Education

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 2022, public school districts in MetroWest spent $19,800 per student, about $300 below the state average. Since 2008, MetroWest per-student spending has been roughly consistent with the state's level.

From 2008 to 2022, spending per pupil, adjusted for inflation, has risen approximately 19% in the state and 18% in MetroWest, overall.

Notes about the data

Figures have been adjusted to 2022 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
200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022
Massachusetts$16,919$17,739$17,512$17,374$17,382$17,617$17,951$18,450$18,886$19,012$19,237$19,610$19,871$20,588$20,134
Region$16,725$17,550$17,465$17,262$17,350$17,611$17,931$18,531$18,927$19,057$19,198$19,487$19,759$20,464$19,780
Middlesex County$17,786$18,606$18,502$18,283$18,329$18,605$18,913$19,562$19,960$20,087$20,225$20,423$20,694$21,474$20,738
Norfolk County$16,374$17,280$17,359$17,159$17,225$17,660$18,094$18,818$19,306$19,670$19,740$19,985$20,317$21,029$20,172
Worcester County$15,313$16,088$15,910$15,730$15,885$15,989$16,220$16,641$16,954$16,871$17,048$17,507$17,723$18,283$17,823
Acton School District$13,978$15,020$15,094$14,936$14,874$15,287$15,544
Acton-Boxborough School District$16,621$17,369$17,595$17,150$17,459$17,540$18,466$17,306$17,980$18,145$18,295$18,805$19,561$20,475$19,315
Ashland School District$15,403$15,797$15,497$15,622$15,499$15,925$16,405$16,802$15,963$16,429$16,864$16,600$16,786$17,444$16,074
Bedford School District$19,892$21,301$21,421$22,069$21,159$21,348$21,295$22,027$22,081$21,314$22,031$22,809$22,823$23,083$22,107
Bellingham School District$14,135$15,063$14,302$15,027$15,177$15,646$16,045$16,324$17,499$17,546$18,160$19,448$19,925$20,994$20,659
Boxborough School District$15,804$17,634$19,281$18,503$19,792$22,684$20,671
Carlisle School District$18,319$19,943$20,375$20,687$21,177$21,709$21,885$22,287$24,033$24,269$23,370$24,856$23,417$23,145$22,655
Christa McAuliffe Charter Public (District)$19,639$21,073$21,053$21,523$20,761$17,101
Concord School District$21,650$22,292$22,062$21,646$21,533$20,224$20,344$21,629$22,993$22,891$23,212$24,245$24,310$25,131$24,822
Concord-Carlisle School District$23,768$25,003$25,329$26,106$26,162$26,068$25,276$26,570$26,223$26,444$26,190$26,985$26,386$25,213$24,823
Dedham School District$18,884$20,240$19,933$20,113$20,445$20,645$20,899$21,953$22,832$23,447$23,649$23,835$24,050$25,932$24,661
Dover School District$20,503$22,632$20,999$22,908$23,342$24,275$26,376$29,958$28,329$27,538$28,016$26,451$27,490$27,910$24,988
Dover-Sherborn School District$21,327$21,536$21,341$21,461$20,947$21,511$21,819$23,056$23,166$24,181$24,440$24,512$23,550$23,610$23,350
Foxborough Regional Charter$14,702$14,591$15,333$16,640$16,598$14,449
Framingham School District$19,873$20,971$21,038$20,516$20,379$20,747$21,139$21,543$22,056$22,182$22,363$22,377$22,171$23,106$22,484
Francis W. Parker Charter Essential$18,435$19,103$17,366$20,920$20,986$16,238
Franklin School District$13,254$13,655$13,858$13,932$14,159$13,983$14,696$15,354$16,230$16,655$16,969$17,553$17,923$18,429$17,651
Harvard School District$16,895$17,557$17,589$17,532$17,825$18,455$19,189$19,507$19,984$21,242$20,997$22,846$22,837$22,687$22,506
Holliston School District$15,246$15,569$16,354$15,728$15,548$15,764$16,053$16,603$16,109$16,299$16,487$16,899$17,017$17,089$16,300
Hopkinton School District$15,412$15,763$15,999$16,000$15,898$16,338$16,202$16,712$17,226$17,813$17,501$17,270$16,755$17,140$16,177
