MA School Districts Ranked By Equity: Tewksbury Near Top

TEWKSBURY, MA — A new ranking attempts to evaluate equity in school districts across Massachusetts by comparing per-pupil spending to local income. Tewksbury ranked 15 out of 290.

The ranking, created by the personal finance website WalletHub, probes whether wealthier school districts are spending more money per student than poorer districts. Wealthier towns, including Dover, Weston, Wellesley and Andover, largely appeared near the bottom of the ranking.

But some poorer districts, like Chelsea and Lawrence, also ranked low on the list due to a combination of below-average per-student spending and low household income.

To create the list, WalletHub looked at the average household income and the average per-pupil expenditure in each school district. Each district was given a base score of 50 points. For each 1 percent above the state average per-pupil spend, one point was deducted from the base score. One point was added for each 1 percent above the state's average median income.

Statewide, the average per-pupil spend was about $16,500 as of December, according to the state Department of Education. The state calculates the per-pupil spend by dividing a district's budget by the number of full-time enrolled students. The median household income in Massachusetts is about $77,378, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The most equitable district in the state, the North Shore's Pentucket Regional School District, had a per-pupil spend of $15,791 and a median income of $100,785. Dover Public Schools came in last with a per-pupil spend of $21,900 and median income at $224,784.

There are other measures to assess equity in Massachusetts schools.

The state DOE equity plan focuses on reducing teacher turnover, and training newer teachers. According to the state, low-income students have nearly double the rate of first-year teachers as high income students. Poorer students also have a higher rate of teachers rated as "needs improvement/unsatisfactory."

Equity is at the forefront of education discussions due to the coronavirus pandemic. Issues like food insecurity, special education, and access to technology have all been exacerbated by the pandemic, according to the Massachusetts Education Equity Partnership. School districts with less money may have trouble providing adequate education to students who are learning remotely either full or part-time.

Here's a look at where local school districts ranked on WalletHub's list (rankings are overall in the state):

• No. 15 Tewksbury Public Schools, $16,659 per-student with a $97,584 median household income
• No. 66 Billerica Public Schools, $17,296 per-student with a $103,129 median household income
• No. 181 Wilmington Public Schools, $17,223 per-student with a $122,813 median household income
• No. 182 Dracut Public Schools, $12,379 per-student with a $88,555 median household income
• No. 240 Lowell Public Schools, $15,674 per-student with a $51,987 median household income
• No. 267 Andover Public Schools, $18,461 per-student with a $148,125 median household income