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Roswell Butler House in front of Camel's Hump 2020Photo: Dylanvt · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Schools in Essex · Essex-Westford Supervisory School District, Essex-Westford Educational Community Unified School District

Essex’s public schools outscore 85% of Vermont districts

46% of students in Essex’s public schools are proficient in math, above the Vermont average (33%). The grade covers the public school district serving Essex, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Vermont, not nationally.

#13of 71 Vermont townsK–12Where will my kid go?

From Vermont 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.

Reading proficiency
57%
▲ 13 pts vs VT 44%
2021–22
Math proficiency
46%
▲ 13 pts vs VT 33%
2021–22
Graduate on time
84%
▲ 2 pts vs VT 82%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$31.7K
▲ 26% vs VT $25.1K
FY2024 · Essex-Westford Educational Community Unified
Students per teacher
12.2
VT 11.3 · larger classes
Schools in town
3
2,427 students on the public path
In brief

Essex’s schools, in brief

Against towns with similar incomes

Among the 143 Vermont towns with household incomes within a quarter of Essex’s, its schools beat 78%, lower than their 85% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓

Above the state on both counts

Reading proficiency is 57% and math 46% in spring 2022, against 44% and 33% statewide; 84% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 82%. Test scores ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $31,700 per student, against $25,064 across Vermont (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

One elementary school, then one elementary, one middle and one high school

From grade 3 the district’s path is Founders Memorial School, then Essex Middle School, then Essex High School. See the path ↓

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.

The School Grade

What’s behind Essex’s grade

A Test scoresB Graduation

A: better than 85% of Vermont school districts, #13 of 71 Vermont towns. Test scores and graduation are both above the Vermont average; test scores are the stronger of the two.

Vermont school districts we grade (52)Better than 85%
Lower resultsHigher results
Vermont towns with similar household incomes (143)Better than 78%
Towns in Chittenden County (14)Better than 7%
A−AA fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 1,770 test results and a graduating class of 313 could put Essex anywhere from A− to A. The tests are from spring 2022, when 98% of Essex’s students in the tested grades sat them (1,773 in math, 1,767 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Essex, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
PK–2Essex Elementary SchoolEssex-Westford Educational Community Unified School DistrictNo scores
3–5Founders Memorial SchoolEssex-Westford Educational Community Unified School DistrictA−
6–8Essex Middle SchoolEssex-Westford Educational Community Unified School DistrictA−
9–12Essex High Schoolin Essex JunctionA−

To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

Two districts serve Essex

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

Essex-Westford Supervisory School DistrictGrades · 0 schools · 0 students
A
Essex-Westford Educational Community Unified School DistrictGrades PK–12 · 9 schools · 3,635 students, down 5% since 2020–21 · 12.2 per teacher (VT 11.3)
$31,700VT $25,064 · FY2024
Test scores · 2021–22

Well above the state in reading

Reading · , Essex-Westford Supervisory School District57%
State average 44.4% · 1767 students tested
Math · , Essex-Westford Supervisory School District46%
State average 33.1% · 1773 students tested

Essex vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the Vermont towns that share Essex’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
EssexAEssex-Westford Educational Community Unified PK–12 · Essex-Westford Supervisory
WillistonA+Champlain Valley Unified PK–12 · Champlain Valley Supervisory District
Essex JunctionAEssex-Westford Educational Community Unified PK–12 · Essex-Westford Supervisory
South BurlingtonASouth Burlington PK–12 · South Burlington Supervisory District
JerichoAMount Mansfield Unified Union School District 401 PK–12 · Mount Mansfield Unified Union
WestfordAEssex-Westford Educational Community Unified PK–12 · Essex-Westford Supervisory
ColchesterAColchester PK–12 · Colchester Supervisory District
UnderhillAMount Mansfield Unified Union School District 401 PK–12 · Mount Mansfield Unified Union

2 of the 7 neighbors share Essex-Westford Educational Community Unified with Essex for grades PK–12, so their letters differ mainly through the lower grades.

Every school in Essex

4 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Vermont’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

District schools in Essexby address
Essex Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–2 · Essex Junction
484 students15:1Rate it →
Founders Memorial School
Elementary · Grades 3–5 · Essex Junction
A−
353 students12:1Rate it →
Essex Middle School
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Essex Junction
A−
366 students11:1Rate it →
Also serving Essexin other towns
Essex High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Essex Junction
A−
1,224 students12:1Rate it →

Questions about Essex’s schools

Are Essex’s schools good?

By Vermont’s own tests, yes: the public schools Essex children attend outscore 85% of Vermont’s school districts on tests and graduation, an A Schools grade, #13 of 71 Vermont towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 78%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Essex in?

Essex-Westford Supervisory School District, which runs grades and enrolls 0 students in 0 schools (2024–25).

Where do Essex kids go to high school?

Essex High School in Essex Junction, with 1,224 students; its own test results earn an A−.

What is Essex’s graduation rate?

84% of the class of 2023 in Essex-Westford Supervisory School District graduated in four years, against 82% across Vermont.

How much does Essex spend per student?

$31,700 in Essex-Westford Educational Community Unified School District (FY2024), against $25,064 across Vermont. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Essex families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Essex → 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 Vermont. Stars are from neighbors.