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Penacook Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

185^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 224 New Hampshire Elementary Schools

Better than 17% of New Hampshire elementary schools

Summary

Penacook Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Penacook, New Hampshire, with 315 students. The school is part of the Merrimack Valley School District, which is ranked 88 out of 158 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Penacook Elementary School has consistently underperformed compared to the state and district averages in proficiency rates for the NH SAS assessments in Mathematics, Reading, and Science. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 38% in Mathematics, 37% in Reading, and 15% in Science, compared to the state averages of 42%, 55%, and 38% respectively. The school also struggles to support the academic achievement of various student subgroups, with rankings for female, male, and white student performance all in the bottom half of New Hampshire elementary schools, and the school's ranking for special education students particularly low, placing in the bottom 10% of schools in the state.

Interestingly, Penacook Elementary School is located relatively close to several higher-performing schools in the Concord School District, such as Christa McAuliffe School and Broken Ground School, which have significantly higher proficiency rates and better overall rankings compared to Penacook. The high percentage of economically disadvantaged students at Penacook Elementary School may be a contributing factor to the school's lower academic performance, and the school's consistent low rankings across various student subgroups suggest that the school may need to focus on addressing the unique needs of its diverse student population.

325

Students ?

10.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,138

Per pupil spending ?

41.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

60 Village St.
Penacook, NH 03303

(603) 753-4891

District: Merrimack Valley School District

Students who attend Penacook Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Merrimack Valley Middle School
High:	Merrimack Valley High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

82.5%

Asian:

5.2%

African American:

4.6%

See top rated New Hampshire elementary schools

Compare Penacook Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 26th percentile in 2015 → 17th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the New Hampshire average (30% vs 45% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (17th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school30%

District avg42%

New Hampshire avg45%

185^th of 224

New Hampshire public elementary schools ?

Bottom 17%▼ down 9 pts since 2015

From bottom 26% (2015) to bottom 17% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Hampshire Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 5Elementary Schools in the Merrimack Valley School District

88^th of 158Merrimack 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

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2025	22.4	185 of 224	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.9	205 of 234	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.7	211 of 237	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.6	189 of 233	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.2	200 of 211	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	25.3	184 of 231	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.1	169 of 231	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	50.7	119 of 229	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	48.7	141 of 244	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	32.9	152 of 206	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	43.5	161 of 242	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	35.4	183 of 241	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	39.0	165 of 241	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	66.1	82 of 237	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	56.1	116 of 242	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	41.7	163 of 240	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	34.4	180 of 236	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	36.9	170 of 237	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	67.0	74 of 238	68.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2025	19.2	153 of 182	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.9	162 of 187	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.0	185 of 193	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	29.5	143 of 187	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.9	147 of 160	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	23.9	163 of 192	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.8	150 of 190	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2025	26.0	150 of 186	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.5	168 of 193	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.3	154 of 199	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.2	165 of 194	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.4	156 of 168	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	30.8	142 of 195	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.0	127 of 195	34.9%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2025	14.1	68 of 72	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	23.3	62 of 71	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	49.0	31 of 70	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.3	24 of 59	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	29.2	30 of 34	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.5	39 of 60	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.5	29 of 52	44.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2025	22.0	185 of 223	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.8	199 of 228	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.8	212 of 233	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	24.1	188 of 229	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.9	183 of 209	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.2	187 of 229	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.0	165 of 227	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Male (2025)19th percentile~ school

White (2025)17th percentile~ school

Female (2025)16th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)6th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs New Hampshire (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics38%-4 vs state

Reading37%-18 vs state

Science15%-23 vs state

4.0

4 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, March 27, 2021

It is a real shame for the whole school and the community that it allows one music teacher to degrade models of students with bad grades. This problem has existed for years and nothing has been done to examine the criteria on which it evaluates students. The only solution is to petition the parents or find legal action to prevent this from happening. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, May 5, 2016

Couldn't be happier with PES! Teachers, staff, administration, special education- all of it is wonderful! Close Quote

