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Peterborough Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-4
127th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 230 New Hampshire Elementary Schools
Better than 45% of New Hampshire elementary schools
Summary

Peterborough Elementary School serves 254 students in prekindergarten through grade 4 in Peterborough, NH, a larger community school within the Contoocook Valley School District. The school is currently a mid-performing New Hampshire elementary school, ranking 127th of 230 statewide schools, or in the 45th percentile, with a 2-star rating. Its latest overall results are close to state averages: 45% of students are proficient in mathematics compared with 44% statewide, and 54% are proficient in reading compared with 55% statewide.

The most important concern is the recent decline in mathematics, especially in grade 4. Schoolwide math proficiency fell from 65% in 2022-2023 to 45% in 2025-2026, while fourth-grade math proficiency was just 38%, compared with 48% in the district and 52% statewide. Reading has been steadier but has also declined gradually, from 63% to 54% over the same period. The school’s current results remain competitive with similarly sized nearby schools: Lionheart Classical Academy Chartered Public School reported the same math and reading rates, while Jaffrey Grade School and Rindge Memorial School posted lower reading results and, in Jaffrey’s case, lower math results.

Within the district, several smaller schools reported higher proficiency rates, including Francestown Elementary School, Hancock Elementary School, and Pierce Elementary School; however, their smaller enrollments can make year-to-year results more variable. Peterborough also has a higher student-teacher ratio, 10.3, than most nearby district schools and serves a more economically diverse enrollment than many of them. Its history is encouraging: the school ranked in the top quarter statewide from 2020-2021 through 2022-2023. Overall, the data suggest a school with a record of strong performance that now needs focused improvement in upper-elementary mathematics, while reading remains a relative strength.

254
Students ?
10.3
Student/teacher ratio ?
$24,508
Per pupil spending ?
31.9%
Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?
 17 High St
       Peterborough, NH  03458-2404

(603) 924-3828

District: Contoocook Valley School District


Students who attend Peterborough Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    South Meadow School
High:    Conval Regional High School
Racial breakdown:

White:
93.7%
Two or more races:
3.5%
Hispanic:
1.6%
more
 See top rated New Hampshire elementary schools

 Compare Peterborough Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 81st percentile in 2023 → 45th in 2026
Strengths
✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher
Worth a look
!Ranking has slipped from its 81st-percentile peak (2023) to 45th (2026)
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
!Near the bottom of Contoocook Valley School District's ranking
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school50%
District avg48%
New Hampshire avg50%
127th of 230
New Hampshire public elementary schools ?
Bottom 45%▼ down 3 pts since 2017
See the entire ranking list of New Hampshire Elementary Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
3rd of 4Elementary Schools in the Contoocook Valley School District
84th of 166Contoocook Valley 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)
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNew Hampshire percentileRating
202645.9127 of 23044.8%★★☆☆☆
202564.272 of 22367.7%★★★☆☆
202472.652 of 23477.8%★★★★☆
202376.645 of 23781.0%★★★★☆
202274.645 of 23380.7%★★★★☆
202169.354 of 21174.4%★★★★☆
201937.5155 of 23132.9%★★☆☆☆
201857.997 of 23158.0%★★★☆☆
201750.6120 of 22947.6%★★☆☆☆
201527.1161 of 20621.8%★☆☆☆☆
201462.887 of 24264.0%★★★☆☆
201347.1157 of 24134.9%★★☆☆☆
201258.9103 of 24157.3%★★★☆☆
201139.3164 of 23730.8%★★☆☆☆
201049.9133 of 24245.0%★★☆☆☆
200941.6166 of 24030.8%★★☆☆☆
200848.2140 of 23640.7%★★☆☆☆
200747.5136 of 23742.6%★★☆☆☆
200644.7141 of 23840.8%★★☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNew Hampshire percentileRating
202658.868 of 18463.0%★★★☆☆
202567.048 of 18173.5%★★★★☆
202473.039 of 18779.1%★★★★☆
202375.933 of 19382.9%★★★★☆
202288.612 of 18793.6%★★★★★
202177.029 of 16081.9%★★★★☆
201947.0110 of 19242.7%★★☆☆☆
201871.336 of 19081.1%★★★★☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNew Hampshire percentileRating
202627.1143 of 18422.3%★☆☆☆☆
202556.477 of 18558.4%★★★☆☆
202467.260 of 19368.9%★★★★☆
202370.648 of 19975.9%★★★★☆
202244.9113 of 19441.8%★★☆☆☆
202147.886 of 16848.8%★★☆☆☆
201930.4146 of 19525.1%★☆☆☆☆
201843.8117 of 19540.0%★★☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankNew Hampshire percentileRating
202640.7138 of 22939.7%★★☆☆☆
202559.287 of 22260.8%★★★☆☆
202471.452 of 22877.2%★★★★☆
202375.546 of 23380.3%★★★★☆
202272.848 of 22979.0%★★★★☆
202167.558 of 20972.2%★★★★☆
201936.4160 of 22930.1%★★☆☆☆
201857.194 of 22758.6%★★★☆☆
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)
Female (2026)63rd percentile+18 vs school
White (2026)40th percentile-5 vs school
Male (2026)22nd percentile-22 vs school
By subject vs New Hampshire (2025-2026) ?
Reading54%~ state avg
Mathematics45%~ state avg

