Worcester
Public school district · Worcester County · Massachusetts · NCES district ID 2513230
Worcester spent $22,198 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 59% of the other Massachusetts districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $21,173). Its 45 schools enrolled 24,693 students in 2024-25; 65.1% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $24,492 per student, up 10.3% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 85% (Massachusetts: 89.2%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Massachusetts's largest districts
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. Among the 10 districts shown, Worcester ranks 9.
Where the money came from
$591,704,000 in revenue: 65.1% state, 14.8% local and 20.0% federal. Total spending including $131,176,000 of capital outlay was $744,978,000, or $30,153 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$385,300,000 65%
- Local$87,799,000 15%
- Federal$118,605,000 20%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 243 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment rose from 2022-23 to 2024-25
24,318 students in 2022-23, 24,350 students in 2023-24, 24,693 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 24,318 | 1656.0 | 14.7 |
| 2023-24 | 24,350 | 1969.3 | 12.4 |
| 2024-25 | 24,693 | 1841.7 | 13.4 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$173,754,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $7,033 per student
Worcester booked $173,754,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 1,716 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $101,262 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 92 in 100 Massachusetts districts with a figure (state median $83,840, 276 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Massachusetts teacher salary at $88,903 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $135,557,000 | 78.0% |
| Special education | $29,340,000 | 16.9% |
| Vocational | $8,857,000 | 5.1% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $5,573 in 2018-19, $6,145 in 2019-20, $6,775 in 2020-21, $6,938 in 2021-22, $7,033 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Worcester scored proficient or above: 29% in reading and 23% in math, against 43.7% in reading and 40.7% in math across Massachusetts. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Massachusetts, not across states.
| Subject | This district | Massachusetts | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 29% | 43.7% | 12,317 |
| Math | 23% | 40.7% | 12,307 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
85% of the 1,862 students in Worcester's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 89.2% across Massachusetts. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Massachusetts | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 85% | 89.2% |
| Students in the class | 1,862 | 72,602 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
33 elementary schools, 13,143 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinsigamond | 738 | 13.3 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Nelson Place | 621 | 13.4 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Belmont Street Community | 615 | 14.8 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Roosevelt | 604 | 13.8 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Gates Lane | 547 | 12.4 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Vernon Hill School | 525 | 13.4 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Chandler Magnet | 519 | 11.6 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Norrback Avenue | 504 | 11.8 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Rice Square | 502 | 15.3 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Woodland Academy | 482 | 12.3 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Elm Park Community | 478 | 14.9 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| City View | 464 | 12.1 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
The other 21 elementary schools
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flagg Street | 412 | 18.3 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Chandler Elementary Community | 402 | 14.5 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Grafton Street | 386 | 11.5 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Columbus Park | 381 | 13.0 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Union Hill School | 377 | 13.1 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Tatnuck | 376 | 13.6 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Worcester Arts Magnet School | 372 | 14.5 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Jacob Hiatt Magnet | 367 | 14.0 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Goddard School/Science Technical | 359 | 12.3 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| West Tatnuck | 343 | 14.5 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Canterbury | 329 | 12.7 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Thorndyke Road | 319 | 14.9 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| May Street | 310 | 14.3 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Lake View | 284 | 14.5 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Clark St Community | 278 | 12.7 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Midland Street | 249 | 13.5 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Heard Street | 245 | 13.8 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Burncoat Street | 223 | 10.8 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Francis J McGrath Elementary | 200 | 11.3 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Lincoln Street | 177 | 9.6 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Wawecus Road School | 155 | 11.6 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
4 middle schools, 3,230 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sullivan Middle | 940 | 12.8 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Forest Grove Middle | 839 | 11.5 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Worcester East Middle | 731 | 14.3 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Burncoat Middle School | 720 | 13.5 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
7 high schools, 7,971 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South High Community | 1,800 | 14.6 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Doherty Memorial High | 1,573 | 15.3 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Worcester Technical High | 1,442 | 12.2 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| North High | 1,376 | 14.4 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Burncoat Senior High | 1,073 | 13.3 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| Claremont Academy | 474 | 13.1 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
| University Pk Campus School | 233 | 11.4 | All free (CEP) | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 other school, 349 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head Start | 349 | 15.2 | All free (CEP) | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
One more school on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory
These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.
La Familia Dual Language School
School in Worcester; 172 students; 14.0 students per teacher.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.
Contact Worcester
- Website: worcesterschools.org
- Phone: (508) 799-3115
- Office: 20 Irving Street, Worcester, MA 01609
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Worcester
- Massachusetts districts by spending per studentWorcester ranks 101 of 243 Massachusetts districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($22,198).#101 of 243
- Every school district in MassachusettsWorcester is the number 2 by size of 397 Massachusetts districts, with 24,707 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#2 of 397
- Boston Public SchoolsThe next larger Massachusetts district: 46,367 students in fall 2022, $36,906 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$36,906
- Springfield Public SchoolsThe next smaller Massachusetts district: 23,873 students in fall 2022, $26,729 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$26,729
- Compare Worcester with Boston Public SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- South High Community, its largest high school1,800 students in 2024-25, 14.6 per teacher.1,800
- Teacher salary spending across MassachusettsWorcester spent $101,262 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $83,840); spending, not a salary.$101,262
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Worcester
How many schools and students are in Worcester?
45 schools were open in 2024-25 (33 elementary, 4 middle, 7 high, 1 other), enrolling 24,693 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Worcester spend per student?
$22,198 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Massachusetts median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $21,173 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $24,492 per student, up 10.3% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Worcester's money come from?
$591,704,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 65.1% state, 14.8% local and 20.0% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Worcester live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 4,882 of the 28,706 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 17.0%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Worcester spend on teacher salaries?
$173,754,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $7,033 per student. Divided by the 1,716 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $101,262 per teacher, more than 92 in 100 Massachusetts districts (state median $83,840). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Massachusetts teacher salary at $88,903 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Worcester do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Worcester scored proficient or above: 29% in reading and 23% in math, against 43.7% in reading and 40.7% in math across Massachusetts. Massachusetts's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Worcester?
85% of the 1,862 students in Worcester's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 89.2% across Massachusetts. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Worcester's NCES district ID?
2513230. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25