Enrollment
855
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Dorchester, MA
Murphy K-8 School
Federal NCES profile for Murphy K-8 School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 250279000315
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Murphy K-8 School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Massachusetts median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Massachusetts schools.
- #2 of 26
- schools in Dorchester · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.2:1
- students per teacher
- 855
- students enrolled
Murphy K-8 School has class sizes near the Massachusetts median. Computed live against every Massachusetts school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Murphy K-8 School ranks #2 of 26 schools in Dorchester, MA.
School address
District: Boston · Massachusetts
NCES ID 250279000315 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
70.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 12.3:1 Massachusetts avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Murphy K-8 School compares with Massachusetts and U.S. medians
What stands out at Murphy K-8 School
Murphy K-8 School is a large combined-grade school in Dorchester, Massachusetts, enrolling 855 students.
At 12.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Massachusetts median, within a few percentage points of the 12.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Enrollment of 855 puts it in the larger third of Massachusetts schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,831 scored Massachusetts schools.
Its student body is led by Asian (50%) and African American (19%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Boston spends $34,835 per pupil, 55% above the Massachusetts average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Dorchester's public schools, it stands alongside Boston Latin Academy (1,693 students): Murphy K-8 School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.2:1 vs 18.6:1).
Boston also operates Boston Latin School (2,424 students) and Boston Latin Academy (1,693 students) alongside Murphy K-8 School.
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 Murphy K-8 School compares
Murphy K-8 School on the metrics families compare, against Massachusetts and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.2:1 | ▼ 1% | 12.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 855 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.2:1
Leaner classes than 74% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
855
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
12.2:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 55% in Massachusetts - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.1%
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
$34,835
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 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
Asian 49.5%
African American 18.9%
Hispanic or Latino 16.0%
White 11.6%
Two or More 3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Asian at 49.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.9, Murphy K-8 School is more mixed than the Massachusetts school average of 47.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Boston, which includes Murphy K-8 School.
$34,835
Per student
+55%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $22,458
+110%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.0%
State 25.9%
Federal 12.1%
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 Murphy K-8 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Latin School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Boston Latin Academy | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| O'bryant School of Math & Science | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Boston High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Madison Park Technical Vocational High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Murphy K-8 School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,424
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,693
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,509
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,252
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,121
- Students per teacher
- 9.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar other schools in Dorchester
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Boston Latin Academy
Standard public school
1,693 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Techboston Academy
Standard public school
850 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Neighborhood House Charter School
Standard public school
786 students 10.3:1 students per teacher
Boston Collegiate Charter School
Standard public school
708 students 9.4:1 students per teacher
Up Academy Holland
Standard public school
641 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Henderson K-12 Inclusion School Upper
Standard public school
631 students 7.6:1 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 (~855 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Murphy K-8 School's federal record.
- Compare Murphy K-8 School against another school. Compare schools
- Boston'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 Murphy K-8 School
How many students attend Murphy K-8 School?
Murphy K-8 School has 855 students enrolled. It is a public school in Dorchester, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Murphy K-8 School?
The student-teacher ratio at Murphy K-8 School is 12.2:1, which is 1% lower than the Massachusetts average of 12.3:1 and 22% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Murphy K-8 School?
The largest demographic group at Murphy K-8 School is Asian at 49.5% of enrollment, in Dorchester, MA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Murphy K-8 School?
Murphy K-8 School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Murphy K-8 School rank among schools in Dorchester?
By Resource Investment Index, Murphy K-8 School ranks #2 of 26 schools in Dorchester, MA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Dorchester on the city page.
Is Murphy K-8 School a good school?
Murphy K-8 School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Massachusetts median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Boston?
Besides Murphy K-8 School, Boston also operates Boston Latin School (2,424 students), Boston Latin Academy (1,693 students), and O'bryant School of Math & Science (1,509 students). See the Boston 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.