Education
School Spending Per Student

Maintaining


Per-Student Spending

What does this measure?

Total spending by public school districts in a county, divided by total pupils.

Why is this important?

High spending for schools can mean that better facilities, programs and a greater range of opportunities are available to students. It may also signal public support for education and a more experienced teaching workforce. However, studies have found higher spending does not necessarily lead to higher student achievement, given the many factors that contribute to student success, including parental and community influences.

How is our region doing?

In 2020, public school districts in MetroWest spent $17,500 per student, about $100 below the state average, a difference that has been roughly consistent since 2008. From 2008 to 2020, with spending adjusted for inflation, spending per pupil has risen approximately 15% in MetroWest and in the state, overall.

Notes about the data

Figures have been adjusted to 2020 dollars. Comparisons can be misleading as certain categories of students--English Language Learners, children with special needs--require specialized resources that can be more expensive than general education students.

Per-Student Spending
2008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020
Massachusetts$14,962$15,688$15,487$15,364$15,372$15,579$15,875$16,316$16,702$16,813$17,013$17,342$17,575
Region$14,791$15,521$15,445$15,266$15,343$15,575$15,857$16,388$16,738$16,853$16,978$17,234$17,472
Middlesex County$15,729$16,454$16,363$16,168$16,209$16,453$16,726$17,300$17,651$17,764$17,887$18,061$18,299
Norfolk County$14,480$15,281$15,352$15,174$15,233$15,618$16,001$16,642$17,073$17,395$17,457$17,674$17,964
Worcester County$13,543$14,228$14,071$13,911$14,048$14,140$14,344$14,717$14,993$14,920$15,077$15,482$15,672
Acton School District$12,361$13,283$13,348$13,209$13,154$13,519$13,746
Acton-Boxborough School District$14,699$15,361$15,560$15,167$15,440$15,512$16,330$15,305$15,900$16,047$16,179$16,631$17,298
Ashland School District$13,622$13,970$13,705$13,816$13,707$14,084$14,508$14,859$14,117$14,529$14,914$14,680$14,845
Bedford School District$17,591$18,838$18,944$19,517$18,712$18,879$18,832$19,480$19,527$18,849$19,483$20,171$20,184
Bellingham School District$12,500$13,321$12,648$13,289$13,422$13,837$14,189$14,436$15,476$15,517$16,059$17,199$17,621
Boxborough School District$13,976$15,594$17,051$16,364$17,503$20,061$18,281
Carlisle School District$16,201$17,636$18,018$18,295$18,728$19,198$19,354$19,710$21,253$21,462$20,668$21,982$20,709
Christa McAuliffe Charter Public (District)$17,368$18,636$18,618$19,034
Concord School District$19,147$19,714$19,511$19,143$19,043$17,885$17,991$19,128$20,334$20,244$20,527$21,441$21,498
Concord-Carlisle School District$21,020$22,111$22,399$23,087$23,137$23,054$22,353$23,497$23,191$23,386$23,161$23,864$23,335
Dedham School District$16,700$17,899$17,628$17,787$18,081$18,257$18,483$19,414$20,191$20,736$20,914$21,078$21,269
Dover School District$18,132$20,014$18,571$20,259$20,643$21,467$23,326$26,494$25,053$24,353$24,776$23,392$24,311
Dover-Sherborn School District$18,860$19,045$18,873$18,979$18,525$19,023$19,296$20,390$20,487$21,384$21,614$21,677$20,827
Foxborough Regional Charter$13,002$12,904$13,560$14,715
Framingham School District$17,575$18,546$18,605$18,144$18,022$18,348$18,694$19,052$19,505$19,616$19,777$19,789$19,607
Francis W. Parker Charter Essential$16,303$16,894$15,358$18,500
