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Bellingham Town Hall, June 2010, Bellingham MAPhoto: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0
C
Schools in Bellingham · Bellingham School District

Bellingham’s public schools score below 67% of Massachusetts districts on tests and graduation

Reading proficiency in Bellingham’s districts is 35%, below the Massachusetts average (44%). The grade covers the public school district serving Bellingham, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Massachusetts, not nationally.

#207of 283 Massachusetts townsK–12Where will my kid go?

From Massachusetts state tests taken in spring 2022, when 100% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading proficiency
35%
▼ 9 pts vs MA 44%
2021–22
Math proficiency
34%
▼ 7 pts vs MA 41%
2021–22
Graduate on time
90–94%
▲ 1–5 pts vs MA 89%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$23.8K
▼ 10% vs MA $26.5K
FY2024
Students per teacher
13.2
MA 11.9 · larger classes
Schools in town
5
1,991 students on the public path
In brief

Bellingham’s schools, in brief

Against towns with similar incomes

Among the 283 Massachusetts towns with household incomes within a quarter of Bellingham’s, its schools beat 19%, lower than their 33% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓

Results trail the state

In spring 2022, 35% of tested students were proficient in reading and 34% in math, against 44% and 41% statewide; 100% of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓

Graduation

90–94% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 89% across Massachusetts (the state reports Bellingham’s rate as a range). Districts ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $23,840 per student, against $26,530 across Massachusetts (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

Two elementary schools, then one middle and one middle school

Which elementary school depends on the address; from grade 4 the district’s path is Bellingham Memorial School, then Bellingham High School. See the path ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Bellingham’s grade

C Test scoresC Graduation

C: better than 33% of Massachusetts school districts, #207 of 283 Massachusetts towns. Graduation is above the Massachusetts average; test scores are below it.

Massachusetts school districts we grade (394)Better than 33%
Lower resultsHigher results
Massachusetts towns with similar household incomes (283)Better than 19%
Towns in Norfolk County (23)Better than 4%
CC+A fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 1,076 test results and a graduating class of 131 could put Bellingham anywhere from C to C+. The tests are from spring 2022, when 100% of Bellingham’s students in the tested grades sat them (1,074 in math, 1,078 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Bellingham, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
PK–32 elementary schoolsDepends on your addressC to B−
4–7Bellingham Memorial SchoolBellingham School DistrictC+
8–12Bellingham High SchoolBellingham School DistrictC+

Bellingham’s public schools are run by Bellingham School District. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

The district

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

Bellingham School DistrictGrades PK–12 · 5 schools · 2,020 students, up 5% since 2020–21 · 13.2 per teacher (MA 11.9)
$23,840MA $26,530 · FY2024
C
Test scores · 2021–22

Well below the state in reading

Reading35%
State average 43.7% · 1078 students tested
Math34%
State average 40.7% · 1074 students tested

Bellingham vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the Massachusetts towns that share Bellingham’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
BellinghamCBellingham
MendonBMendon-Upton
HopedaleB−Hopedale
BlackstoneC+Blackstone-Millville
Franklin TownA−Franklin
MedwayA−Medway
MilfordDMilford
WrenthamB+Wrentham PK–6 · King Philip 7–12

Woonsocket, RI borders Bellingham but is graded on its own state’s tests, so it’s left out.

Every school in Bellingham

5 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Massachusetts’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

District schools in Bellinghamby address
Joseph F DiPietro Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–3
B−
385 students13:1Rate it →
Stall Brook
Elementary · Grades PK–3
C
280 students12:1Rate it →
Bellingham Memorial School
Middle · Grades 4–7
C+
586 students17:1Rate it →
Bellingham High School
High · Grades 8–12
C+
740 students12:1Rate it →
Other district programsby referral or application
Keough Memorial Academy
High · Grades 7–12
Alternative Education
29 students4:1Rate it →

Questions about Bellingham’s schools

Are Bellingham’s schools good?

On Massachusetts’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Bellingham children attend score below 67% of Massachusetts’s school districts on tests and graduation, a C Schools grade, #207 of 283 Massachusetts towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 19%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Bellingham in?

Bellingham School District, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 2,020 students in 5 schools (2024–25).

What is Bellingham’s graduation rate?

90–94% of the class of 2023 in Bellingham School District graduated in four years, against 89% across Massachusetts.

How much does Bellingham spend per student?

$23,840 in Bellingham School District (FY2024), against $26,530 across Massachusetts. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Bellingham families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Bellingham → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Massachusetts. Stars are from neighbors.