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Peabody, Massachusetts - 11 schools
An equity score of 24/100 ranks Peabody #301 of 362 districts in Massachusetts (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $18,001 per pupil, Peabody ranks #332 of 396 Massachusetts districts by per-pupil spending (Massachusetts districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
5,968
Total Enrollment
11
Schools
$18,001
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Peabody operates 11 public schools serving 5,968 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Massachusetts. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 combined, 4 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly 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 Essex County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $18,001 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 396 Massachusetts districts by per-pupil spending. See how Massachusetts compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 58.7% local, 34.0% state, and 7.3% 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 24/100, ranked #301 of 362 in Massachusetts against a state average of 38, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 11 schools offering Advanced Placement (18 AP courses district-wide), a 299.8:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 27.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 59.8% White, 26.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.0% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is John E. Mccarthy, with a diversity index of 68.9/100.
Peabody Veterans Memorial High accounts for 22.3% of all Peabody student enrollment
That concentration means Peabody-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.
Peabody school enrollment varies 14× across entities
Peabody school enrollment ranges from 97 students (lowest) to 1,333 students (highest), a spread of 1,236 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.
Peabody student-counselor ratio is 300:1 — 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 Peabody is typically wider than the Peabody-aggregate figure suggests.
Peabody chronic absenteeism rate is 27.7% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
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 Variation between sub-units within Peabody is typically wider than the Peabody-aggregate figure suggests.