Hudson School District$15,618$16,046$15,793$16,330$16,946$17,606$17,654$18,073$18,935$19,917$19,940$20,343$20,336$21,474$20,745
Innovation Academy Charter$16,630$16,982$17,599$18,150$18,274$16,007
Lexington School District$19,667$20,964$21,289$21,535$21,320$21,131$21,526$22,061$21,952$21,836$21,849$21,354$22,186$23,144$22,737
Lincoln School District$24,724$27,752$29,274$27,031$24,843$24,064$24,615$25,852$26,580$27,154$27,302$27,717$29,440$30,444$30,586
Lincoln-Sudbury School District$21,135$21,518$21,908$21,300$22,103$22,924$22,395$22,905$23,512$24,389$25,382$26,050$25,152$25,986$24,401
Littleton School District$15,437$15,321$15,946$16,513$16,009$15,978$16,910$17,274$17,497$18,061$18,085$18,425$18,810$19,201$18,317
Marlborough School District$18,274$18,930$18,554$18,149$18,098$18,496$18,520$19,562$19,750$19,986$19,582$19,433$19,377$19,756$18,104
Maynard School District$16,624$18,386$17,848$17,482$17,619$17,998$17,478$18,079$18,155$18,599$19,982$22,656$22,459$22,574$23,022
Medfield School District$13,534$14,381$14,415$14,699$15,079$15,478$16,163$17,099$17,468$18,153$18,519$19,265$19,076$19,910$18,770
Medway School District$13,204$14,071$14,715$15,146$15,009$15,618$15,610$16,432$16,921$17,104$17,351$18,328$18,380$19,412$18,537
Milford School District$14,778$15,703$16,078$15,888$15,657$15,613$15,943$16,471$16,929$16,821$17,072$17,490$17,356$17,818$17,465
Millis School District$13,613$14,434$13,870$13,719$13,560$14,716$15,346$16,657$17,481$17,602$17,041$19,120$19,749$19,912$20,251
Nashoba School District$16,408$16,912$16,804$16,261$16,170$16,466$16,873$17,612$18,093$18,585$19,335$19,875$20,302$21,136$19,399
Natick School District$16,691$17,633$17,327$16,457$16,757$16,973$16,750$17,341$17,425$19,728$19,106$18,539$18,934$18,789$18,169
Needham School District$17,061$17,672$17,781$17,696$17,516$17,989$18,568$19,633$20,177$20,663$21,152$21,551$21,703$22,839$22,808
Sherborn School District$17,262$19,262$21,184$19,683$20,038$24,267$22,719$24,119$23,332$22,059$22,683$24,296$24,573$23,357$21,997
Southborough School District$15,996$17,241$17,496$17,995$18,904$19,240$20,175$21,065$21,660$22,371$22,547$23,175$23,387$23,247$22,584
Sudbury School District$15,166$15,344$15,838$16,079$16,442$16,866$17,611$18,163$18,606$18,632$19,295$19,583$20,128$21,552$20,450
Walpole School District$15,267$16,113$16,066$15,211$15,322$16,040$16,690$17,382$17,368$17,968$18,438$18,856$18,826$18,788$18,501
Waltham School District$24,033$25,796$25,446$25,684$24,090$23,700$24,108$24,621$24,683$24,618$25,231$25,147$24,391$25,496$24,045
Wayland School District$19,075$19,565$20,426$19,718$20,270$20,322$20,330$21,796$21,598$22,052$21,853$22,256$22,047$22,263$21,579
Wellesley School District$18,915$19,547$20,657$20,064$19,228$21,648$21,149$22,454$22,724$23,668$23,753$24,058$24,330$26,118$25,313
Westborough School District$17,521$18,250$18,198$18,224$18,540$17,971$18,217$18,207$18,967$18,500$18,460$19,459$19,150$19,761$19,427
Westford School District$13,315$13,847$14,357$14,544$14,593$14,872$15,489$16,197$16,496$16,739$17,256$17,320$17,802$17,557$17,328
Weston School District$23,131$24,585$24,952$25,177$25,385$25,853$26,767$28,113$29,141$28,924$29,565$29,587$30,575$32,720$30,446
Westwood School District$18,085$18,878$18,540$18,213$18,097$18,626$18,960$19,575$20,379$21,007$21,340$22,120$22,456$22,140$22,370

Source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
Notes: Figures are in constant 2022 dollars.




