An equity score of 55/100 ranks New Bedford #31 of 362 districts in Massachusetts (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $22,807 per pupil, New Bedford ranks #190 of 396 Massachusetts districts by per-pupil spending (Massachusetts districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
12,640
Total Enrollment
25
Schools
$22,807
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
New Bedford operates 25 public schools serving 12,640 students, placing it in the mid-size range in Massachusetts. The school portfolio breaks down into 14 combined, 7 elementary, 3 middle, 1 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 Bristol County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $22,807 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 1.9% local, 82.7% state, and 15.4% 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 55/100, ranked #31 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 25 schools offering Advanced Placement (20 AP courses district-wide), a 105.7:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 42.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 43.4% Hispanic or Latino, 34.8% White, 14.4% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Sgt Wm H Carney Academy, with a diversity index of 70.1/100.
Its largest campus is New Bedford High, enrolling 2,878 students (23% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Trinity Day Academy, at 93 students, a 31x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Enrollment across the district's NCES-reporting campuses held roughly steady from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (12,522 to 12,488 students, -0.3%), per the NCES Common Core of Data annual universe files.
Of the district's $339,195,000 in reported FY2023 expenditures, 44.9% went to instruction, 36% to support services, and 3% to capital outlay, support-services-heavy relative to typical districts, reflecting spending on transportation, administration, or student services. Figures come from the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey's function-level breakdown, not the aggregate per-pupil figure above.
New Bedford High accounts for 22.8% of all New Bedford student enrollment
That concentration means New Bedford-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.
New Bedford school enrollment varies 31× across entities
New Bedford school enrollment ranges from 93 students (lowest) to 2,878 students (highest), a spread of 2,785 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.
New Bedford student-counselor ratio is 106:1 — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)
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 Values this far below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.
New Bedford chronic absenteeism rate is 42.1% — 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.
New Bedford has 25 schools, including 1 high, 3 middle, 14 combined, 7 elementary. Total enrollment is 12,640 students.
How much does New Bedford spend per student?
New Bedford spends $22,807 per student. The district has an equity score of 55/100, ranking #31 in Massachusetts.
What is the demographic composition of New Bedford?
New Bedford students are 43.4% Hispanic or Latino, 34.8% White, 14.4% African American, 0.8% Asian, averaged across 25 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for New Bedford?
New Bedford has an equity score of 55/100, ranking #31 out of 362 districts in Massachusetts.