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

From bottom 45% (2016) to bottom 41% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of New Hampshire Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

124^th of 166Alton School District among New Hampshire districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	29.9	171 of 230	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.9	178 of 224	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.9	192 of 234	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.8	205 of 237	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.9	183 of 233	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	34.9	142 of 211	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	20.7	199 of 231	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.4	188 of 231	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	31.1	168 of 229	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	51.9	127 of 244	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	44.5	157 of 242	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	47.7	152 of 241	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	39.5	163 of 241	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2011	17.1	213 of 237	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	38.4	171 of 242	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	23.4	204 of 240	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	33.9	182 of 236	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	57.0	111 of 237	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2006	53.9	109 of 238	54.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	33.2	131 of 184	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	34.8	123 of 182	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.7	149 of 187	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.7	150 of 193	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.1	152 of 187	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	44.2	93 of 160	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.2	150 of 192	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.6	130 of 190	31.6%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	26.8	145 of 184	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.8	157 of 186	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.4	163 of 193	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.7	181 of 199	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	25.9	146 of 194	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	42.9	96 of 168	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	16.6	177 of 195	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	22.1	161 of 195	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	71.2	14 of 66	78.8%	★★★★☆
2025	59.2	17 of 72	76.4%	★★★★☆
2024	34.8	48 of 71	32.4%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	29.2	172 of 229	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.6	178 of 223	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.5	193 of 228	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.3	205 of 233	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.8	183 of 229	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.4	147 of 209	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	21.3	202 of 229	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.5	187 of 227	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	41.3	81 of 138	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.0	92 of 132	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.2	97 of 130	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.0	114 of 134	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.3	91 of 130	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	23.3	97 of 125	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.5	100 of 128	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.0	96 of 131	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	25.7	100 of 125	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	45.8	74 of 134	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	60.6	45 of 132	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	52.0	68 of 131	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	46.2	75 of 131	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	35.3	91 of 128	28.9%	★★☆☆☆
2010	44.2	78 of 127	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2009	40.8	86 of 127	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	48.6	69 of 129	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	56.0	53 of 125	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2006	71.6	30 of 126	76.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	33.5	80 of 113	29.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	23.9	88 of 112	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.8	83 of 110	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.6	99 of 114	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	36.5	77 of 115	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.0	68 of 113	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	23.7	94 of 114	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.5	100 of 116	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	48.1	57 of 121	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	29.3	86 of 116	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.0	80 of 113	29.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	18.8	98 of 117	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.2	77 of 117	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	21.8	98 of 116	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.6	68 of 113	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.6	61 of 114	46.5%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2024	7.1	47 of 48	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	39.5	82 of 136	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.4	99 of 131	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.2	97 of 128	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.2	113 of 132	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.1	90 of 129	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.9	93 of 123	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.9	103 of 126	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.5	99 of 129	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Special Education (2026)79th percentile+53 vs school

Female (2026)29th percentile+3 vs school

White (2026)25th percentile~ school

Male (2026)21st percentile-4 vs school

Middle school

Male (2026)53rd percentile+12 vs school

White (2026)40th percentile~ school

Female (2026)29th percentile-12 vs school

Special Education (2024)2nd percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs New Hampshire (2025-2026) ?

Reading51%-4 vs state

Science40%~ state avg

Mathematics32%-12 vs state

4.7

3 ratings · 1 written review

5★2

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, September 12, 2019

Fantastic school. So much has changed and improved in the last two years. Kids are so happy to be at this school. Small community feel and teachers are wonderful. Close Quote

Schools Near Alton Central School (Elem)