Total Student Spending
200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022
Massachusetts$16,743,624,894$17,475,786,292$17,270,207,294$17,106,345,337$17,018,970,626$17,294,432,213$17,636,140,506$18,136,149,943$18,550,631,095$19,557,777,081$18,981,673,064$20,257,660,738$20,512,161,621$20,440,577,302$20,197,461,902
Region$7,640,307,638$8,006,206,106$8,002,274,065$7,904,567,566$7,918,204,230$8,044,674,850$8,205,235,356$8,466,997,306$8,656,800,430$9,014,254,283$9,135,858,919$9,277,636,050$9,407,442,246$9,354,084,629$9,184,830,216
Middlesex County$3,856,886,375$4,024,308,507$4,019,153,016$3,967,606,657$3,975,822,861$4,042,858,282$4,139,534,314$4,281,886,180$4,388,260,052$4,627,754,327$4,685,819,193$4,744,519,434$4,814,600,900$4,798,907,753$4,718,756,224
Norfolk County$1,676,542,128$1,774,690,181$1,788,860,919$1,773,170,960$1,778,780,636$1,825,156,170$1,867,203,036$1,938,217,613$1,984,775,031$2,057,645,021$2,104,319,272$2,141,058,300$2,179,117,735$2,173,051,975$2,107,923,733
Worcester County$2,106,879,135$2,207,207,418$2,194,260,130$2,163,789,949$2,163,600,733$2,176,660,398$2,198,498,006$2,246,893,512$2,283,765,346$2,328,854,935$2,345,720,455$2,392,058,316$2,413,723,611$2,382,124,902$2,358,150,259
Acton School District$36,674,307$38,996,945$40,007,804$38,761,092$38,048,759$38,914,981$38,870,262
Acton-Boxborough School District$50,240,784$52,780,054$53,012,927$51,867,023$52,378,318$52,745,265$55,173,306$100,198,836$103,316,841$104,290,725$105,411,012$107,393,997$108,881,577$109,435,399$103,747,255
Ashland School District$42,385,724$43,036,706$42,476,249$42,565,650$41,725,121$42,535,073$44,402,750$45,912,235$45,109,250$46,289,520$48,137,522$48,739,465$49,301,342$49,006,830$47,967,197
Bedford School District$48,792,437$52,959,181$53,403,366$54,137,464$54,154,790$54,528,050$56,051,409$57,559,093$57,690,964$57,189,933$59,280,825$61,925,253$62,410,277$61,694,211$59,388,264
Bellingham School District$39,380,297$41,719,440$39,472,058$40,298,860$39,515,456$40,038,215$40,739,452$41,403,908$43,171,017$43,679,801$44,952,125$47,566,627$48,029,720$48,035,879$48,041,586
Boxborough School District$8,927,463$9,363,513$9,758,146$9,159,190$9,539,605$9,393,501$9,202,793
Carlisle School District$14,294,483$14,647,817$14,398,742$14,234,746$13,852,074$14,110,547$14,052,635$14,393,142$14,840,105$14,510,154$14,709,164$15,281,584$14,455,355$13,840,741$14,261,370
Christa McAuliffe Charter Public (District)$7,745,711$8,357,411$8,286,424$8,529,512$8,277,263$6,563,531
Concord School District$41,257,183$42,909,962$43,191,255$42,832,620$43,799,813$44,166,140$45,000,641$46,275,527$48,616,248$49,392,148$49,875,122$52,065,361$51,934,985$51,212,100$50,393,823
Concord-Carlisle School District$30,632,683$31,813,505$32,458,626$32,564,852$32,508,934$32,991,853$32,360,762$34,708,484$34,995,095$35,032,838$34,444,792$35,031,769$34,888,196$33,976,948$33,808,579
Dedham School District$55,629,629$59,434,383$59,381,760$59,565,382$59,776,013$59,950,836$59,661,708$62,230,805$63,684,482$64,812,693$65,131,275$65,895,245$68,391,926$68,946,282$66,898,333
Dover School District$12,673,181$13,628,692$12,404,238$12,793,997$12,429,868$13,127,685$13,892,277$14,832,373$13,940,629$13,735,747$14,179,091$13,487,129$13,709,320$13,754,092$12,691,430
