Bedford School District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Bedford, New Hampshire - 6 schools

An equity score of 17/100 ranks Bedford School District #112 of 114 districts in New Hampshire (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $17,544 per pupil, Bedford School District ranks #154 of 161 New Hampshire districts by per-pupil spending (New Hampshire districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

4,169
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$17,544
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Bedford School District operates 6 public schools serving 4,169 students, placing it among the smallest districts in New Hampshire. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 combined schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Hillsborough County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,544 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the bottom 17 of 161 New Hampshire districts by per-pupil spending. See how New Hampshire compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 70.0% local, 25.2% state, and 4.8% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 17/100, ranked #112 of 114 in New Hampshire against a state average of 51, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (9 AP courses district-wide), a 362:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 19.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 77.0% White, 9.1% Asian, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Memorial School, with a diversity index of 43.9/100.

Its largest campus is Bedford High School, enrolling 1,360 students (34% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Peter Woodbury School, at 428 students, a 3x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Bedford High School accounts for 32.6% of all Bedford School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Bedford School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Bedford School District school enrollment varies 3.2× across entities

Bedford School District school enrollment ranges from 428 students (lowest) to 1,360 students (highest), a spread of 932 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Bedford School District student-counselor ratio is 362:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Bedford School District chronic absenteeism rate is 19.1% — 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 Bedford School District is typically wider than the Bedford School District-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

4.8%
Federal
25.2%
State
70.0%
Local

Funding Equity

17
Equity Score
112 / 114
State Rank
51
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 6 schools in Bedford School District.

White 77.0%
Hispanic or Latino 4.5%
African American 0.8%
Asian 9.1%
Multiracial 8.5%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 38.7/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Bedford School District's schools, above the New Hampshire average of 24.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Memorial School 43.9
  2. 2 Peter Woodbury School 42.1
  3. 3 Mckelvie Intermediate School 39.0
  4. 4 Bedford High School 37.4
  5. 5 Ross a. Lurgio Middle School 37.3

Programs & Resources

1 / 6
Schools with AP
9 AP courses total
362:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
19.1%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Bedford School District

School Enrollment
Bedford High School
1,360
Ross a. Lurgio Middle School
646
Mckelvie Intermediate School
619
Riddle Brook School
478
Memorial School
439
Peter Woodbury School
428

How Bedford School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The New Hampshire districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Londonderry School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Concord School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Rochester School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Dover School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Salem School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Bedford School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in New Hampshire

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Manchester School District
12,105 students · 21 schools · $16,178/pupil
Compare vs Bedford School District →
Nashua School District
10,004 students · 20 schools · $17,617/pupil
Compare vs Bedford School District →
Londonderry School District
4,128 students · 6 schools · $20,160/pupil
Compare vs Bedford School District →
Concord School District
4,037 students · 7 schools · $21,765/pupil
Compare vs Bedford School District →
Rochester School District
3,943 students · 11 schools · $17,400/pupil
Compare vs Bedford School District →

Compare Bedford School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Manchester School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Bedford School District?

Bedford School District has 6 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 3 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 4,169 students.

How much does Bedford School District spend per student?

Bedford School District spends $17,544 per student. The district has an equity score of 17/100, ranking #112 in New Hampshire.

What is the demographic composition of Bedford School District?

Bedford School District students are 77.0% White, 9.1% Asian, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% African American, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Bedford School District?

Bedford School District has an equity score of 17/100, ranking #112 out of 114 districts in New Hampshire.