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Reported by us | Dartmouth

Dartmouth School Committee hears MCAS results Monday after English share meeting expectations slips to 46%

In the state's 2026 results for grades 3 to 8, Dartmouth stayed above the statewide shares in English, math and science, though each fell from 2025.

By the SC360 Schools Desk | Published Nov. 12, 2026 | Last verified Nov. 12, 2026, 8:22 p.m. ET

DARTMOUTH Dartmouth's School Committee hears the district's new MCAS results Monday night, after the share of students in grades 3 to 8 meeting state expectations in English fell to 46% this year.

The meeting starts at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16, in the library media center at Dartmouth High School, 555 Bakerville Road. The agenda also calls for votes on two sections of the committee's policy manual and on the superintendent's goals, and a timeline for the fiscal 2028 school budget.

What the scores show

In the state education department's 2026 district report for grades 3 to 8, 46% of Dartmouth students tested met or exceeded expectations in English language arts, down from 51% in 2025. In math the share was 50%, down from 54%, and in science it was 43%, down from 45%.

Dartmouth remained above the statewide results, which were 40% in English, 41% in math and 41% in science in 2026. About 1,600 Dartmouth students in grades 3 to 8 took the English and math tests this year, and 99% of those eligible took part in English.

At the other end of the scale, 13% of Dartmouth students tested in English scored at the lowest level, Not Meeting Expectations, up from 11% in 2025. In math that share was 10%, up from 9%.

The state also measures growth, which it describes as how much a student learned from one year to the next compared with students in the same grade who had similar scores the year before. For grades 4 to 8, Dartmouth's average student growth percentile was 49 in both English and math in 2026, down from 52 in English and 53 in math in 2025. The statewide average was 50 in both years.

The agenda sets aside 25 minutes for the district's review of the results, starting at 6:25 p.m., after public comment and the student representative's report.

South Coast 360 reported the 2026 results for every South Coast district in October: South Coast 2026 MCAS results by district, grades 3 to 8.

Policies and the superintendent's goals

At 6:50 p.m., the committee is scheduled to hold a second reading and vote on Section G, which covers personnel, and Section H, which covers negotiations. Both sections were listed for a first reading at the committee's Oct. 26 meeting.

New business at 7 p.m. opens with the superintendent's evaluation, followed by a vote on the superintendent's goals. Superintendent June Saba-Maguire leads Dartmouth Public Schools and serves as secretary to the School Committee. Mary Beckwith chairs the five-member elected committee, John Nunes is vice chair, and Chris Oliver, Kathleen Amaral and Elizabeth Coughlin are the other members.

The fiscal 2028 budget calendar

The committee will also see a timeline for the fiscal 2028 budget, which pays for the school year that begins July 1, 2027. Its budget subcommittee took up fiscal 2028 budget preparation and the town's Budget Advisory Group at a Sept. 23 meeting.

For the current year, the district proposed a $59.2 million operating budget, a 6.85% increase over the year before, in its fiscal 2027 budget book. That book laid out the steps: a presentation to the committee Feb. 9, committee reviews in February and March, a public hearing March 23, a committee vote April 13 and the Town Meeting vote June 2.

The same book put enrollment at 3,251 students as of Oct. 1, 2025, and said Dartmouth spent $19,335 per student in fiscal 2024, 17% below the state average of $23,159.

The town's Budget Advisory Group meets the next morning, Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 8 a.m. in Room 315 at Town Hall. Its agenda lists a review of an efficiency request for proposals and updates on studies of the public works and police departments.

How to watch and weigh in

The meeting streams live on the Dartmouth High School television channel on YouTube, youtube.com/dhstvmedia, and is recorded for later viewing on Dartmouth Community Television. Public comment is at 6:05 p.m. and is taken in person. Observers are recognized during presentations or committee deliberation only at the chair's discretion.

The superintendent's office is at 8 Bush St. and can be reached at 508-997-3391.

Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.

Notes

Every fact comes from the Dartmouth School Committee's Nov. 16 notice and agenda (the town clerk's copy and the district's copy), the committee's Oct. 26 agenda and its budget subcommittee's Sept. 23 agenda, the district's fiscal 2027 proposed budget book, the state education department's 2026 and 2025 district MCAS reports and its Student Growth page, the district's School Committee and superintendent pages and the town's Nov. 17 Budget Advisory Group agenda, all listed below. We read them Nov. 12, 2026; the MCAS reports were first read Oct. 24 and reread from our saved copies. We checked each date and weekday against a calendar. The year-over-year comparisons are our own reading of the two state reports, and no student is named.

Corrections

No corrections to this story. If something here is wrong, tell us. Every correction is dated on the story and listed in our public log.

Sources (10)

  1. Dartmouth School Committee notice of open meeting and agenda, Nov. 16, 2026 (PDF, town clerk copy)Town of Dartmouth, Office of the Town Clerk, and Dartmouth Public Schools. Two pages; notice signed by the superintendent with Mary Beckwith as chair; file created Nov. 10, 2026. Date, time, location, live stream, DCTV recording, timed agenda. Read Nov. 12, 2026.
  2. School Committee meeting agenda, Nov. 16, 2026 (PDF, district copy)Dartmouth Public Schools, listed as "11-16-2026 Agenda" on the district Meeting Dates and Agenda page. Same timed items as the town copy. Read Nov. 12, 2026.
  3. School Committee meeting agenda, Oct. 26, 2026 (PDF)Dartmouth Public Schools. Lists Section G, Personnel, and Section H, Negotiations, for a first reading. Read Nov. 12, 2026.
  4. School Committee Budget Sub-Committee agenda, Sept. 23, 2026 (PDF)Dartmouth Public Schools. Budget Advisory Group discussion and FY28 budget preparation. Read Nov. 12, 2026.
  5. FY27 Proposed Budget (PDF, 91 pages)Dartmouth Public Schools. FY27 draft budget $59,226,287, 6.85% over FY26; the FY27 calendar (Feb. 9 presentation, March 23 hearing, April 13 vote, June 2 Town Meeting); enrollment 3,251 (Oct. 1, 2025); FY24 per pupil spending $19,335 against a state average of $23,159. Read Nov. 12, 2026.
  6. MCAS state report, district level, 2026 and 2025, grades 3 to 8, all studentsMassachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, School and District Profiles; 2026 data last updated Sept. 22, 2026. Dartmouth and state rows: shares at each achievement level, students included, participation and average growth. Read Oct. 24, 2026; the district and state Achievement Level pages for 2026 and 2025 reread Nov. 12, 2026.
  7. Student GrowthMassachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. What student growth percentiles measure. Read Oct. 24, 2026.
  8. School CommitteeDartmouth Public Schools. Members, officers and terms; the superintendent as secretary to the committee; central office at 8 Bush St., 508-997-3391. Read Nov. 12, 2026.
  9. SuperintendentDartmouth Public Schools. June Saba-Maguire, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools. Read Nov. 12, 2026.
  10. Budget Advisory Group agenda, Nov. 17, 2026 (PDF)Town of Dartmouth. 8 a.m., Town Hall, Room 315; efficiency RFP review, DPW and police department study updates. Read Nov. 12, 2026.

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