Of the 449 students who took part in the English Language Arts portion of the MCAS, 80.2% scored below proficiency in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
In comparison, 18.9% met the subject benchmarks and 0.9% exceeded them.
The number of Holyoke Community Charter District students who failed their English Language Arts assessments fell by 6.7% from the previous school year.
Holyoke Community Charter District roughly covers schools within Hampden County and has a main office in Holyoke.
In the 2023-24 school year, 464,640 students took the English Language Arts test in Massachusetts with 58.2% failing the exam, 4.6% 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.
