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Lawrence, Massachusetts - 26 schools
An equity score of 52/100 ranks Lawrence #51 of 362 districts in Massachusetts (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $20,985 per pupil, Lawrence ranks #208 of 396 Massachusetts districts by per-pupil spending (Massachusetts districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
12,885
Total Enrollment
26
Schools
$20,985
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Lawrence operates 26 public schools serving 12,885 students, placing it in the mid-size range in Massachusetts. The school portfolio breaks down into 14 elementary, 7 combined, 3 middle, 2 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage 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 Essex County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $20,985 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 1.7% local, 86.0% state, and 12.3% 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 52/100, ranked #51 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 26 schools offering Advanced Placement (26 AP courses district-wide), a 291.1:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 42.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 94.4% Hispanic or Latino, 2.6% White, 1.7% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Robert Frost, with a diversity index of 22.9/100.
Its largest campus is Lawrence High School, enrolling 3,453 students (26% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Rise Academy, at 74 students, a 47x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Lawrence High School accounts for 25.9% of all Lawrence student enrollment
That concentration means Lawrence-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.
Lawrence school enrollment varies 47× across entities
Lawrence school enrollment ranges from 74 students (lowest) to 3,453 students (highest), a spread of 3,379 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.
Lawrence student-counselor ratio is 291:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
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 Variation between sub-units within Lawrence is typically wider than the Lawrence-aggregate figure suggests.
Lawrence chronic absenteeism rate is 42.7% — 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.
Lawrence has 26 schools, including 2 high, 14 elementary, 7 combined, 3 middle. Total enrollment is 12,885 students.
How much does Lawrence spend per student?
Lawrence spends $20,985 per student. The district has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #51 in Massachusetts.
What is the demographic composition of Lawrence?
Lawrence students are 94.4% Hispanic or Latino, 2.6% White, 1.7% African American, 0.9% Asian, averaged across 26 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Lawrence?
Lawrence has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #51 out of 362 districts in Massachusetts.