West Massachusetts News

Northampton Public Schools had the largest enrollment among Hampshire County districts, welcoming 2,495 students during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2023-24 school year, 51.5% of them were boys, 47.5% were girls, and 1% identified themselves as non-binary or did not specify their gender.

Data also showed that the majority of students were white, making up 68.4% of the total enrollment within the district.

Among the 22 districts in Hampshire County, Belchertown Public Schools ranked second in enrollment numbers with 2,081 students, while South Hadley Public Schools welcomed 1,644 students and ranked third in the 2023-24 school year.

Northampton Public Schools roughly covers schools within Hampshire County with its main office in Northampton.

In the previous school year, Northampton Public Schools also had the highest number of students among Hampshire County districts.

Massachusetts spends more money on K-12 education per pupil than most other states, ranking fifth in the nation, according to a 2023 report. The state allocates $22,913 per pupil, totaling $21.1 billion annually.

Taxpayers provide a significant portion of their income towards education, with state funding accounting for $9,210 per pupil and local funding providing $11,830 per pupil. The federal government contributes a relatively small amount.

District	City (main office)	Total Enrollment
Northampton Public Schools	Northampton	2,495
Belchertown Public Schools	Belchertown	2,081
South Hadley Public Schools	South Hadley	1,644
Easthampton Public School District	Easthampton	1,397
Amherst-Pelham Regional Public Schools	Amherst	1,210
Ware Public Schools	Ware	1,124
Amherst Public Schools	Amherst	983
Gateway Regional School District	Huntington	752
Granby Public Schools	Granby	693
Hampshire Regional School District	Westhampton	690
Northampton-Smith Vocational Agricultural School District	Northampton	569
Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter District	Hadley	552
Hadley Public Schools	Hadley	503
Southampton Public Schools	Westhampton	471
Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public District	South Hadley	399
Hatfield Public Schools	Hatfield	322
Hilltown Cooperative Charter Public District	Easthampton	218
Chesterfield-Goshen Regional School District	Chesterfield	139
Pelham School District	Amherst	129
Williamsburg School District	Westhampton	123
Westhampton School District	Westhampton	104
Worthington School District	Worthington	73