Enrollment
245
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chicopee, MA
Belcher
Federal NCES profile for Belcher, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 250366000490
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 67
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Belcher earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Massachusetts schools.
- #3 of 5
- schools in Chicopee · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.6:1
- large classes for Massachusetts
- 245
- students enrolled
Belcher has class sizes larger than 75% of Massachusetts schools. Computed live against every Massachusetts school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Belcher ranks #3 of 5 schools in Chicopee, MA.
School address
District: Chicopee · Massachusetts
NCES ID 250366000490 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 12.3:1 Massachusetts avg
+11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Belcher compares with Massachusetts and U.S. medians
What stands out at Belcher
Belcher is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Chicopee, Massachusetts, enrolling 245 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Massachusetts schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 245 puts it in the smaller third of Massachusetts schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,831 scored Massachusetts schools.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (51%) and White (33%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 163 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Chicopee's public schools, it stands alongside Hampden Charter School of Science East (938 students): Belcher is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.6:1 vs 20.4:1).
Chicopee also operates Chicopee Comprehensive High School (1,192 students) and Chicopee High (918 students) alongside Belcher.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Belcher compares
Belcher on the metrics families compare, against Massachusetts and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.6:1 | ▲ 11% | 12.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 245 | top 81% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.6:1
Leaner classes than 61% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
245
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.6:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 75% in Massachusetts - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
50.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$20,359
per pupil, district-wide
- below Massachusetts avg of $22,458
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 163 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 51.0%
White 32.7%
African American 9.8%
Two or More 5.3%
Asian 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.0, Belcher is more mixed than the Massachusetts school average of 47.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chicopee, which includes Belcher.
$20,359
Per student
-9%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $22,458
+23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.7%
State 59.9%
Federal 20.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Belcher Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicopee Comprehensive High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Chicopee High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bellamy Middle | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dupont Middle | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bowe | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Belcher's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,192
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 918
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 776
- Students per teacher
- 10.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 683
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 411
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar other schools in Chicopee
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Hampden Charter School of Science East
Standard public school
938 students 20.4:1 students per teacher
Fairview Elementary
Standard public school
387 students 12.1:1 students per teacher
Szetela Early Childhood Center
Standard public school
222 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Chicopee Academy
Alternative education program
92 students 6.6:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Massachusetts, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~245 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Belcher's federal record.
- Compare Belcher against another school. Compare schools
- Chicopee's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Belcher
How many students attend Belcher?
Belcher has 245 students enrolled. It is a public school in Chicopee, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Belcher?
The student-teacher ratio at Belcher is 13.6:1, which is 11% higher than the Massachusetts average of 12.3:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Belcher?
The largest demographic group at Belcher is Hispanic or Latino at 51.0% of enrollment, in Chicopee, MA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Belcher?
Belcher has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Belcher rank among schools in Chicopee?
By Resource Investment Index, Belcher ranks #3 of 5 schools in Chicopee, MA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Chicopee on the city page.
Is Belcher a good school?
Belcher earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Massachusetts schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Chicopee?
Besides Belcher, Chicopee also operates Chicopee Comprehensive High School (1,192 students), Chicopee High (918 students), and Bellamy Middle (776 students). See the Chicopee district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.