Rochester School District

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.

Rochester, New Hampshire - 11 schools

An equity score of 32/100 ranks Rochester School District #91 of 114 districts in New Hampshire (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $17,400 per pupil, Rochester School District ranks #156 of 161 New Hampshire districts by per-pupil spending (New Hampshire districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,943
Total Enrollment
11
Schools
$17,400
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Rochester School District operates 11 public schools serving 3,943 students, placing it among the smaller districts in New Hampshire. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 elementary, 2 high, 1 middle, 1 combined 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 Strafford County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,400 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the bottom 17 of 161 New Hampshire districts by per-pupil spending. See how New Hampshire compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 50.5% local, 39.7% state, and 9.8% 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 32/100, ranked #91 of 114 in New Hampshire against a state average of 51, 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 (6 AP courses district-wide), a 219.2:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 44.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 87.0% White, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 1.5% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Mcclelland School, with a diversity index of 29.2/100.

Its largest campus is Spaulding High School, enrolling 1,298 students (34% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is School Street School, at 50 students, a 26x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Spaulding High School accounts for 32.9% of all Rochester School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Rochester School District-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

Rochester School District school enrollment varies 26× across entities

Rochester School District school enrollment ranges from 50 students (lowest) to 1,298 students (highest), a spread of 1,248 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. 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

Rochester School District student-counselor ratio is 219:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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

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

Rochester School District chronic absenteeism rate is 44.9% — 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.

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

Where does the funding come from?

9.8%
Federal
39.7%
State
50.5%
Local

Funding Equity

32
Equity Score
91 / 114
State Rank
51
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 11 schools in Rochester School District.

White 87.0%
Hispanic or Latino 4.5%
African American 0.6%
Asian 1.5%
Multiracial 6.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 23.7/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Rochester School District's schools, about the same as the New Hampshire average of 24.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Mcclelland School 29.2
  2. 2 Rochester Middle School 25.8
  3. 3 Spaulding High School 24.3
  4. 4 William Allen School 23.9
  5. 5 Chamberlain Street School 23.2

Programs & Resources

1 / 11
Schools with AP
6 AP courses total
219.2:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
44.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Rochester School District

School Enrollment
Spaulding High School
1,298
Rochester Middle School
803
Chamberlain Street School
316
Mcclelland School
310
East Rochester School
300
William Allen School
280
Gonic School
211
Maple Street Magnet School
114
Bud Carlson Academy
96
Nancy Loud School
81
School Street School
50

How Rochester School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The New Hampshire districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Concord School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Dover School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Londonderry School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Bedford School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Salem School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Rochester School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in New Hampshire

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Manchester School District
12,105 students · 21 schools · $16,178/pupil
Compare vs Rochester School District →
Nashua School District
10,004 students · 20 schools · $17,617/pupil
Compare vs Rochester School District →
Bedford School District
4,169 students · 6 schools · $17,544/pupil
Compare vs Rochester School District →
Londonderry School District
4,128 students · 6 schools · $20,160/pupil
Compare vs Rochester School District →
Concord School District
4,037 students · 7 schools · $21,765/pupil
Compare vs Rochester School District →

Compare Rochester School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Manchester School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Rochester School District?

Rochester School District has 11 schools, including 2 high, 1 middle, 7 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 3,943 students.

How much does Rochester School District spend per student?

Rochester School District spends $17,400 per student. The district has an equity score of 32/100, ranking #91 in New Hampshire.

What is the demographic composition of Rochester School District?

Rochester School District students are 87.0% White, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 1.5% Asian, 0.6% African American, averaged across 11 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Rochester School District?

Rochester School District has an equity score of 32/100, ranking #91 out of 114 districts in New Hampshire.