Springfield City Wire

Of the 254 students who took part in the Science portion of the MCAS, 61.8% scored below proficiency in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

In comparison, 33.5% met the subject benchmarks and 4.7% exceeded them.

The number of Palmer Public School District students who failed their Science assessments fell by 21.1% from the previous school year.

Palmer Public School District roughly covers schools within Hampden County and has a main office in Palmer.

In the 2022-23 school year, 200,905 students took the Science test in Massachusetts with 56.9% failing the exam, 1.5% more than the year before.

Massachusetts spends more money on K-12 education per pupil than most other states, ranking fifth in the nation, according to a 2025 report. The state allocates over $24,000 per pupil, totaling $22.5 billion annually.

School Name	Students who did not meet standards (%)
Old Mill Pond School	61.4%
Palmer High School	62.8%