Dover-Sherborn School District$23,229,153$24,406,733$25,018,114$25,250,950$25,411,250$25,692,618$26,172,211$27,805,327$28,028,649$28,922,331$29,589,400$29,771,976$29,484,764$28,794,213$28,103,605
Foxborough Regional Charter$18,518,994$21,335,326$24,828,401$27,333,723$28,129,949$24,057,766
Framingham School District$167,212,600$177,778,641$178,665,520$176,397,392$176,109,844$180,908,745$188,130,315$193,545,382$203,564,092$208,027,783$212,353,432$214,876,592$219,938,530$218,650,339$224,379,948
Francis W. Parker Charter Essential$7,257,934$7,576,336$6,852,766$8,294,593$8,283,157$6,206,037
Franklin School District$88,745,057$91,742,673$91,698,935$91,099,041$91,332,175$89,981,218$91,871,191$94,584,138$96,541,662$98,038,353$97,401,943$99,656,121$99,851,182$97,872,987$92,932,730
Harvard School District$22,975,113$23,180,455$23,240,212$23,095,449$23,369,139$23,355,244$23,529,810$23,416,338$23,760,610$24,854,891$23,986,944$25,497,904$25,052,139$24,016,519$24,628,720
Holliston School District$46,408,553$46,788,918$48,113,196$46,033,821$45,281,524$45,513,389$46,418,995$48,149,550$47,919,460$48,314,477$49,252,266$50,329,139$51,300,745$49,117,738$47,942,455
Hopkinton School District$53,653,713$55,386,688$56,330,274$55,576,677$55,365,318$56,638,561$56,876,482$58,540,500$60,359,703$63,229,885$63,643,422$65,518,053$66,151,979$68,702,687$66,548,973
Hudson School District$46,953,101$49,275,645$50,074,149$50,823,989$52,190,112$53,574,352$54,358,124$54,330,930$56,027,963$57,005,490$56,884,157$56,600,380$57,218,645$57,479,840$55,519,890
Innovation Academy Charter$13,171,012$13,598,843$13,968,236$14,427,043$14,350,728$12,296,855
Lexington School District$124,484,775$132,735,984$134,206,127$138,259,175$139,304,328$139,979,199$144,180,368$151,674,381$154,236,534$157,383,750$160,688,957$157,631,053$162,792,952$162,047,275$158,508,297
Lincoln School District$30,491,990$31,202,112$30,553,248$29,750,170$29,068,923$29,807,730$30,669,840$31,490,312$32,656,660$33,553,819$33,873,671$34,443,657$34,441,576$33,954,097$33,579,964
Lincoln-Sudbury School District$34,311,010$35,251,310$35,428,010$34,621,706$35,766,853$36,863,676$37,173,149$37,572,625$38,407,033$39,088,324$39,450,505$40,620,239$39,444,035$40,569,697$38,465,870
Littleton School District$27,068,009$27,322,734$27,820,704$28,172,219$28,276,372$27,526,860$28,865,738$29,720,080$30,782,067$32,073,721$32,404,106$32,851,798$33,531,081$32,110,918$32,242,689
Marlborough School District$90,206,380$93,000,212$92,725,874$91,144,861$91,583,086$95,591,723$95,488,684$101,250,213$102,717,629$106,168,064$105,821,516$106,253,279$107,070,678$106,004,254$101,093,590
Maynard School District$23,553,021$24,578,157$25,564,211$24,684,589$24,742,074$25,740,187$25,962,543$27,252,042$27,701,595$28,992,898$30,399,137$33,816,773$32,193,316$30,359,580$31,618,509
Medfield School District$41,424,031$43,511,809$43,825,446$43,536,706$43,125,638$43,125,913$43,451,069$44,945,951$46,048,176$47,564,728$48,822,979$50,353,673$50,146,769$49,972,999$48,095,732
Medway School District$37,482,540$39,673,873$40,793,291$41,377,220$40,036,327$40,415,642$39,586,453$41,082,490$41,579,060$41,575,784$41,294,411$42,492,816$41,812,298$42,333,127$41,258,545
