Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51 operates 9 public schools serving 3,767 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Vermont. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 other, 2 middle, 2 elementary, 1 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 3,635 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Chittenden County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $28,529 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 6.4% local, 85.8% state, and 7.9% 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 $144,176 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 53/100, ranked #37 of 80 in Vermont against a state average of 51 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 9 schools offering Advanced Placement (14 AP courses district-wide), a 204.6:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 17.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 78.9% White, 7.5% Asian, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
Essex High School accounts for 33.7% of all Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51 student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51-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.
Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51 school enrollment varies 6.2× across entities
Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51 school enrollment ranges from 197 students (lowest) to 1,224 students (highest), a spread of 1,027 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.
Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51 student-counselor ratio is 205:1 — 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.
Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51 chronic absenteeism rate is 17.5% — 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 Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51 is typically wider than the Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51-aggregate figure suggests.
How many schools are in Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51?
Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51 has 9 schools, including 1 high, 4 other, 2 middle, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 3,767 students.
How much does Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51 spend per student?
Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51 spends $28,529 per student. The district has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #37 in Vermont.
What is the average teacher salary in Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51?
The average teacher salary in Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51 is $144,176 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Chittenden County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51?
Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51 students are 78.9% White, 7.5% Asian, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 2.2% African American, averaged across 9 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51?
Essex Westford Educational Community Unified Union SD #51 has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #37 out of 80 districts in Vermont. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.