Franklin School District$11,721$12,076$12,255$12,321$12,522$12,366$12,996$13,579$14,353$14,729$15,006$15,523$15,850
Harvard School District$14,941$15,527$15,555$15,505$15,764$16,321$16,970$17,251$17,673$18,785$18,569$20,204$20,196
Holliston School District$13,483$13,768$14,463$13,909$13,750$13,941$14,197$14,683$14,246$14,414$14,580$14,944$15,049
Hopkinton School District$13,630$13,940$14,149$14,149$14,060$14,448$14,329$14,779$15,234$15,753$15,477$15,273$14,818
Hudson School District$13,812$14,190$13,967$14,441$14,986$15,570$15,612$15,983$16,746$17,613$17,634$17,990$17,985
Innovation Academy Charter$14,707$15,018$15,564$16,051
Lexington School District$17,393$18,540$18,827$19,045$18,854$18,688$19,037$19,510$19,413$19,310$19,322$18,885$19,481
Lincoln School District$21,865$24,543$25,889$23,905$21,970$21,281$21,768$22,862$23,507$24,014$24,145$24,511$26,035
Lincoln-Sudbury School District$18,691$19,030$19,375$18,837$19,547$20,273$19,805$20,256$20,793$21,569$22,446$23,038$22,244
Littleton School District$13,651$13,549$14,102$14,603$14,157$14,130$14,955$15,276$15,473$15,972$15,993$16,294$16,635
Marlborough School District$16,160$16,741$16,409$16,050$16,005$16,357$16,378$17,300$17,466$17,675$17,318$17,185$17,136
Maynard School District$14,702$16,260$15,784$15,460$15,581$15,916$15,457$15,988$16,056$16,449$17,671$20,036$19,862
Medfield School District$11,969$12,718$12,748$12,999$13,335$13,688$14,294$15,122$15,448$16,054$16,377$17,037$16,870
Medway School District$11,677$12,444$13,013$13,394$13,273$13,812$13,805$14,531$14,964$15,126$15,344$16,208$16,259
Milford School District$13,069$13,887$14,219$14,050$13,847$13,808$14,100$14,566$14,971$14,876$15,097$15,468$15,349
Millis School District$12,039$12,765$12,266$12,132$11,992$13,014$13,571$14,730$15,460$15,566$15,070$16,909$17,466
Nashoba School District$14,510$14,956$14,861$14,380$14,300$14,562$14,922$15,576$16,001$16,435$17,099$17,577$17,955
Natick School District$14,760$15,593$15,323$14,554$14,819$15,010$14,813$15,335$15,410$17,446$16,896$16,395$16,745
Needham School District$15,088$15,628$15,724$15,650$15,490$15,909$16,420$17,362$17,843$18,273$18,706$19,059$19,193
Sherborn School District$15,266$17,034$18,734$17,407$17,720$21,461$20,092$21,330$20,634$19,508$20,060$21,486$21,731
Southborough School District$14,146$15,247$15,473$15,914$16,718$17,015$17,842$18,629$19,155$19,784$19,940$20,495$20,696
Sudbury School District$13,412$13,569$14,007$14,220$14,541$14,916$15,575$16,062$16,454$16,478$17,064$17,318$17,801
Walpole School District$13,501$14,250$14,208$13,452$13,550$14,185$14,760$15,372$15,360$15,890$16,306$16,676$16,649
Waltham School District$21,254$22,813$22,503$22,714$21,304$20,959$21,320$21,774$21,828$21,771$22,313$22,239$21,571
Wayland School District$16,869$17,302$18,064$17,438$17,926$17,972$17,979$19,276$19,100$19,502$19,326$19,683$19,497
Wellesley School District$16,728$17,287$18,269$17,743$17,004$19,145$18,703$19,858$20,096$20,931$21,006$21,276$21,516
Westborough School District$15,494$16,140$16,093$16,116$16,396$15,893$16,110$16,102$16,773$16,360$16,325$17,208$16,936
Westford School District$11,775$12,246$12,696$12,862$12,906$13,152$13,697$14,324$14,588$14,804$15,261$15,317$15,757
Weston School District$20,456$21,742$22,066$22,266$22,450$22,863$23,672$24,862$25,771$25,579$26,146$26,165$27,039
Westwood School District$15,993$16,695$16,396$16,107$16,004$16,472$16,767$17,311$18,022$18,578$18,872$19,562$19,859

Source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
Notes: Figures are in constant 2020 dollars.