Milford School District$63,944,091$67,509,990$68,507,121$68,892,792$68,180,048$68,617,561$70,245,386$72,341,041$74,118,538$75,444,279$76,877,465$79,813,346$82,158,688$82,148,429$84,868,510
Millis School District$18,966,231$20,994,687$20,708,171$20,864,845$20,598,613$22,083,309$22,457,342$23,768,843$24,467,103$24,235,892$22,989,409$24,559,806$24,738,149$24,320,958$24,951,051
Nashoba School District$55,913,416$58,963,010$59,460,640$58,369,945$58,052,707$59,279,066$60,075,623$63,506,871$64,108,759$65,248,895$66,818,873$66,902,210$67,452,832$67,895,307$62,926,088
Natick School District$80,343,880$86,121,215$84,936,580$81,582,841$85,090,829$88,983,334$91,126,543$95,723,019$96,561,308$110,813,572$107,576,283$104,771,434$106,873,610$101,499,989$99,428,601
Needham School District$87,274,381$92,326,266$96,200,213$96,453,731$96,629,246$100,048,333$104,138,731$110,452,013$114,561,344$118,054,936$122,119,140$125,690,625$126,457,320$128,660,427$128,972,522
Sherborn School District$8,686,407$9,513,510$9,788,957$8,627,176$8,241,469$10,078,037$9,010,466$9,478,809$9,414,543$9,690,302$9,833,125$10,262,470$10,274,006$9,261,163$8,988,106
Southborough School District$26,436,403$28,267,998$28,180,696$27,796,247$28,127,111$28,419,428$28,394,770$28,482,241$28,736,322$29,977,765$29,949,445$29,879,526$30,318,374$29,465,937$29,194,475
Sudbury School District$50,217,440$50,548,873$50,903,094$50,733,239$51,418,304$51,516,695$52,089,333$52,684,836$53,042,469$53,064,801$53,453,228$53,587,045$55,016,484$55,612,194$52,826,939
Walpole School District$61,058,325$64,483,596$64,798,808$61,221,187$62,195,013$65,447,244$67,581,391$69,297,995$69,324,333$71,309,234$72,479,180$73,274,993$72,198,145$71,231,729$69,866,438
Waltham School District$117,845,538$124,525,535$123,775,470$123,554,529$122,416,184$123,164,250$128,424,604$134,195,969$137,553,939$139,600,981$145,097,628$145,389,896$145,458,210$143,231,255$140,205,675
Wayland School District$54,375,449$55,121,981$56,732,203$54,144,846$55,442,634$56,018,885$55,481,984$59,148,302$58,794,603$59,843,166$60,636,787$61,458,920$61,481,481$61,484,228$59,929,914
Wellesley School District$91,705,573$96,812,648$99,151,771$99,912,732$96,120,494$108,066,931$107,097,618$114,384,211$115,637,797$119,672,961$120,571,550$120,950,075$120,029,576$117,201,196$110,932,530
Westborough School District$62,916,328$65,803,749$66,146,504$65,097,219$66,227,090$64,681,127$66,266,459$66,561,423$70,326,713$71,990,257$74,417,738$77,809,834$76,905,711$77,140,865$77,168,396
Westford School District$70,951,558$73,916,005$76,339,295$77,639,282$77,234,858$78,493,758$80,797,637$83,713,123$85,310,044$86,748,656$88,854,180$89,479,668$89,555,355$85,163,716$84,582,483
Weston School District$56,389,272$59,339,417$60,103,892$60,216,690$60,101,929$61,522,467$62,725,774$63,827,874$63,839,357$63,392,483$63,232,657$62,975,139$63,388,323$63,395,875$60,645,742
Westwood School District$55,141,597$58,570,210$58,303,977$57,677,833$57,805,484$58,896,890$60,605,206$63,248,196$64,396,099$66,619,799$67,224,426$69,060,063$68,270,116$65,973,657$65,763,675

Source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
Notes: Figures are in constant 2022 dollars.




INDICATORS REGIONAL TREND


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