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 other, 3 middle, 2 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 13,313 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Essex County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $24,990 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 1.7% local, 86.0% state, and 12.3% 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 $118,250 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 #48 of 362 in Massachusetts against a state average of 38 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 26 schools offering Advanced Placement (26 AP courses district-wide), a 291.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 45.0% 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.
Lawrence High School accounts for 25.9% of all Lawrence student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — 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 45.0% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Lawrence has 26 schools, including 2 high, 14 elementary, 7 other, 3 middle. Total enrollment is 12,885 students.
How much does Lawrence spend per student?
Lawrence spends $24,990 per student. The district has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #48 in Massachusetts.
What is the average teacher salary in Lawrence?
The average teacher salary in Lawrence is $118,250 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Lawrence?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Essex County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
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 53/100, ranking #48 out of 362 districts in Massachusetts. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.