Schools Near Penacook Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				NH SAS Mathematics (2025)				NH SAS Reading (2025)				NH SAS Science (2025)		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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NH SAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	NH SAS Mathematics 4th Grade	NH SAS Mathematics 5th Grade	NH SAS Mathematics All Grades	NH SAS Reading 3rd Grade	NH SAS Reading 4th Grade	NH SAS Reading 5th Grade	NH SAS Reading All Grades	NH SAS Science 5th Grade	NH SAS Science All Grades	Total
Penacook Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	60 Village St.	Penacook	03303	Merrimack County	Merrimack Valley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 753-4891	325	31	10.4	41.8%	268 (82.5%)	15 (4.6%)	12 (3.7%)	17 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.0%)	22.4	185^th of 224 public elementary schools	17.4%		14.9	205^th of 234 public elementary schools	12.4%	20	40.0	47.0	29.0	38.0	26.0	48.0	36.0	37.0	15.0	15.0	$17,138
Beaver Meadow School	Public	PK, KG-5	40 Sewalls Fall Rd.	Concord	03301	Merrimack County	Concord School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 225-0853	362	30	12.0	37.8%	274 (75.7%)	30 (8.3%)	13 (3.6%)	24 (6.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.5%)	28.1	174^th of 224 public elementary schools	22.3%		40	147^th of 234 public elementary schools	37.2%	27	37.0	58.0	25.0	40.0	33.0	54.0	35.0	41.0	21.0	21.0	$14,924
Boscawen Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1 BEST Ave.	Boscawen	03303	Merrimack County	Merrimack Valley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 753-6512	240	22	10.9	27.1%	209 (87.1%)	3 (1.3%)	16 (6.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.6%)	64.6	70^th of 224 public elementary schools	68.8%		55.6	104^th of 234 public elementary schools	55.6%	34	68.0	69.0	47.0	62.0	48.0	59.0	61.0	55.0	42.0	42.0	$18,227
Mill Brook School	Public	PK, KG-2	53 South Curtisville Road	Concord	03301	Merrimack County	Concord School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 225-0830	321	30	10.8	36.1%	211 (65.7%)	44 (13.7%)	16 (5.0%)	27 (8.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.9%)								(n/a)											$13,291
Broken Ground School	Public	3-5	51 South Curtisville Road	Concord	03301	Merrimack County	Concord School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 225-0855	291	25	11.8	39.5%	193 (66.3%)	47 (16.2%)	17 (5.8%)	27 (9.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.4%)	60.5	86^th of 224 public elementary schools	61.6%		44.2	134^th of 234 public elementary schools	42.7%	48	46.0	54.0	54.0	51.0	47.0	54.0	70.0	56.0	51.0	51.0	$14,781
Canterbury Elementary School	Public	K-5	15 Baptist Rd.	Canterbury	03224	Merrimack County	Shaker Regional School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 783-9944	90	10	9.2	8.9%	86 (95.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.2%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)								(n/a)	79.0			64.0	79.0			71.0			$17,864
Christa McAuliffe School	Public	K-5	17 North Spring Street	Concord	03301	Merrimack County	Concord School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 225-0840	357	28	12.8	35.9%	270 (75.6%)	33 (9.2%)	22 (6.2%)	8 (2.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (6.4%)	65.3	68^th of 224 public elementary schools	69.6%		67.6	67^th of 234 public elementary schools	71.4%	1	61.0	68.0	31.0	54.0	58.0	67.0	64.0	63.0	45.0	45.0	$12,404
Loudon Elementary School	Public	K-5	7039 School St.	Loudon	03307	Merrimack County	Merrimack Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 783-4400	243	22	11.0	22.2%	225 (92.6%)	2 (0.8%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.3%)	32.7	157^th of 224 public elementary schools	29.9%		29.2	180^th of 234 public elementary schools	23.1%	23	63.0	29.0	18.0	37.0	68.0	37.0	34.0	46.0	29.0	29.0	$17,525
Abbot-Downing School	Public	PK, KG-5	152 South St.	Concord	03301	Merrimack County	Concord School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 225-0827	343	27	12.8	28.0%	290 (84.5%)	8 (2.3%)	24 (7.0%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.0%)	58.6	90^th of 224 public elementary schools	59.8%		41.7	144^th of 234 public elementary schools	38.5%	54	63.0	46.0	63.0	57.0	55.0	44.0	61.0	53.0	43.0	43.0	$12,732
Harold Martin School	Public	PK, KG-3	271 Main St.	Hopkinton	03229	Merrimack County	Hopkinton School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 746-3473	269	24	11.1	10.4%	240 (89.2%)	3 (1.1%)	12 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.8%)								(n/a)	49.0			49.0	58.0			58.0			$19,820

Frequently Asked Questions about Penacook Elementary School

Is Penacook Elementary School a good school?

Penacook Elementary School ranks in the bottom 17.4% of New Hampshire elementary schools.

How many students attend Penacook Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 325 students attended Penacook Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Penacook Elementary School?

Students at Penacook Elementary School are 82% White, 5% Asian, 5% African American, 4% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Penacook Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Merrimack Valley Middle School
High : Merrimack Valley High School

What district is Penacook Elementary School in?

Merrimack Valley School District

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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.