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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)				NH SAS Mathematics (2026)							NH SAS Reading (2026)							NH SAS Science (2026)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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 (2025)	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	NH SAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	NH SAS Mathematics 4th Grade	NH SAS Mathematics 5th Grade	NH SAS Mathematics 6th Grade	NH SAS Mathematics 7th Grade	NH SAS Mathematics 8th Grade	NH SAS Mathematics All Grades	NH SAS Reading 3rd Grade	NH SAS Reading 4th Grade	NH SAS Reading 5th Grade	NH SAS Reading 6th Grade	NH SAS Reading 7th Grade	NH SAS Reading 8th Grade	NH SAS Reading All Grades	NH SAS Science 5th Grade	NH SAS Science 8th Grade	NH SAS Science All Grades	Total
Alton Central School (Elem)	Public	PK, KG-8	41 School St.	Alton	03809	Belknap County	Alton School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 875-7500	407	44	9.3	15.0%	389 (95.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.9%)	29.9	171^st of 230 public elementary schools	25.7%		26.9	178^th of 224 public elementary schools	20.5%	7	47.0	46.0	15.0	17.0	31.0	38.0	32.0	44.0	49.0	54.0	47.0	40.0	67.0	51.0	28.0	50.0	40.0	$23,872
New Durham Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	7 Old Bay Rd.	New Durham	03855	Strafford County	Governor Wentworth Regional School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 859-2061	144	17	8.5	23.6%	132 (91.7%)	1 (0.7%)	6 (4.2%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	3 (2.1%)	63.8	72^nd of 230 public elementary schools	68.7%		51.1	111^th of 224 public elementary schools	50.4%	39		67.0	39.0	76.0			60.0		38.0	61.0	80.0			57.0	43.0		43.0	$33,403
Gilmanton Elementary School	Public	K-8	1386 NH Rte. 140	Gilmanton IW	03837	Belknap County	Gilmanton School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 364-5681	335	30	11.1	19.1%	319 (95.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (3.6%)	77.3	37^th of 230 public elementary schools	83.9%		69	57^th of 224 public elementary schools	74.6%	20	71.0	75.0	68.0	49.0	34.0	45.0	55.0	54.0	61.0	82.0	64.0	39.0	71.0	62.0	50.0	59.0	56.0	$17,297
Barnstead Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	91 Maple St.	Center Barnstead	03225	Belknap County	Barnstead School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 269-5161	449	39	11.5	31.0%	436 (97.1%)	2 (0.4%)	8 (1.8%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7.7	225^th of 230 public elementary schools	2.2%		12.7	206^th of 224 public elementary schools	8.0%	19	11.0	19.0	425.0	459.0	18.0	18.0	13.0	17.0	46.0	16.0	23.0	33.0	25.0	26.0	13.0	14.0	13.0	$19,232
Middleton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	116 Kings Highway	Middleton	03887	Carroll County	Middleton School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 473-5000	155	14	11.0	33.5%	147 (94.8%)	1 (0.6%)	4 (2.6%)	2 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	46.7	126^th of 230 public elementary schools	45.2%		31.2	162^nd of 224 public elementary schools	27.7%	36	67.0	66.0	14.0	48.0			49.0	67.0	47.0	27.0	57.0			48.0	23.0		23.0	$18,149
Valley View Community School	Public	PK, KG-3	79 Thayer Dr	Farmington	03835	Strafford County	Farmington School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 755-4757	245	28	8.7	40.8%	213 (86.9%)	1 (0.4%)	7 (2.9%)	4 (1.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (7.8%)								(n/a)	42.0						42.0	42.0						42.0				$19,514
Carpenter School	Public	K-3	102 S. Main St.	Wolfeboro	03894	Carroll County	Governor Wentworth Regional School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 569-3457	183	20	9.1	22.4%	168 (91.8%)	3 (1.6%)	6 (3.3%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.7%)								(n/a)	70.0						70.0	52.0						52.0				$18,909
Gilford Elementary School	Public	K-4	76 Belknap Mountain Rd.	Gilford	03249	Belknap County	Gilford School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 524-1661	303	32	9.4	12.5%	283 (93.4%)	3 (1.0%)	5 (1.7%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.0%)	74.5	50^th of 230 public elementary schools	78.3%		70.1	51^st of 224 public elementary schools	77.2%	1	65.0	68.0					66.0	58.0	65.0					62.0				$20,042
Pittsfield Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	34 Bow St	Pittsfield	03263	Merrimack County	Pittsfield School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 435-8432	215	20	11.1	55.8%	196 (91.2%)	3 (1.4%)	5 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.7%)	13.5	213^th of 230 public elementary schools	7.4%		16	197^th of 224 public elementary schools	12.1%	16	17.0	12.0	35.0				24.0	32.0	31.0	40.0				35.0	26.0		26.0	$17,172
Paul Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	60 Taylor Way	Sanbornville	03872	Carroll County	Wakefield School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 522-8891	410	36	11.3	37.1%	390 (95.1%)	1 (0.2%)	7 (1.7%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.2%)	22.3	194^th of 230 public elementary schools	15.7%		15.8	198^th of 224 public elementary schools	11.6%	4	30.0	39.0	23.0	26.0	27.0	41.0	30.0	48.0	40.0	49.0	36.0	38.0	19.0	38.0	25.0	20.0	22.0	$16,298

Frequently Asked Questions about Alton Central School (Elem)

What district is Alton Central School (Elem) in?

Alton School District

How many students attend Alton Central School (Elem)?

In the 2024-25 school year, 407 students attended Alton Central School (Elem).

What is the racial makeup of Alton Central School (Elem)?

Students at Alton Central School (Elem) are 96% White, 3% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Alton Central School (Elem) attend?

Students who attend Alton Central School (Elem) usually go on to attend:

High : Prospect Mountain High School

Is Alton Central School (Elem) a good school?

Alton Central School (Elem) ranks 171^st of 230 New Hampshire elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Rate Alton Central School (Elem)!

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Latest New Hampshire data All new data »

2025–26 NH SAS & SAT test scoresSep 7, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 12, 2025

2024–25 NH SAS & SAT test scoresSep 6, 2025

2015–16 through 2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesJul 30, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Hampshire Department of 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.