3.0
2 ratings · 2 written reviews
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What people are saying
by a parent
Saturday, June 15, 2024

Open Quote Peterborough Elementary School Review: A Disappointing Experience

As a parent of children attending Peterborough Elementary School, I must express my deep disappointment with the institution's quality of education and overall management. It's evident that the school caters either to the town's elite or to children with special needs, leaving those in between—like my own—who should be solid B students, utterly neglected.

Firstly, the administration's incompetence is glaring. Decades of weak leadership have fostered an environment where mediocrity thrives and scandals are swept under the rug rather than addressed. It seems they are more concerned with maintaining a façade of respectability than actually improving the educational experience for all students.

My children, who come from a background that should afford them a decent education, have instead found themselves lost in a sea of neglect. The resources allocated to them are paltry compared to what is lavished upon either the town's privileged few or those with more severe educational needs. This disparity not only hampers their academic progress but also sends a clear message about the school's priorities—or lack thereof.

In terms of academics, the curriculum seems outdated and uninspiring. There is little effort made to engage students who are capable of more than just scraping by. Instead of nurturing potential, the school seems content to let average students languish, while simultaneously failing to provide the necessary support for those who struggle.

Overall, Peterborough Elementary School is a perfect example of a failing educational institution that has lost sight of its mission to educate all students equally. Unless drastic changes are made to the leadership, curriculum, and overall attitude towards student welfare, I cannot in good conscience recommend this school to any parent looking for a nurturing and academically enriching environment for their children. Close Quote


by a parent
Thursday, March 26, 2009

Open Quote PES has a great reading program along with other resources to keep children on the same levels as others. More importantly the motto for the school is be Kind and Respectful which is very much inforced. I was very worried about bullying when my daughter started school but my fears were quickly put to rest when I saw the zero tollerance for children being disrespectful to others. The principle, Mrs. Copley is very kind, fair and very hands on. The children are rewarded periodically for keeping a kind environment. The school has small class sizes so the teachers have the ability to address the children as individuals. When I walk into the school I am always aware of the warm and friendly atmosphere, coming from a tight knit and great community of families. We are fortunate to have a very famous artist center/retreat just a mile away from the school, so we have famous artists and authors visiting our school all of the time. I was very shocked to see the school's ranking, there are much more important components than test score alone. I could not be happier with my expirience with PES. Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Peterborough Elementary School

In the 2024-25 school year, 254 students attended Peterborough Elementary School.

Students at Peterborough Elementary School are 94% White, 4% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

Students who attend Peterborough Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : South Meadow School
High : Conval Regional High School

Peterborough Elementary School ranks 127th of 230 New Hampshire elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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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.

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