Three school districts in Grafton County received a C− overall in Niche’s latest evaluations—the lowest letter grade in its county listing.
The 2027 evaluations put all three at the same grade level, with no distinction between them based on that overall mark. Their individual report cards, however, reveal different academic results, staffing ratios and strengths.
Here’s a closer look at the three, presented alphabetically because they’re tied.
Haverhill Cooperative School District — Overall Niche Grade: C− (Tied)
Haverhill’s reading and math results show a substantial gap between subjects.
The district, based in North Haverhill and serving the Haverhill community, has approximately 626 students in preschool through 12th grade and a 10-to-1 student-teacher ratio, according to its Niche profile.
Niche reports 41% reading proficiency, compared with 21% in math, identifying those figures as results from New Hampshire’s 2024–2025 state testing program.
That 20-percentage-point difference makes math instruction and support a particularly useful topic for families to explore. The overall C− signals a concern; the subject-level results make the questions more specific.
The relatively low student-teacher ratio adds another point of interest, although it doesn’t represent average class size or establish how much individual support each student receives.
Littleton School District — Overall Niche Grade: C− (Tied)
Littleton’s report card is stronger on athletics and facilities than on academics.
The district serves Littleton students from kindergarten through high school, with approximately 569 students and an 8-to-1 student-teacher ratio, according to Niche.
Its profile gives sports a B and resources and facilities a B−, while academics and teachers each receive a C. Those differences show how a relatively low overall grade can coexist with more favorable marks elsewhere.
Niche reports 48% reading proficiency and 40% math proficiency from New Hampshire’s 2024–2025 assessments.
Fewer than half of students reached proficiency in either subject, making academic support an important question for families. At the same time, the extracurricular and facilities grades offer reasons to look beyond the headline and examine what individual schools provide.
Rivendell Interstate School District — Overall Niche Grade: C− (Tied)
Rivendell brings an unusual wrinkle to a county-level comparison: Its community crosses a state line.
Headquartered in Orford, the district serves that New Hampshire town alongside Fairlee, West Fairlee and Vershire in Vermont, according to its official district history.
Niche’s profile reports approximately 399 students in preschool through 12th grade and a 15-to-1 student-teacher ratio.
The site lists 51% reading proficiency and 34% math proficiency. It attributes those results to Vermont’s 2024–2025 statewide assessment program, so they shouldn’t be treated as a direct comparison with the New Hampshire testing figures reported for Haverhill and Littleton.
For Rivendell families, the reading-math gap provides a useful starting point for discussing instruction and support. Its interstate structure also makes school-level information especially valuable when interpreting a single districtwide grade.
What Families Can Take From the Grades
Niche’s methodology combines academics with factors including teachers, diversity, resources, extracurricular opportunities and student and parent feedback. Its overall letter grades therefore reflect more than standardized-test results alone.
The county listing contains 10 districts with verifiable overall grades. Haverhill, Littleton and Rivendell share its lowest grade; none receives a lower overall mark than the other two.
These evaluations can help families identify questions worth asking. Individual school programs, student progress, tutoring and classroom support can help answer them.
The most useful follow-up to a report card is a conversation about what a student needs next.
