Amherst operates 3 public schools serving 1,054 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Massachusetts. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 1,038 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Hampshire County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $33,961 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 18.8% local, 65.2% state, and 16.1% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $187,336 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 68/100, ranked #1 of 362 in Massachusetts against a state average of 38 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
a 112.7:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 21.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 44.1% White, 24.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian across the district's schools.
Fort River Elementary accounts for 35.7% of all Amherst student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Amherst-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Amherst student-counselor ratio is 113:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Amherst chronic absenteeism rate is 21.7% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Amherst is typically wider than the Amherst-aggregate figure suggests.
Amherst has 3 schools, including 2 elementary, 1 other. Total enrollment is 1,054 students.
How much does Amherst spend per student?
Amherst spends $33,961 per student. The district has an equity score of 68/100, ranking #1 in Massachusetts.
What is the average teacher salary in Amherst?
The average teacher salary in Amherst is $187,336 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Amherst?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Hampshire County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Amherst?
Amherst students are 44.1% White, 24.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 10.2% African American, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Amherst?
Amherst has an equity score of 68/100, ranking #1 out of 362 districts in Massachusetts. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.