Nashua School District

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.

Nashua, New Hampshire - 20 schools

An equity score of 32/100 ranks Nashua School District #90 of 114 districts in New Hampshire (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $17,617 per pupil, Nashua School District ranks #153 of 161 New Hampshire districts by per-pupil spending (New Hampshire districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

10,004
Total Enrollment
20
Schools
$17,617
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Nashua School District operates 20 public schools serving 10,004 students, placing it in the mid-size range in New Hampshire. The school portfolio breaks down into 9 elementary, 6 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 Hillsborough County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,617 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the bottom 17 of 161 New Hampshire districts by per-pupil spending. See how New Hampshire compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 55.0% local, 33.5% state, and 11.5% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 32/100, ranked #90 of 114 in New Hampshire against a state average of 51, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 20 schools offering Advanced Placement (39 AP courses district-wide), a 176.9:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 42.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 49.4% White, 30.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Franklin Street School, with a diversity index of 69.7/100.

Its largest campus is Nashua High School South, enrolling 1,686 students (17% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Purple Panthers Preschool, at 37 students, a 46x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Nashua High School South accounts for 16.9% of all Nashua School District student enrollment

That concentration means Nashua School District-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

Nashua School District school enrollment varies 46× across entities

Nashua School District school enrollment ranges from 37 students (lowest) to 1,686 students (highest), a spread of 1,649 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

Nashua School District student-counselor ratio is 177:1 — 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

Nashua School District chronic absenteeism rate is 42.9% — 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?

11.5%
Federal
33.5%
State
55.0%
Local

Funding Equity

32
Equity Score
90 / 114
State Rank
51
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 20 schools in Nashua School District.

White 49.4%
Hispanic or Latino 30.4%
African American 2.8%
Asian 7.5%
Multiracial 9.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 61.4/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Nashua School District's schools, above the New Hampshire average of 24.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Franklin Street School 69.7
  2. 2 Bicentennial Elementary School 67.5
  3. 3 Nashua High School South 65.6
  4. 4 Amherst Street School 65.0
  5. 5 Fairgrounds Elementary School 63.4

Programs & Resources

2 / 20
Schools with AP
39 AP courses total
176.9:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
42.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Nashua School District

School Enrollment
Nashua High School South
1,686
Nashua High School North
1,543
Elm Street Middle School
874
Pennichuck Middle School
768
Fairgrounds Middle School
585
Bicentennial Elementary School
481
Ledge Street School
454
Fairgrounds Elementary School
445
Charlotte Ave Elementary School
362
Dr. Norman W. Crisp School
361
Main Dunstable School
359
Sunset Heights School
356
Birch Hill Elementary School
332
Amherst Street School
290
Broad Street Elementary School
256
New Searles School
256
Mt. Pleasant School
250
Franklin Street School
245
Nashua Title I Preschool
56
Purple Panthers Preschool
37

How Nashua School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The New Hampshire districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Manchester School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Bedford School District Smaller Similar spending More locally funded
Londonderry School District Smaller Similar spending More locally funded
Concord School District Smaller Higher spending Similar funding mix
Rochester School District Smaller Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Nearby Districts in New Hampshire

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

Manchester School District
12,105 students · 21 schools · $16,178/pupil
Compare vs Nashua School District →
Bedford School District
4,169 students · 6 schools · $17,544/pupil
Compare vs Nashua School District →
Londonderry School District
4,128 students · 6 schools · $20,160/pupil
Compare vs Nashua School District →
Concord School District
4,037 students · 7 schools · $21,765/pupil
Compare vs Nashua School District →
Rochester School District
3,943 students · 11 schools · $17,400/pupil
Compare vs Nashua School District →

Compare Nashua School District

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

Compare vs Manchester School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Nashua School District?

Nashua School District has 20 schools, including 2 high, 3 middle, 6 combined, 9 elementary. Total enrollment is 10,004 students.

How much does Nashua School District spend per student?

Nashua School District spends $17,617 per student. The district has an equity score of 32/100, ranking #90 in New Hampshire.

What is the demographic composition of Nashua School District?

Nashua School District students are 49.4% White, 30.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 2.8% African American, averaged across 20 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Nashua School District?

Nashua School District has an equity score of 32/100, ranking #90 out of 114 districts in New Hampshire.