Charlestown Primary School

Charlestown Primary School in Charlestown, New Hampshire, serves about 234 students in prekindergarten through grade 4 and is part of the Fall Mountain Regional School District, serving families in a small, rural area near the Connecticut River.

The school’s strongest academic area is mathematics: 43% of students were proficient in 2025–26, nearly matching the statewide rate of 44% and exceeding the district rate of 35%. Reading is the clearest concern, with 32% proficiency compared with 49% districtwide and 55% statewide. Fourth grade is especially important to watch, with 39% proficiency in math and only 29% in reading. The school’s overall ranking also fell from the 37th percentile in 2024–25 to the 17th percentile in 2025–26. Charlestown’s student-teacher ratio is a favorable 9.7-to-1, but nearly 47% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves many families who may benefit from additional academic and support services. Subgroup results also point to areas for investigation, particularly special education and male students.

Compared with nearby schools in the same district, North Walpole School reported much higher 2025–26 proficiency rates—75% in math and 59% in reading—while Alstead Primary School reported 56% and 50%. Charlestown’s results were stronger than those at Disnard Elementary School and Unity Elementary School, though those districts have lower overall academic rankings. For parents, the most important questions are how the school is strengthening reading instruction, supporting fourth graders, and monitoring progress for students receiving special education services. North Walpole may offer useful examples, although its smaller enrollment and different grade configuration make the comparison imperfect.