Newton

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.

Newtonville, Massachusetts - 22 schools

An equity score of 47/100 ranks Newton #91 of 362 districts in Massachusetts (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $26,734 per pupil, Newton ranks #60 of 396 Massachusetts districts by per-pupil spending (Massachusetts districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

11,990
Total Enrollment
22
Schools
$26,734
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Newton operates 22 public schools serving 11,990 students, placing it in the mid-size range in Massachusetts. The school portfolio breaks down into 15 elementary, 4 middle, 2 high, 1 combined 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 Middlesex County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $26,734 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 73.7% local, 20.8% state, and 5.5% 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 47/100, ranked #91 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 2 of 22 schools offering Advanced Placement (39 AP courses district-wide), a 457.6:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 13.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 51.3% White, 22.3% Asian, 11.5% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Lincoln-Eliot, with a diversity index of 74.2/100.

Its largest campus is Newton North High, enrolling 2,096 students (18% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Newton Early Childhood Program, at 173 students, a 12x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Newton North High accounts for 17.5% of all Newton student enrollment

That concentration means Newton-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

Newton school enrollment varies 12× across entities

Newton school enrollment ranges from 173 students (lowest) to 2,096 students (highest), a spread of 1,923 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

Newton student-counselor ratio is 458:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Newton chronic absenteeism rate is 13.5% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

5.5%
Federal
20.8%
State
73.7%
Local

Funding Equity

47
Equity Score
91 / 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 22 schools in Newton.

White 51.3%
Hispanic or Latino 11.5%
African American 4.6%
Asian 22.3%
Multiracial 10.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 65.2/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Newton's schools, above the Massachusetts average of 47.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Lincoln-Eliot 74.2
  2. 2 Newton Early Childhood Program 73.9
  3. 3 Zervas 71.1
  4. 4 Underwood 71.1
  5. 5 Bowen 69.0

Programs & Resources

2 / 22
Schools with AP
39 AP courses total
457.6:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
13.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Newton

School Enrollment
Newton North High
2,096
Newton South High
1,898
F a Day Middle
860
Charles E Brown Middle
713
Oak Hill Middle
649
Bigelow Middle
434
Cabot
414
Zervas
399
A E Angier
383
Countryside
369
Horace Mann
351
C C Burr
350
Memorial Spaulding
342
Lincoln-Eliot
336
Bowen
325
Mason-Rice
321
Franklin
320
Underwood
253
Peirce
249
Williams
211
John Ward
186
Newton Early Childhood Program
173

How Newton Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Massachusetts districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
New Bedford Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Lawrence Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Fall River Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Quincy Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Lowell Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded

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

Compare Newton

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 Newton?

Newton has 22 schools, including 2 high, 4 middle, 15 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 11,990 students.

How much does Newton spend per student?

Newton spends $26,734 per student. The district has an equity score of 47/100, ranking #91 in Massachusetts.

What is the demographic composition of Newton?

Newton students are 51.3% White, 22.3% Asian, 11.5% Hispanic or Latino, 4.6% African American, averaged across 22 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Newton?

Newton has an equity score of 47/100, ranking #91 out of 362 districts in Massachusetts.