Total Student Spending
2008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020
Massachusetts$14,807,313,398$15,454,804,209$15,272,999,334$15,128,087,143$15,050,816,855$15,294,422,769$15,596,614,309$16,038,800,304$16,405,348,907$17,296,023,796$16,786,543,156$17,914,969,617$18,142,490,481
Region$6,756,746,545$7,080,330,794$7,076,853,473$6,990,446,212$7,002,505,869$7,114,350,832$7,256,343,366$7,487,833,933$7,655,687,331$7,971,803,541$8,079,345,245$8,204,726,602$8,318,499,962
Middlesex County$3,410,857,903$3,558,918,553$3,554,359,267$3,508,773,971$3,516,040,015$3,575,323,144$3,660,819,106$3,786,708,733$3,880,781,030$4,092,579,061$4,143,929,033$4,195,840,902$4,257,327,505
Norfolk County$1,482,658,915$1,569,456,666$1,581,988,633$1,568,113,134$1,573,074,081$1,614,086,530$1,651,270,899$1,714,073,016$1,755,246,316$1,819,689,277$1,860,965,899$1,893,456,253$1,926,720,219
Worcester County$1,863,229,727$1,951,955,576$1,940,505,573$1,913,559,107$1,913,391,773$1,924,941,157$1,944,253,362$1,987,052,184$2,019,659,986$2,059,535,202$2,074,450,314$2,115,429,447$2,134,452,237
Acton School District$32,433,118$34,487,155$35,381,113$34,278,577$33,648,621$34,414,669$34,375,122
Acton-Boxborough School District$44,430,704$46,676,320$46,882,263$45,868,877$46,321,043$46,645,554$48,792,806$88,611,371$91,368,795$92,230,056$93,220,787$94,974,450$96,289,999
Ashland School District$37,484,040$38,059,739$37,564,096$37,643,158$36,899,831$37,616,117$39,267,807$40,602,728$39,892,605$40,936,383$42,570,672$43,103,004$43,599,903
Bedford School District$43,149,850$46,834,732$47,227,550$47,876,753$47,892,076$48,222,170$49,569,361$50,902,689$51,019,310$50,576,220$52,425,312$54,763,926$55,192,859
Bellingham School District$34,826,175$36,894,808$34,907,324$35,638,510$34,945,703$35,408,007$36,028,151$36,615,766$38,178,518$38,628,464$39,753,650$42,065,799$42,475,337
Boxborough School District$7,895,049$8,280,672$8,629,668$8,099,978$8,436,400$8,307,193$8,138,539
Carlisle School District$12,641,402$12,953,875$12,733,604$12,588,573$12,250,155$12,478,737$12,427,522$12,728,651$13,123,925$12,832,132$13,008,127$13,514,350$12,783,670
Christa McAuliffe Charter Public (District)$6,849,960$7,390,921$7,328,143$7,543,119
Concord School District$36,486,008$37,947,653$38,196,416$37,879,255$38,734,597$39,058,560$39,796,555$40,924,008$42,994,036$43,680,208$44,107,329$46,044,278$45,928,980
Concord-Carlisle School District$27,090,176$28,134,441$28,704,958$28,798,900$28,749,448$29,176,520$28,618,412$30,694,632$30,948,097$30,981,476$30,461,434$30,980,530$30,853,561
Dedham School District$49,196,357$52,561,112$52,514,574$52,676,961$52,863,234$53,017,840$52,762,148$55,034,142$56,319,709$57,317,448$57,599,188$58,274,809$60,482,762
Dover School District$11,207,595$12,052,606$10,969,754$11,314,439$10,992,420$11,609,538$12,285,709$13,117,088$12,328,469$12,147,280$12,539,354$11,927,414$12,123,910
Dover-Sherborn School District$20,542,824$21,584,224$22,124,902$22,330,812$22,472,574$22,721,403$23,145,534$24,589,788$24,787,284$25,577,617$26,167,543$26,329,005$26,075,007
Foxborough Regional Charter$16,377,371$18,868,009$21,957,128$24,172,723
Framingham School District$147,875,349$157,219,483$158,003,800$155,997,969$155,743,674$159,987,608$166,374,041$171,162,884$180,022,983$183,970,473$187,795,882$190,027,253$194,503,804
Francis W. Parker Charter Essential$6,418,592$6,700,173$6,060,280$7,335,368
Franklin School District$78,482,162$81,133,119$81,094,439$80,563,920$80,770,093$79,575,367$81,246,774$83,645,984$85,377,130$86,700,737$86,137,924$88,131,419$88,303,922
Harvard School District$20,318,163$20,499,758$20,552,605$20,424,583$20,666,621$20,654,334$20,808,712$20,708,362$21,012,822$21,980,555$21,212,981$22,549,206$22,154,992
Holliston School District$41,041,650$41,378,028$42,549,160$40,710,254$40,044,955$40,250,007$41,050,884$42,581,310$42,377,828$42,727,164$43,556,503$44,508,841$45,368,086
Hopkinton School District$47,448,945$48,981,511$49,815,976$49,149,529$48,962,612$50,088,611$50,299,018$51,770,601$53,379,423$55,917,683$56,283,398$57,941,238$58,501,853
Hudson School District$41,523,224$43,577,177$44,283,339$44,946,464$46,154,602$47,378,762$48,071,895$48,047,846$49,548,626$50,413,108$50,305,805$50,054,846$50,601,612
