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B+

Chelmsford School District

Public school districtGrades PK–12

Serves Chelmsford.

Chelmsford’s School Grade B+ better than 73% of Massachusetts school districts

Students
5,068
Schools
8
Spent per student
$18,805
MA $26,530
Students per teacher
13:1
The gist

What stands out about Chelmsford School District

  • Its letter, B+: results better than 73% of Massachusetts districts
  • Math proficiency 12 pts above the state
  • Reading proficiency 14 pts above the state
  • Spends 29% less per student than the MA average
  • 13 students per teacher
  • Enrollment up 5% since 2020–21
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

B+: better than 73% of the 394 Massachusetts school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math well above the state, 2021–22
A−
GraduationFour-year graduation above the state, class of 2023
B−
The town it serves, and its School Grade
B+Chelmsford 38,549

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Chelmsford. Grade by grade →

K–44 elementary schoolsThis district
7–8McCarthy Middle SchoolThis district
9–12Chelmsford HighThis district

Test scores vs. MA

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency53%
State average 40.7% · 2,680 students tested
Reading / language arts58%
State average 43.7% · 2,675 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)94%
State average 89.2% · 324 in the class

100% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$18,805 per student · 29% below MA
Spending
Classroom instruction 64%Support & administration 32%Other 3%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 70%State 25%Federal 5%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
4,826’20
4,943’21
5,055’22
5,130’23
5,068’24

Up 5% since 2020–21.

Students
White 63%Asian 19%Hispanic 9%Two or more races 5%Black 4%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%

Schools in the district

8 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Massachusetts’s other public schools.

Community Education Center
Prekindergarten · Grades PK · Chelmsford
158 students18:1
Byam School
Elementary · Grades K–4 · Chelmsford
B+
510 students13:1
Center Elementary School
Elementary · Grades K–4 · Chelmsford
B+
480 students13:1
Charles D Harrington
Elementary · Grades K–4 · North Chelmsford
B
468 students12:1
South Row
Elementary · Grades K–4 · Chelmsford
B+
464 students13:1
Col Moses Parker School
Middle · Grades 5–6 · Chelmsford
B
778 students13:1
McCarthy Middle School
Middle · Grades 7–8 · Chelmsford
B+
808 students12:1
Chelmsford High
High · Grades 9–12 · North Chelmsford
A+
1,402 students14:1

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

Billerica School DistrictBillerica
$22,635per student
Carlisle School DistrictCarlisle
$26,056per student
Concord-Carlisle School DistrictCarlisle
$30,272per student
Lowell School DistrictLowell
$23,881per student

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within Massachusetts.