Enrollment
142
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 250954001514
Petersham Center — Petersham, MA
Federal NCES profile for Petersham Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 61/100.
👥 Class size 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 72
📋 Attendance 100
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
The verdict
Petersham Center earns a C+ Resource Investment Index (61/100), with class sizes larger than 82% of Massachusetts schools.
- C+
- Resource Index · 61/100
- 14:1
- large classes for Massachusetts
- 142
- students enrolled
School address
District: Petersham · Massachusetts
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 12.1:1 Massachusetts avg
+16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Petersham Center compares with Massachusetts and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Petersham Center reports 142 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 9.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 16% above the Massachusetts state mean of 12.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 11% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 142 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 0.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Petersham spends $20,814 per pupil district-wide, below the Massachusetts average of $22,458 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 38.8% from local sources (property taxes), 43.9% from the state, and 17.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (C+), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Petersham Center compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Massachusetts state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14:1 | ▲ 16% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 142 | top 9% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
14 smaller classes than 59% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
142 larger than 14% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
— 16% above state mean
Top 82% in Massachusetts — lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
0.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$20,814
per pupil, district-wide
— below Massachusetts avg of $22,458
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 142 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
Enrollment 142 Top 9% in Massachusetts — larger than 91% of 1,831 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 9.0
Students per teacher 14:1 +16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 250954001514
Student demographics
White 86.6%
Hispanic or Latino 7.7%
African American 2.1%
Two or More 2.1%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 86.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 142:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 0.0%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Petersham, which includes Petersham Center.
$20,814
Per student
-7%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $22,458
+25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.8%
State 43.9%
Federal 17.3%
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.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Before you act on this record
Treat this page as the federal baseline — then verify locally.
- Compare Petersham Center side-by-side with another school you're considering on the same NCES measures. Compare schools
- Read the district context — spending per pupil, staffing, and equity ranking are district-level decisions that shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment windows, programs, and boundaries with the school directly — federal data lags the current school year. Choosing guide
Figures are the school's reported federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) — coverage varies by entity type, and PlainSchools does not rate or rank schools.
Frequently asked questions about Petersham Center
How many students attend Petersham Center?
Petersham Center has 142 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Petersham, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Petersham Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Petersham Center is 14:1, which is 16% higher than the Massachusetts average of 12.1:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Petersham Center?
The largest demographic group at Petersham Center is White at 86.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in Petersham, MA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Petersham Center?
Petersham Center has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (C+) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.
Is Petersham Center a good school?
Petersham Center earns a C+ Resource Investment Index (61/100), with class sizes larger than 82% of Massachusetts schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.