Fall River

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.

Fall River, Massachusetts - 17 schools

An equity score of 37/100 ranks Fall River #184 of 362 districts in Massachusetts (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $20,266 per pupil, Fall River ranks #239 of 396 Massachusetts districts by per-pupil spending (Massachusetts districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

10,521
Total Enrollment
17
Schools
$20,266
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Fall River operates 17 public schools serving 10,521 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Massachusetts. The school portfolio breaks down into 10 combined, 3 middle, 3 elementary, 1 high schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Bristol County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $20,266 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 396 Massachusetts districts by per-pupil spending. See how Massachusetts compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 10.7% local, 76.1% state, and 13.1% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 37/100, ranked #184 of 362 in Massachusetts against a state average of 38, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 17 schools offering Advanced Placement (18 AP courses district-wide), a 196:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 44.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 41.7% White, 33.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Resiliency Preparatory Academy, with a diversity index of 72.7/100.

Its largest campus is B M C Durfee High, enrolling 2,642 students (25% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Stone Pk-12 School, at 56 students, a 47x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

B M C Durfee High accounts for 24.6% of all Fall River student enrollment

That concentration means Fall River-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

Fall River school enrollment varies 47× across entities

Fall River school enrollment ranges from 56 students (lowest) to 2,642 students (highest), a spread of 2,586 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. 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

Fall River student-counselor ratio is 196:1 — 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.

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

Fall River chronic absenteeism rate is 44.7% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

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 Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

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

Where does the funding come from?

13.1%
Federal
76.1%
State
10.7%
Local

Funding Equity

37
Equity Score
184 / 362
State Rank
38
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 17 schools in Fall River.

White 41.7%
Hispanic or Latino 33.0%
African American 14.1%
Asian 2.4%
Multiracial 8.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 67.6/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Fall River's schools, above the Massachusetts average of 47.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Resiliency Preparatory Academy 72.7
  2. 2 Samuel Watson 71.5
  3. 3 William S Greene 70.1
  4. 4 Talbot Innovation School 69.8
  5. 5 B M C Durfee High 69.3

Programs & Resources

1 / 17
Schools with AP
18 AP courses total
196:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
44.7%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Fall River

School Enrollment
B M C Durfee High
2,642
Henry Lord Community School
817
Morton Middle
751
William S Greene
733
Carlton M. Viveiros Elementary School
712
North End Elementary
655
Matthew J Kuss Middle
646
Mary Fonseca Elementary School
598
Talbot Innovation School
582
Spencer Borden
575
Letourneau Elementary School
566
John J Doran
525
Samuel Watson
287
James Tansey
280
Resiliency Preparatory Academy
171
Fall River Early Learning Center
164
Stone Pk-12 School
56

How Fall River Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Massachusetts districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Quincy Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Framingham Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Newton Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
New Bedford Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Lawrence Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Nearby Districts in Massachusetts

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

Boston
46,367 students · 109 schools · $34,835/pupil
Compare vs Fall River →
Worcester
24,707 students · 46 schools · $20,642/pupil
Compare vs Fall River →
Springfield
23,873 students · 66 schools · $23,067/pupil
Compare vs Fall River →
Lynn
15,556 students · 27 schools · $19,669/pupil
Compare vs Fall River →
Brockton
14,999 students · 24 schools · $21,147/pupil
Compare vs Fall River →

Compare Fall River

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

Compare vs Boston →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Fall River?

Fall River has 17 schools, including 1 high, 10 combined, 3 middle, 3 elementary. Total enrollment is 10,521 students.

How much does Fall River spend per student?

Fall River spends $20,266 per student. The district has an equity score of 37/100, ranking #184 in Massachusetts.

What is the demographic composition of Fall River?

Fall River students are 41.7% White, 33.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% African American, 2.4% Asian, averaged across 17 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Fall River?

Fall River has an equity score of 37/100, ranking #184 out of 362 districts in Massachusetts.