Innovation Academy Charter$11,647,854$12,026,209$12,352,884$12,758,632
Lexington School District$110,088,770$117,385,771$118,685,899$122,270,234$123,194,520$123,791,346$127,506,672$134,134,043$136,399,896$139,183,153$142,106,130$139,401,857$142,948,834
Lincoln School District$26,965,753$27,593,753$27,019,927$26,309,720$25,707,256$26,360,624$27,123,036$27,848,625$28,880,091$29,673,497$29,956,360$30,460,431$30,458,591
Lincoln-Sudbury School District$30,343,124$31,174,683$31,330,948$30,617,889$31,630,606$32,600,587$32,874,272$33,227,550$33,965,463$34,567,967$34,888,263$35,922,724$34,882,541
Littleton School District$23,937,737$24,163,005$24,603,387$24,914,252$25,006,359$24,343,524$25,527,568$26,283,111$27,222,284$28,364,565$28,656,743$29,052,661$29,653,389
Marlborough School District$79,774,490$82,245,231$82,002,618$80,604,441$80,991,988$84,537,047$84,445,924$89,541,162$90,838,879$93,890,290$93,583,819$93,965,651$94,688,521
Maynard School District$20,829,239$21,735,823$22,607,845$21,829,947$21,880,784$22,763,470$22,960,113$24,100,488$24,498,052$25,640,023$26,883,638$29,906,042$28,470,329
Medfield School District$36,633,562$38,479,899$38,757,265$38,501,917$38,138,387$38,138,630$38,426,183$39,748,190$40,722,948$42,064,119$43,176,860$44,530,538$44,347,561
Medway School District$33,147,883$35,085,800$36,075,763$36,592,164$35,406,338$35,741,787$35,008,489$36,331,518$36,770,662$36,767,765$36,518,932$37,578,747$36,988,294
Milford School District$56,549,296$59,702,817$60,584,636$60,925,706$60,295,387$60,682,304$62,121,879$63,975,183$65,547,122$66,719,548$67,986,993$70,583,356$72,657,471
Millis School District$16,772,886$18,566,763$18,313,381$18,451,936$18,216,493$19,529,491$19,860,269$21,020,102$21,637,612$21,433,140$20,330,806$21,719,595$21,877,313
Nashoba School District$49,447,326$52,144,250$52,584,332$51,619,770$51,339,219$52,423,756$53,128,196$56,162,638$56,694,920$57,703,206$59,091,624$59,165,324$59,652,269
Natick School District$71,052,536$76,161,753$75,114,115$72,148,218$75,250,525$78,692,883$80,588,242$84,653,159$85,394,504$97,998,570$95,135,656$92,655,173$94,514,243
Needham School District$77,181,561$81,649,223$85,075,168$85,299,368$85,454,586$88,478,274$92,095,638$97,678,823$101,312,932$104,402,509$107,996,709$111,155,170$111,833,201
Sherborn School District$7,681,870$8,413,323$8,656,916$7,629,488$7,288,387$8,912,565$7,968,453$8,382,635$8,325,801$8,569,670$8,695,976$9,075,670$9,085,872
Southborough School District$23,379,173$24,998,954$24,921,748$24,581,759$24,874,360$25,132,872$25,111,065$25,188,421$25,413,119$26,510,995$26,485,950$26,424,117$26,830,387
Sudbury School District$44,410,060$44,703,164$45,016,421$44,866,209$45,472,050$45,559,062$46,065,478$46,592,113$46,908,389$46,928,138$47,271,645$47,389,987$48,654,119
Walpole School District$53,997,254$57,026,410$57,305,169$54,141,281$55,002,490$57,878,617$59,765,961$61,284,049$61,307,341$63,062,699$64,097,347$64,801,128$63,848,813
Waltham School District$104,217,326$110,124,817$109,461,493$109,266,102$108,259,401$108,920,957$113,572,979$118,676,917$121,646,555$123,456,868$128,317,856$128,576,325$128,636,739
Wayland School District$48,087,217$48,747,416$50,171,424$47,883,281$49,030,987$49,540,598$49,065,786$52,308,114$51,995,318$52,922,621$53,624,464$54,351,522$54,371,473
Wellesley School District$81,100,309$85,616,778$87,685,394$88,358,354$85,004,668$95,569,563$94,712,346$101,156,283$102,264,898$105,833,417$106,628,089$106,962,839$106,148,791
Westborough School District$55,640,388$58,193,894$58,497,012$57,569,070$58,568,278$57,201,097$58,603,094$58,863,947$62,193,802$63,664,966$65,811,721$68,811,539$68,011,973
Westford School District$62,746,386$65,368,011$67,511,060$68,660,710$68,303,056$69,416,371$71,453,818$74,032,144$75,444,389$76,716,634$78,578,665$79,131,819$79,266,713
Weston School District$49,868,152$52,477,127$53,153,195$53,252,949$53,151,460$54,407,720$55,471,870$56,446,519$56,456,674$56,061,478$55,920,135$55,692,397$56,057,799
Westwood School District$48,764,764$51,796,875$51,561,431$51,007,697$51,120,586$52,085,777$53,596,535$55,933,877$56,949,031$58,915,573$59,450,278$61,073,633$60,375,039

