North Reading

Public school district · Middlesex County · Massachusetts · NCES district ID 2508820

North Reading spent $21,284 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 50% of the other Massachusetts districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $21,173). Its 5 schools enrolled 2,327 students in 2024-25; 24.2% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $21,965 per student, up 3.2% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 95% or more (Massachusetts: 89.2%).

NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method

Spending per student among Massachusetts districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to North Reading in enrollment (2,295 to 2,479 students) and North Reading itself.

Current spending per student, Massachusetts districts closest in size to North Reading, FY23Greater Lowell Technical High School $27,232; Hudson Public Schools $24,343; Foxborough Public Schools $22,691; Ludlow Public Schools $22,235; Groton-Dunstable Regional $21,526; North Reading $21,284; Stoneham $21,173; Norton Public Schools $19,484; Gardner $17,077; Ashburnham Westminster Regional $16,189; State median, 1,000+ students $21,173.10k15k20k25k30kGreater Lowell Technical High …$27,232Hudson Public Schools$24,343Foxborough Public Schools$22,691Ludlow Public Schools$22,235Groton-Dunstable Regional$21,526North Reading$21,284Stoneham$21,173Norton Public Schools$19,484Gardner$17,077Ashburnham Westminster Regional$16,189State median, 1,000+ students $21,173
Current spending per student, Massachusetts districts closest in size to North Reading, FY23Greater Lowell Technical High School $27,232; Hudson Public Schools $24,343; Foxborough Public Schools $22,691; Ludlow Public Schools $22,235; Groton-Dunstable Regional $21,526; North Reading $21,284; Stoneham $21,173; Norton Public Schools $19,484; Gardner $17,077; Ashburnham Westminster Regional $16,189; State median, 1,000+ students $21,173.10k15k20k25k30kGreater Lowell Technical High School$27,232Hudson Public Schools$24,343Foxborough Public Schools$22,691Ludlow Public Schools$22,235Groton-Dunstable Regional$21,526North Reading$21,284Stoneham$21,173Norton Public Schools$19,484Gardner$17,077Ashburnham Westminster Regional$16,189State median, 1,000+ students $21,173
Current spending per student, Massachusetts districts closest in size to North Reading, FY23Greater Lowell Technical High School $27,232; Hudson Public Schools $24,343; Foxborough Public Schools $22,691; Ludlow Public Schools $22,235; Groton-Dunstable Regional $21,526; North Reading $21,284; Stoneham $21,173; Norton Public Schools $19,484; Gardner $17,077; Ashburnham Westminster Regional $16,189; State median, 1,000+ students $21,173.10k20k30kGreater Lowell Technical High School$27,232Hudson Public Schools$24,343Foxborough Public Schools$22,691Ludlow Public Schools$22,235Groton-Dunstable Regional$21,526North Reading$21,284Stoneham$21,173Norton Public Schools$19,484Gardner$17,077Ashburnham Westminster Regional$16,189State median, 1,000+ students $21,173
Current spending per student, Massachusetts districts closest in size to North Reading, FY23Greater Lowell Technical High School $27,232; Hudson Public Schools $24,343; Foxborough Public Schools $22,691; Ludlow Public Schools $22,235; Groton-Dunstable Regional $21,526; North Reading $21,284; Stoneham $21,173; Norton Public Schools $19,484; Gardner $17,077; Ashburnham Westminster Regional $16,189; State median, 1,000+ students $21,173.10k20k30kGreater Lowell Technical High School$27,232Hudson Public Schools$24,343Foxborough Public Schools$22,691Ludlow Public Schools$22,235Groton-Dunstable Regional$21,526North Reading$21,284Stoneham$21,173Norton Public Schools$19,484Gardner$17,077Ashburnham Westminster Regional$16,189State median, 1,000+ students $21,173

Where the money came from

$58,931,000 in revenue: 24.2% state, 72.2% local and 3.6% federal. Total spending including $182,000 of capital outlay was $56,734,000, or $23,808 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

North Reading revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $14,273,000; Local $42,558,000; Federal $2,100,000; total $58,931,000.
  • State$14,273,000 24%
  • Local$42,558,000 72%
  • Federal$2,100,000 4%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 243 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25

2,354 students in 2022-23, 2,317 students in 2023-24, 2,327 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

