Rye Elementary School

Rye Elementary School is a small public school serving 211 students in prekindergarten through grade 4 in the coastal Seacoast community of Rye, New Hampshire, near Portsmouth, and is part of the highly ranked Rye School District. The school is consistently one of New Hampshire’s strongest performers: it ranked 7th out of 230 schools for 2025–2026, placing it in the 97th percentile statewide. Its student-teacher ratio is 9.6 to 1, and its small size may offer families a more intimate elementary-school setting.

Academic results are a major strength. In 2025–2026, 83% of students were proficient in mathematics and 84% in reading, compared with 44% and 55% statewide. Rye’s results were also above its district averages. Among nearby schools, its overall scores were nearly the best: Little Harbour School narrowly led in mathematics at 84%, while New Franklin School led in reading at 85%. Rye’s third-grade mathematics performance was especially impressive, with 91% proficiency. Reading was steady at 84% in both grades 3 and 4, while fourth-grade mathematics was comparatively weaker at 76%, below several nearby high-performing schools.

For parents, Rye’s long-term consistency is perhaps its most notable feature. It has ranked among New Hampshire’s top 12 schools in every listed year over the past decade, including several top-five finishes. It also compares favorably with close alternatives such as Mary C. Dondero Elementary School, which ranked 11th and posted lower all-grade proficiency in both subjects. Rye’s reading results rebounded strongly after a two-year decline, rising from 77% to 84%. Families comparing schools should consider differences in grade span, enrollment, and student populations, but the available data portray Rye as a stable, high-achieving school with a particular opportunity to strengthen fourth-grade mathematics.