The majority of students in Franklin County school districts were white in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Of the 8,586 students attending classes within Franklin County school districts, 78% were white. Hispanic students made up the second largest ethnic group among Franklin County’s school districts, making up 12.1% of the student body.
In the previous school year, white students were also the most common ethnicity in Franklin County school districts, representing 79.2% of the student body.
Greater Commonwealth Virtual District had the most even distribution of races among county school districts, which included 51.9% of white students, 26.3% of Hispanic students, 8.1% of multiracial students, 7.4% of African American students, and 0.3% of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students.
In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in school districts in the county dropped by 1% compared to the previous year.
The main offices of all school districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Franklin County.
Students in Massachusetts are predominantly white, according to state data from 2020. 35% of students were considered people of color.
Across the state, Hispanic and Latino students suffered the highest high school dropout rates.
Underrepresentation is also found among educators in Massachusetts. The Rennie Center reported that only 9% of teachers are people of color.
| District | Most Prevalent Ethnicity | Percent of Total Student Body | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conway Public Schools | White | 91.9% | 123 |
| Frontier Regional/Union#38 Public Schools | White | 86.1% | 309 |
| Erving School District | White | 85.3% | 129 |
| Franklin County Regional Vocational Technical School District | White | 89.4% | 602 |
| Frontier Regional School District | White | 83.7% | 606 |
| Gill-Montague Regional School District | White | 75.6% | 863 |
| Greater Commonwealth Virtual District | White | 51.9% | 1,155 |
| Greenfield Public Schools | White | 69.6% | 1,446 |
| Hawlemont Regional School District | White | 86.8% | 91 |
| Leverett School District | White | 85.1% | 141 |
| Mohawk Trail Regional School District | White | 90.5% | 788 |
| New Salem-Wendell Regional School District | White | 86.3% | 131 |
| Orange School District | White | 82.3% | 524 |
| Pioneer Valley Regional School District | White | 92% | 660 |
| Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District | White | 84.3% | 523 |
| Rowe School District | White | 77.3% | 66 |
| Shutesbury Public School District | White | 86.3% | 124 |
| Sunderland School District | White | 70.1% | 177 |
| Whately Public Schools | White | 92.2% | 128 |
