Petersham
Public school district · Worcester County · Massachusetts · NCES district ID 2509540
Petersham spent $18,142 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 93% of the other Massachusetts districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $24,952). Its one school enrolled 142 students in 2024-25; 38.8% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $20,895 per student, up 15.2% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
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 Petersham in enrollment (120 to 132 students) and Petersham itself.
Where the money came from
$1,934,000 in revenue: 38.8% state, 51.3% local and 9.9% federal. Total spending including $41,000 of capital outlay was $2,525,000, or $19,882 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$750,000 39%
- Local$993,000 51%
- Federal$191,000 10%
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 153 districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment rose from 2022-23 to 2024-25
126 students in 2022-23, 133 students in 2023-24, 142 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 126 | 9.5 | 13.3 |
| 2023-24 | 133 | 11.4 | 11.6 |
| 2024-25 | 142 | 12.5 | 11.4 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$536,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,220 per student
Petersham booked $536,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 10 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 $56,362 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 3 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).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $446,000 | 83.2% |
| Special education | $90,000 | 16.8% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,113 in 2018-19, $3,191 in 2019-20, $3,528 in 2020-21, $4,496 in 2021-22, $4,220 in 2022-23.
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 Petersham scored proficient or above: 30-34% in reading and 15-19% 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.
| Subject | This district | Massachusetts | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 30-34% | 43.7% | 67 |
| Math | 15-19% | 40.7% | 67 |
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.
1 elementary school, 142 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petersham Center | 142 | 11.4 | All free (CEP) | Targeted 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.
Contact Petersham
- Website: petershamcenterschool.org
- Phone: (978) 724-3363
- Office: 31 Spring Street, Petersham, MA 01366
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 Petersham
- Massachusetts districts by spending per studentPetersham ranks 143 of 153 Massachusetts districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($18,142).#143 of 153
- Every school district in MassachusettsPetersham is the number 379 by size of 397 Massachusetts districts, with 127 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#379 of 397
- WhatelyThe next larger Massachusetts district: 128 students in fall 2022, $23,813 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$23,813
- Phoenix Academy Public Charter High School Lawrence (DistricThe next smaller Massachusetts district: 125 students in fall 2022, $28,984 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$28,984
- Compare Petersham with WhatelyEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Teacher salary spending across MassachusettsPetersham spent $56,362 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $83,840); spending, not a salary.$56,362
- 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 Petersham
How many schools and students are in Petersham?
One school was open in 2024-25 (1 elementary), enrolling 142 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Petersham spend per student?
$18,142 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 fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $24,952 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $20,895 per student, up 15.2% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Petersham's money come from?
$1,934,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 38.8% state, 51.3% local and 9.9% federal (NCES F-33).How much does Petersham spend on teacher salaries?
$536,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,220 per student. Divided by the 10 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $56,362 per teacher, more than 3 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).How do students in Petersham do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Petersham scored proficient or above: 30-34% in reading and 15-19% 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.What is Petersham's NCES district ID?
2509540. 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 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, 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