Photo: Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger) · Public domainCharlton’s public schools score below 62% of Massachusetts districts on tests and graduation
The grade covers the public school district serving Charlton, 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.
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.
Charlton’s schools, in brief
Against towns with similar incomes
Among the 293 Massachusetts towns with household incomes within a quarter of Charlton’s, its schools beat 32%, lower than their 38% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓
Above the state in reading, below in math
Reading proficiency is 45% and math 38% in spring 2022, against 44% and 41% statewide; 89% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 89%. Test scores ↓
Spending and class size
The district spends $18,893 per student, against $26,530 across Massachusetts (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓
One elementary school, then one elementary, one middle and one high school
From grade 2 the district’s path is Heritage School, then Charlton Middle School, then Shepherd Hill Regional High. 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.
What’s behind Charlton’s grade
C+: better than 38% of Massachusetts school districts, #189 of 283 Massachusetts towns. Both inputs trail the Massachusetts average; test scores are the closer of the two to typical.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Charlton, with each school’s own grade.
Kindergarten in Charlton
Charlton Elementary
Grades PK–1 · 333 students · 13:1 students per teacher
1st grade in Charlton
Charlton Elementary
Grades PK–1 · 333 students · 13:1 students per teacher
2nd grade in Charlton
Heritage School
Grades 2–4 · 425 students · 13:1 students per teacher
3rd grade in Charlton
Heritage School
Grades 2–4 · 425 students · 13:1 students per teacher
4th grade in Charlton
Heritage School
Grades 2–4 · 425 students · 13:1 students per teacher
5th grade in Charlton
Charlton Middle School
Grades 5–8 · 631 students · 13:1 students per teacher
6th grade in Charlton
Charlton Middle School
Grades 5–8 · 631 students · 13:1 students per teacher
7th grade in Charlton
Charlton Middle School
Grades 5–8 · 631 students · 13:1 students per teacher
8th grade in Charlton
Charlton Middle School
Grades 5–8 · 631 students · 13:1 students per teacher
9th grade in Charlton
Shepherd Hill Regional High
Grades 9–12 · 942 students · 14:1 students per teacher · in Dudley
10th grade in Charlton
Shepherd Hill Regional High
Grades 9–12 · 942 students · 14:1 students per teacher · in Dudley
Charlton’s public schools are run by Dudley-Charlton Regional School District, which also serves Dudley. 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.
Close to the state in reading
Charlton vs. its neighbors
Schools grades for the Massachusetts towns that share Charlton’s borders.
| Town | Schools | Main districts |
|---|---|---|
| Charlton | C+ | Dudley-Charlton Regional |
| Southbridge Town | D− | Southbridge |
| Oxford | C− | Oxford |
| Sturbridge | B | Sturbridge PK–6 · Tantasqua 7–12 |
| Spencer | C− | Spencer-East Brookfield |
| East Brookfield | C− | Spencer-East Brookfield |
Every school in Charlton
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).
Questions about Charlton’s schools
Are Charlton’s schools good?
On Massachusetts’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Charlton children attend score below 62% of Massachusetts’s school districts on tests and graduation, a C+ Schools grade, #189 of 283 Massachusetts towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 32%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.
What school district is Charlton in?
Dudley-Charlton Regional School District, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 3,476 students in 7 schools (2024–25).
Where do Charlton kids go to high school?
Shepherd Hill Regional High in Dudley, with 942 students; its own test results earn an A−.
What is Charlton’s graduation rate?
89% of the class of 2023 in Dudley-Charlton Regional School District graduated in four years, against 89% across Massachusetts.
How much does Charlton spend per student?
$18,893 in Dudley-Charlton Regional School District (FY2024), against $26,530 across Massachusetts. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.
Parents talk
What Charlton families are saying about school.
Looking for colleges? Colleges near Charlton → 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.