Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Holyoke’s public schools score below 97% of Massachusetts districts on tests and graduation
Math proficiency in Holyoke’s districts is 7%, below the Massachusetts average (41%). The grade covers the public school district serving Holyoke, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Massachusetts, not nationally.
From Massachusetts state tests taken in spring 2022, when 98% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
Holyoke’s schools, in brief
Results trail the state
In spring 2022, 12% of tested students were proficient in reading and 7% in math, against 44% and 41% statewide; 98% of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓
Graduation
75% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 89% across Massachusetts. Districts ↓
Spending and class size
The district spends $25,611 per student, against $26,530 across Massachusetts (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓
Six elementary schools, then three middle and one high school
Which school depends on the address at every step. See the path ↓
Choice beyond the district
Holyoke Community Charter School, Mater Dolorosa Catholic School (private), Blessed Sacrament Elementary School (private), Center School (private), First Lutheran School (private), Lighthouse Holyoke (private) and Curtis Blake Day School (private) are in town. Every school ↓
Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.
What’s behind Holyoke’s grade
D−: better than 3% of Massachusetts school districts, #281 of 283 Massachusetts towns. Both inputs trail the Massachusetts average; graduation is the closer of the two to typical.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Holyoke, with each school’s own grade.
6th grade in Holyoke · depends on your address
Lt Clayre Sullivan Elementary
Grades 6–8 · 463 students · 10:1 students per teacher
Holyoke STEM Academy
Grades 6–8 · 289 students · 15:1 students per teacher
Joseph Metcalf School
Grades 6–8 · 213 students · 10:1 students per teacher
7th grade in Holyoke · depends on your address
Lt Clayre Sullivan Elementary
Grades 6–8 · 463 students · 10:1 students per teacher
Holyoke STEM Academy
Grades 6–8 · 289 students · 15:1 students per teacher
Joseph Metcalf School
Grades 6–8 · 213 students · 10:1 students per teacher
8th grade in Holyoke · depends on your address
Lt Clayre Sullivan Elementary
Grades 6–8 · 463 students · 10:1 students per teacher
Holyoke STEM Academy
Grades 6–8 · 289 students · 15:1 students per teacher
Joseph Metcalf School
Grades 6–8 · 213 students · 10:1 students per teacher
9th grade in Holyoke
Holyoke High
Grades 9–12 · 1,569 students · 13:1 students per teacher
10th grade in Holyoke
Holyoke High
Grades 9–12 · 1,569 students · 13:1 students per teacher
11th grade in Holyoke
Holyoke High
Grades 9–12 · 1,569 students · 13:1 students per teacher
12th grade in Holyoke
Holyoke High
Grades 9–12 · 1,569 students · 13:1 students per teacher
Holyoke’s public schools are run by Holyoke School District. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.
The district
Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.
Well below the state in reading
Holyoke vs. its neighbors
Schools grades for the Massachusetts towns that share Holyoke’s borders.
| Town | Schools | Main districts |
|---|---|---|
| Holyoke | D− | Holyoke |
| South Hadley | C | South Hadley |
| Chicopee | C− | Chicopee |
| Southampton | B− | Southampton PK–6 · Hampshire 7–12 |
| Easthampton | C+ | Easthampton |
| Westfield | C | Westfield |
| West Springfield Town | C | West Springfield |
Every school in Holyoke
17 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Massachusetts’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).
Questions about Holyoke’s schools
Are Holyoke’s schools good?
On Massachusetts’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Holyoke children attend score below 97% of Massachusetts’s school districts on tests and graduation, a D− Schools grade, #281 of 283 Massachusetts towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 6%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.
What school district is Holyoke in?
Holyoke School District, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 4,795 students in 10 schools (2024–25).
Where do Holyoke kids go to high school?
Holyoke High, with 1,569 students; its own test results earn a C−.
What is Holyoke’s graduation rate?
75% of the class of 2023 in Holyoke School District graduated in four years, against 89% across Massachusetts.
How much does Holyoke spend per student?
$25,611 in Holyoke School District (FY2024), against $26,530 across Massachusetts. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.
Are there private schools in Holyoke?
Yes: Mater Dolorosa Catholic School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 157 students), Blessed Sacrament Elementary School (religious, grades PK–8, 153 students), Center School (special education, grades K–12, 95 students), First Lutheran School (religious, grades PK–8, 88 students), Lighthouse Holyoke (nonsectarian, grades 6–12, 67 students) and Curtis Blake Day School (special education, grades 3–12, 14 students). Holyoke also has 1 charter school, free and open by application.
Parents talk
What Holyoke families are saying about school.
Looking for colleges? Colleges near Holyoke → They have their own page.
School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Massachusetts. Stars are from neighbors.