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GRAFTON,Mass. — The Grafton School Committee heard a more detailed report on the MCAS results that were released to the public in September plus an update on student enrollment numbers Monday night.
The presentation on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System test scores came from Assistant Superintendent of Schools Lucille Boutiette, who said Grafton students ranked third overall, versus 11 neighboring communities, in the advanced and proficient levels of scoring (which are the highest tiers) in English, math and science.
“We’re beginning to dive deep into the report,” said Boutiette.
For example, 81 percent of the Grafton students scored either in the advanced or proficient level for English on the MCAS. Shrewsbury ranked No. 1 with 89 percent and Westborough was second with 87 percent. Mendon Upton was fourth with 78 percent. Leicester was at the bottom with 67 percent. The state average is 69 percent.
In math, 71 percent of the Grafton students scored in the advanced or proficient categories, again ranking third. Shrewsbury was first again with an 82 percent score, and Westborough was second at 79 percent. Northbridge scored last at 50 percent. The state average is 59 percent.
In science, 73 percent of Grafton students ranked in the advanced or proficient tier. Westborough was first at 83 percent, Shrewsbury was second at 74 percent. Oxford was last at 45 percent and the state average was 54 percent.
Student enrollment was up 3.5 percent this year, school Superintendent James Cummings said in a separate presentation. He called it “manageable” but said that if a large real estate development were to spring up in one part of town, it could tilt the scale and send an influx of new students to one building.
This school year, 3,042 students are enrolled, the report said. The largest is the third grade with 279 students, and Millbury Street Elementary tipping the scales at 165 students.
In 2011, second grade had the most students with 274, South Grafton Elementary managing 156 of those students. The student body townwide was 2,937.
With the new high school in place and the existing buildings reshuffled, the remaining properties are seeing fewer students per building, but teacher to class ratios are about the same, he said. There are 19 to 23 students per teacher in the elementary level, and 25 per teacher in the secondary levels, he said.
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