Bessie Buker Elementary School: How many students met or exceeded science MCAS expectations in 2023-24 school year?

Of the 42 students of Bessie Buker Elementary School who took part in the science portion of the MCAS in the 2023-24 school year, 32 met the testing standard (76.2%), while three exceeded expectations (7.1%), according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The students' overall success rate in the subject grew by 15.8% in the 2023-24 school year from the previous school year.

Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District, which Bessie Buker Elementary School is part of, reached an average proficiency rate of 65.9% in science during the 2023-24 school year.

Meanwhile, 62.1% of Bessie Buker Elementary School students hit the ELA benchmarks, and 70.7% were considered proficient in math.

At the time, 199,813 students took the science test in Massachusetts, with 88,716 students passing (44.4%) — 1.3% 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.

Subject	Number of Students Tested	Number of Students Passing	Proficiency Rate (%)	Change from Previous Year (%)
Math	116	82	70.7%	10%
ELA	116	72	62.1%	-2.7%
Science	42	35	83.3%	15.8%