Barnstable operates 9 public schools serving 4,879 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Massachusetts. The school portfolio breaks down into 6 elementary, 2 other, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 4,680 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Barnstable County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $26,364 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 65.0% local, 26.7% state, and 8.3% 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 $140,108 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 39/100, ranked #178 of 362 in Massachusetts against a state average of 38 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 9 schools offering Advanced Placement (17 AP courses district-wide), a 211.7:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 36.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 45.6% White, 34.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% African American across the district's schools.
Barnstable High accounts for 35.3% of all Barnstable student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Barnstable-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: other. 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.
Barnstable school enrollment varies 11× across entities
Barnstable school enrollment ranges from 150 students (lowest) to 1,652 students (highest), a spread of 1,502 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Barnstable student-counselor ratio is 212:1 — 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.
Barnstable chronic absenteeism rate is 36.4% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Barnstable has 9 schools, including 2 other, 6 elementary, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 4,879 students.
How much does Barnstable spend per student?
Barnstable spends $26,364 per student. The district has an equity score of 39/100, ranking #178 in Massachusetts.
What is the average teacher salary in Barnstable?
The average teacher salary in Barnstable is $140,108 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Barnstable?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Barnstable County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Barnstable?
Barnstable students are 45.6% White, 34.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% African American, 2.7% Asian, averaged across 9 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Barnstable?
Barnstable has an equity score of 39/100, ranking #178 out of 362 districts in Massachusetts. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.