Source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
Notes: Figures are in constant 2020 dollars.




INDICATORS REGIONAL TREND
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Children Living in Poverty Maintaining
Children Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families Increasing
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Disengaged Youth Decreasing
Reports of Domestic Violence Maintaining
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Establishments Increasing
Households Without Vehicles Maintaining
Means of Transportation to Work Not Applicable
Households With Internet Access Not Applicable
Voter Participation Rate Increasing
Average Charitable Contribution Maintaining
People Without Health Insurance Decreasing
Drug Poisoning Mortality Rate Increasing
Crimes Against People Decreasing
Incarceration Rates, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Change in Total Population Increasing
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Foreign-Born Population Increasing
Language Diversity Increasing
Population by Age Not Applicable
Change in Population by Age/Gender Not Applicable
Seniors Living Alone Decreasing
People with Disabilities Maintaining
Change in Total Jobs by Sector Not Applicable
Business Ownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate Increasing
Share of Workers who are Professionals, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Average Salary by Sector Not Applicable
High-Tech Jobs Maintaining
Female to Male Earnings Ratio Maintaining
Prekindergarten Participation Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 3 English, by Student Group Not Applicable
School Spending Per Student Maintaining
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math by Student Group Not Applicable
Chronically Absent Students Increasing
High School Cohort Graduation Rate by Student Group Not Applicable
Education Levels of Adults Not Applicable
College Admission Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Education Levels of Adults, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty Increasing
People Living in Poverty, by Education Level Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Households Receiving Temporary Assistance Maintaining
Participation in Food Assistance by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income Maintaining
Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Living Wage Not Applicable
80/20 Income Ratio Maintaining
Access to Financial Services, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homeownership Rates Increasing
Homeownership Rates, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Homeownership Increasing
Cost of Homeownership, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Rent Not Applicable
Cost of Rent, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homelessness Increasing
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Children Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Incarceration Rates, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Business Ownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Share of Workers who are Professionals, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 3 English, by Student Group Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math by Student Group Not Applicable
High School Cohort Graduation Rate by Student Group Not Applicable
College Admission Rate, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Education Levels of Adults, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Participation in Food Assistance by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Access to Financial Services, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homeownership Rates, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Homeownership, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Cost of Rent, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable


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