Pittsfield students are missing fewer school days and making some academic gains. Chronic absenteeism remains well above the state average, while graduation rates lag and several schools have fallen in statewide rankings. PITTSFIELD — Pittsfield students are missing fewer school days and doing better on state tests, but new state data show the district still has substantial room to improve. Only five of the district’s 12 currently operating schools improved their state performance ratings from the 2024-25 academic year, according to 2025-26 testing and attendance data presented to the School Committee this week. The ratings consider test scores, attendance and other measures to assess how schools are doing and whether they are meeting improvement goals. The latest report compares the 2025-26 school year with the prior 2024-25 school year. Despite progress on attendance, the share of Pittsfield students missing at least 10 percent of the school year remains twice the state average. “This is just the data. The next steps will be coming,” said Ginger Coleman, the assistant superintendent in charge of curriculum, told School Committee members. School Committee member Ciara Batory was blunt in her assessment of the ratings: “They're bad and they're depressing and upsetting. And as a parent whose children go to these schools, it’s in a way disturbing. ”
Committee member Daniel Elias agreed the ratings were "very concerning. "
But Elias said it’s important to examine the improvements and study how they might be replicated across the district. "We've got to highlight the concern areas but also highlight some of the achievements, too," he said. Several schools showed progress in attendance, test scores and other areas. Conte Community School improved attendance and made progress in helping students learning English develop their language skills. Its overall state performance ranking, however, fell from the 5th percentile to the 3rd. Crosby Elementary School rose from the 6th percentile to the 13th, with gains in attendance and math performance. Its MCAS results met or exceeded state improvement targets in math and science. English language arts results also improved, but fell short of the state’s target. Capeless Elementary School made the biggest jump, rising from the 22nd percentile in 2025 to the 53rd. The school, one of the district’s smallest, improved its MCAS results in both math and English language arts. Egremont Elementary School rose from the 51st percentile to the 53rd. Recognized by the state in 2025 for returning to pre-pandemic achievement levels, the school also earned the highest possible score for progress among students learning English. The percentiles compare schools’ overall performance with that of other Massachusetts schools administering similar state tests; higher numbers indicate stronger performance. Some schools that performed better in previous years lost ground.