North Reading enrollment by school year2022-23: 2,354, 2023-24: 2,317, 2024-25: 2,32701k2k3k2022-232,3542023-242,3172024-252,327
North Reading enrollment by school year2022-23: 2,354, 2023-24: 2,317, 2024-25: 2,32701k2k3k2022-232,3542023-242,3172024-252,327
North Reading enrollment by school year2022-23: 2,354, 2023-24: 2,317, 2024-25: 2,32701k2k3k2022-232,3542023-242,3172024-252,327
North Reading enrollment by school year2022-23: 2,354, 2023-24: 2,317, 2024-25: 2,32701k2k3k2022-232,3542023-242,3172024-252,327

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-232,354212.011.1
2023-242,317207.711.2
2024-252,327204.911.4

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$18,674,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $7,836 per student

North Reading booked $18,674,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 212 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $88,068 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 64 in 100 Massachusetts districts with a figure (state median $83,840, 276 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Massachusetts teacher salary at $88,903 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$14,593,00078.1%
Special education$4,081,00021.9%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $6,820 in 2018-19, $7,042 in 2019-20, $7,666 in 2020-21, $7,754 in 2021-22, $7,836 in 2022-23.

North Reading teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $6,820, 2019-20: $7,042, 2020-21: $7,666, 2021-22: $7,754, 2022-23: $7,83602k4k6k8k2018-19$6,8202019-20$7,0422020-21$7,6662021-22$7,7542022-23$7,836
North Reading teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $6,820, 2019-20: $7,042, 2020-21: $7,666, 2021-22: $7,754, 2022-23: $7,83602k4k6k8k2018-19$6,8202019-20$7,0422020-21$7,6662021-22$7,7542022-23$7,836
North Reading teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $6,820, 2019-20: $7,042, 2020-21: $7,666, 2021-22: $7,754, 2022-23: $7,83602k4k6k8k2018-19$6,8202019-20$7,0422020-21$7,6662021-22$7,7542022-23$7,836
North Reading teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $6,820, 2019-20: $7,042, 2020-21: $7,666, 2021-22: $7,754, 2022-23: $7,83602k4k6k8k2018-19$6,8202019-20$7,0422020-21$7,6662021-22$7,7542022-23$7,836

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in North Reading scored proficient or above: 65% in reading and 66% in math, against 43.7% in reading and 40.7% in math across Massachusetts. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Massachusetts, not across states.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtMassachusettsStudents tested
Reading and language arts65%43.7%1,200
Math66%40.7%1,199

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

95% or more of the 181 students in North Reading's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 89.2% across Massachusetts. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtMassachusetts
Four-year graduation rate95% or more89.2%
Students in the class18172,602

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

3 elementary schools, 1,181 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
L D Batchelder46214.8not reportedNot Title I
J Turner Hood41612.6not reportedTargeted program
E Ethel Little School30311.9not reportedTargeted program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 middle school, 494 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
North Reading Middle4949.7not reportedTargeted program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 high school, 652 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
North Reading High65210.1not reportedNot Title I

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact North Reading

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about North Reading

  1. Massachusetts districts by spending per studentNorth Reading ranks 121 of 243 Massachusetts districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($21,284).#121 of 243
  2. Every school district in MassachusettsNorth Reading is the number 119 by size of 397 Massachusetts districts, with 2,383 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#119 of 397
  3. Norton Public SchoolsThe next larger Massachusetts district: 2,396 students in fall 2022, $19,484 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$19,484
  4. Groton-Dunstable Regional School DistrictThe next smaller Massachusetts district: 2,371 students in fall 2022, $21,526 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$21,526
  5. Compare North Reading with Norton Public SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. North Reading High, its largest high school652 students in 2024-25, 10.1 per teacher.652
  7. Teacher salary spending across MassachusettsNorth Reading spent $88,068 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $83,840); spending, not a salary.$88,068
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about North Reading

  1. How many schools and students are in North Reading?
    5 schools were open in 2024-25 (3 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high), enrolling 2,327 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does North Reading spend per student?
    $21,284 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Massachusetts median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $21,173 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $21,965 per student, up 3.2% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does North Reading's money come from?
    $58,931,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 24.2% state, 72.2% local and 3.6% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in North Reading live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 65 of the 2,724 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 2.4%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does North Reading spend on teacher salaries?
    $18,674,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $7,836 per student. Divided by the 212 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $88,068 per teacher, more than 64 in 100 Massachusetts districts (state median $83,840). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Massachusetts teacher salary at $88,903 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in North Reading do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in North Reading scored proficient or above: 65% in reading and 66% in math, against 43.7% in reading and 40.7% in math across Massachusetts. Massachusetts's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in North Reading?
    95% or more of the 181 students in North Reading's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 89.2% across Massachusetts. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is North Reading's NCES district ID?
    2508820. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Compiled from official source data by .