Photo: Fletcher · CC BY 4.0Peabody’s public schools score below 79% of Massachusetts districts on tests and graduation
Reading proficiency in Peabody’s districts is 32%, below the Massachusetts average (44%). The grade covers the public school district serving Peabody, 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 100% 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.
Peabody’s schools, in brief
Against towns with similar incomes
Among the 261 Massachusetts towns with household incomes within a quarter of Peabody’s, its schools beat 15%, lower than their 21% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓
Results trail the state
In spring 2022, 32% of tested students were proficient in reading and 31% in math, against 44% and 41% statewide; 100% of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓
Graduation
83% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 89% across Massachusetts. Districts ↓
Spending and class size
The district spends $21,334 per student, against $26,530 across Massachusetts (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓
Seven elementary schools, then one middle and one high school
Which elementary school depends on the address; from grade 6 the district’s path is J Henry Higgins Middle, then Peabody Veterans Memorial High. See the path ↓
Choice beyond the district
Bishop Fenwick High School (private), St. John the Baptist School (private) and Covenant Christian Academy (private) are in town. Peabody Personalized Remote Education Program, an online school, is based here too; it isn’t counted as a local school. 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 Peabody’s grade
C−: better than 21% of Massachusetts school districts, #242 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 Peabody, with each school’s own grade.
6th grade in Peabody
J Henry Higgins Middle
Grades 6–8 · 1,320 students · 12:1 students per teacher
7th grade in Peabody
J Henry Higgins Middle
Grades 6–8 · 1,320 students · 12:1 students per teacher
8th grade in Peabody
J Henry Higgins Middle
Grades 6–8 · 1,320 students · 12:1 students per teacher
9th grade in Peabody
Peabody Veterans Memorial High
Grades 9–12 · 1,333 students · 10:1 students per teacher
10th grade in Peabody
Peabody Veterans Memorial High
Grades 9–12 · 1,333 students · 10:1 students per teacher
Peabody’s public schools are run by Peabody 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
Peabody vs. its neighbors
Schools grades for the Massachusetts towns that share Peabody’s borders.
Every school in Peabody
14 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 Peabody’s schools
Are Peabody’s schools good?
On Massachusetts’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Peabody children attend score below 79% of Massachusetts’s school districts on tests and graduation, a C− Schools grade, #242 of 283 Massachusetts towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 15%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.
What school district is Peabody in?
Peabody School District, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 5,774 students in 11 schools (2024–25).
Where do Peabody kids go to high school?
Peabody Veterans Memorial High, with 1,333 students; its own test results earn a B+.
What is Peabody’s graduation rate?
83% of the class of 2023 in Peabody School District graduated in four years, against 89% across Massachusetts.
How much does Peabody spend per student?
$21,334 in Peabody School District (FY2024), against $26,530 across Massachusetts. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.
Are there private schools in Peabody?
Yes: Bishop Fenwick High School (Catholic, grades 9–12, 458 students), St. John the Baptist School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 437 students) and Covenant Christian Academy (religious, grades PK–12, 432 students).
Parents talk
What Peabody families are saying about school.
Looking for colleges? Colleges near Peabody → 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.