- Enrollment
- 1,779
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Holden, MA
Dawson
Federal NCES profile for Dawson, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 251188000884
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dawson earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Massachusetts schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Holden · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- large classes for Massachusetts
- 487
- students enrolled
Dawson has class sizes larger than 88% of Massachusetts schools. Computed live against every Massachusetts school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dawson ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Holden, MA.
School address
District: Wachusett · Massachusetts
NCES ID 251188000884 Verify on NCES CCD record →
CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24
-11 students YoY
Dawson held near 488 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-11 headcount).
Teacher FTE held 32.5 → 32.5 across the same CCD years.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).
Steady CCD campus
-11 students YoY 251188000884 · Holden, MA Elementary · SMALL · TRAD
487 enr · 15.2:1 · RII 33
Nearest enrollment peer: Wachusett Regional High (1,779 students)
Dawson held near 488 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-11 headcount). Teacher FTE held 32.5 → 32.5 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Massachusetts schools → · Find another →
Dawson in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Wachusett Regi
Wachusett Regional High
1,779 students
- Mountview Midd
Mountview Middle
773 students
- This school 487
Dawson
487 students
- Leroy E.Mayo 472
Leroy E.Mayo
472 students
- Paxton Center 448
Paxton Center
448 students
- Davis Hill Ele 431
Davis Hill Elementary
431 students
What this shows Dawson reports 487 students on the CCD universe file.
How Dawson compares
Dawson held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Massachusetts and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.2:1 | ▲ 24% | 12.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 487 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
487
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators methodology
Staffing depth
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 24% above state mean
Top 88% in Massachusetts - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
15.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$17,894
per pupil, district-wide
- below Massachusetts avg of $23,695
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
White 79.3%
Hispanic or Latino 8.4%
Two or More 5.1%
Asian 4.1%
African American 2.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 79.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.9, Dawson is less mixed than the Massachusetts school average of 47.3.
Programs
District finance for Wachusett reports $17,894 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.
How Dawson Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wachusett Regional High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mountview Middle | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Leroy E.Mayo | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Paxton Center | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Davis Hill Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dawson's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 773
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 472
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 448
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 431
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar elementary schools in Holden
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.
Similar enrollment (~487 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.2:1)
Frequently asked questions about Dawson
How many students attend Dawson?
Dawson has 487 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Holden, MA. CCD year-over-year: 499 (2022-23) → 488 (2023-24), nearly flat (-11).
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dawson?
The student-teacher ratio at Dawson is 15.2:1, which is 24% higher than the Massachusetts average of 12.3:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dawson?
The largest demographic group at Dawson is White at 79.3% of enrollment, in Holden, MA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dawson?
Dawson has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Dawson rank among elementary schools in Holden?
By Resource Investment Index, Dawson ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Holden, MA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Holden on the city page.
What other schools are in Wachusett?
Besides Dawson, Wachusett also operates Wachusett Regional High (1,779 students), Mountview Middle (773 students), and Leroy E.Mayo (472 students). See the Wachusett district page for the complete list.