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Nelson Elementary School

Public Grades K-5

Summary

Nelson Elementary School is a small public elementary school in Nelson, New Hampshire, serving 59 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the Nelson School District, which is ranked 147 out of 163 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Nelson Elementary School stands out in several ways compared to nearby schools. The school has a significantly higher percentage of white students, ranging from 96-98% over the past three years, much higher than the state average and the racial diversity seen in schools like Fuller Elementary and Wheelock Elementary in Keene. The school's mathematics and reading proficiency rates have been generally higher than surrounding schools, but its science proficiency is much lower at 15%, well below the state average of 36%. Additionally, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch has increased from 12.31% in 2020-2021 to 32.2% in 2022-2023, indicating a growing population of economically disadvantaged students.

Nelson Elementary School's performance, as measured by its statewide ranking and SchoolDigger star rating, has fluctuated over the years, ranking 45th out of 231 New Hampshire elementary schools in 2017-2018 but dropping to 191st out of 234 schools in 2023-2024, with a 1-star rating. The school's small size, with only 59 students, could be both an advantage, allowing for more individualized attention, and a challenge, as it may limit the diversity of educational and extracurricular opportunities available to students. Overall, Nelson Elementary School presents a complex picture, with both strengths and areas for improvement, and continued monitoring and targeted interventions may be necessary to help the school achieve more consistent and equitable academic outcomes for its students.

Students ?

8.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,452

Per pupil spending ?

19%

Free/discounted lunch ?

441 Granite Lake Rd.
Nelson, NH 03457-5116

(603) 847-3408

District: Nelson School District

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.4%

Hispanic:

3.4%

African American:

1.7%

See top rated New Hampshire public schools

Compare Nelson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 44th percentile in 2008 → 18th in 2024

Strengths

✓Test scores above the New Hampshire average (58% vs 48% meeting standards)

✓Small classes — about 8 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 26 percentile points since 2008

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school58%

District avg58%

New Hampshire avg48%

Not ranked this year

Nelson Elementary School did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

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
2024	20.4	191 of 234	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	51.5	119 of 233	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	72.4	45 of 231	80.5%	★★★★☆
2016	33.5	184 of 244	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	50.1	133 of 236	43.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2024	24.4	181 of 228	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	50.3	124 of 229	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	62.8	75 of 227	67.0%	★★★☆☆

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)

White (2024)21st percentile~ school

By subject vs New Hampshire (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics63%+21 vs state

Reading54%~ state avg

5.0

1 rating

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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Schools Near Nelson 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 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
Nelson Elementary School	Public	K-5	441 Granite Lake Rd.	Nelson	03457	Cheshire County	Nelson School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 847-3408	58	7	8.5	19.0%	53 (91.4%)	1 (1.7%)	2 (3.4%)	1 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.7%)								(n/a)		45.0					63.0		36.0					54.0				$18,452
James Faulkner Elementary School	Public	K-5	200 School St.	Stoddard	03464	Cheshire County	Stoddard School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 446-3348	46	7	7.0	30.4%	44 (95.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.2%)								(n/a)							38.0							52.0				$21,127
Wells Memorial School	Public	K-6	235 Chesham Rd.	Harrisville	03450	Cheshire County	Harrisville School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 827-3272	47	5	8.7	17.0%	40 (85.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (12.8%)								(n/a)							52.0							68.0				$23,429
Gilsum STEAM Academy	Public	K-6	640 Route 10	Gilsum	03448	Cheshire County	Monadnock Regional School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 352-2226	50	5	10.0	38.0%	42 (84.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.0%)	3 (6.0%)	1 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.0%)								(n/a)							28.0							38.0				$19,944
Marlborough Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	41 Fitch Court	Marlborough	03455	Cheshire County	Marlborough School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 876-4465	164	15	11.2	42.7%	151 (92.1%)	4 (2.4%)	1 (0.6%)	4 (2.4%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.8%)	13.5	204^th of 224 public elementary schools	8.9%		32.6	169^th of 234 public elementary schools	27.8%	35	32.0	31.0		18.0	24.0	17.0	26.0	32.0	25.0		38.0	47.0	31.0	34.0		28.0	18.0	$22,127
Fuller Elementary School	Public	K-5	422 Elm St.	Keene	03431	Cheshire County	Keene School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 352-1245	275	25	11.0	32.0%	237 (86.2%)	5 (1.8%)	15 (5.5%)	10 (3.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.5%)	52.6	106^th of 224 public elementary schools	52.7%		52.6	113^th of 234 public elementary schools	51.7%	7	77.0	54.0	21.0				52.0	61.0	56.0	59.0				59.0	28.0		28.0	$18,710
Gathering Waters Charter School (E)	Public, Charter	K-8	98 South Lincoln Street	Keene	03431	Cheshire County	Gathering Waters Charter School	Yes	No	No	No	(603) 733-8701	219	29	7.6	24.2%	190 (86.8%)	8 (3.7%)	4 (1.8%)	12 (5.5%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)								(n/a)
Franklin Elementary School	Public	K-5	217 Washington St.	Keene	03431	Cheshire County	Keene School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 352-1712	234	20	11.4	61.1%	186 (79.5%)	5 (2.1%)	26 (11.1%)	7 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.3%)	28	175^th of 224 public elementary schools	21.9%		34	163^rd of 234 public elementary schools	30.3%	12	47.0	35.0	23.0				35.0	50.0	33.0	51.0				45.0	28.0		28.0	$19,972
John D. Perkins Academy	Public	PK, KG-6	919 Nh Rte 10	Marlow	03456	Cheshire County	Marlow School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 446-3307	55	5	10.1	36.4%	54 (98.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)							20.0							28.0				$25,940
Surry Village Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	449 Route 12A	Surry	03431	Cheshire County	Surry Village Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(603) 357-9700	79	7	11.2	27.8%	67 (84.8%)	1 (1.3%)	5 (6.3%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (6.3%)								(n/a)							45.0							65.0			43.0

Frequently Asked Questions about Nelson Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Nelson Elementary School?

Students at Nelson Elementary School are 91% White, 3% Hispanic, 2% African American, 2% Asian, 2% Two or more races.

What district is Nelson Elementary School in?

Nelson School District

How many students attend Nelson Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 58 students attended Nelson Elementary School.

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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.