Holyoke

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.

Holyoke, Massachusetts - 12 schools

An equity score of 50/100 ranks Holyoke #66 of 362 districts in Massachusetts (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $23,447 per pupil, Holyoke ranks #132 of 396 Massachusetts districts by per-pupil spending (Massachusetts districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

5,046
Total Enrollment
12
Schools
$23,447
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Holyoke operates 12 public schools serving 5,046 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Massachusetts. The school portfolio breaks down into 8 combined, 2 middle, 1 high, 1 elementary 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 Hampden County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $23,447 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 396 Massachusetts districts by per-pupil spending. See how Massachusetts compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 3.1% local, 74.5% state, and 22.4% 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 50/100, ranked #66 of 362 in Massachusetts against a state average of 38, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 12 schools offering Advanced Placement (11 AP courses district-wide), a 165.9:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 49.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 80.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% White, 5.1% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Lt Elmer J Mcmahon Elementary, with a diversity index of 47.3/100.

Its largest campus is Holyoke High, enrolling 1,569 students (30% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is William R. Peck School, at 192 students, a 8x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Holyoke High accounts for 29.8% of all Holyoke student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Holyoke-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

Holyoke school enrollment varies 8.2× across entities

Holyoke school enrollment ranges from 192 students (lowest) to 1,569 students (highest), a spread of 1,377 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.

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

Holyoke student-counselor ratio is 166:1 — 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

Holyoke chronic absenteeism rate is 49.6% — 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?

22.4%
Federal
74.5%
State
3.1%
Local

Funding Equity

50
Equity Score
66 / 362
State Rank
38
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 12 schools in Holyoke.

White 11.4%
Hispanic or Latino 80.7%
African American 5.1%
Asian 0.8%
Multiracial 1.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 32.7/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Holyoke's schools, below the Massachusetts average of 47.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Lt Elmer J Mcmahon Elementary 47.3
  2. 2 E N White Elementary 40.5
  3. 3 Maurice a Donahue Elementary 35.7
  4. 4 Lt Clayre Sullivan Elementary 34.3
  5. 5 Joseph Metcalf School 32.6

Programs & Resources

1 / 12
Schools with AP
11 AP courses total
165.9:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
49.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Holyoke

School Enrollment
Holyoke High
1,569
Kelly Elementary
464
Lt Clayre Sullivan Elementary
463
E N White Elementary
453
Maurice a Donahue Elementary
388
Morgan Full Service Community School
334
Lt Elmer J Mcmahon Elementary
317
H.B. Lawrence School
305
Holyoke Stem Academy
289
Holyoke Middle School
281
Joseph Metcalf School
213
William R. Peck School
192

How Holyoke Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Massachusetts districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Chelmsford Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Pittsfield Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Acton-Boxborough Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Westfield Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Somerville Similar size Higher spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Holyoke'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 Holyoke →
Worcester
24,707 students · 46 schools · $20,642/pupil
Compare vs Holyoke →
Springfield
23,873 students · 66 schools · $23,067/pupil
Compare vs Holyoke →
Lynn
15,556 students · 27 schools · $19,669/pupil
Compare vs Holyoke →
Brockton
14,999 students · 24 schools · $21,147/pupil
Compare vs Holyoke →

Compare Holyoke

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 Holyoke?

Holyoke has 12 schools, including 1 high, 8 combined, 2 middle, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 5,046 students.

How much does Holyoke spend per student?

Holyoke spends $23,447 per student. The district has an equity score of 50/100, ranking #66 in Massachusetts.

What is the demographic composition of Holyoke?

Holyoke students are 80.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% White, 5.1% African American, 0.8% Asian, averaged across 12 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Holyoke?

Holyoke has an equity score of 50/100, ranking #66 out of 362 districts in Massachusetts.