•Overall: Amherst-Pelham ranks higher, #99 to Belchertown's #119 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
•MCAS 2026: Amherst-Pelham students score higher: ELA 54% vs 51%, Math 50% vs 40% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
•SAT: Amherst-Pelham averages 147 points higher (1269 vs 1122).
•Spending: Amherst-Pelham spends $10,698 more per student ($28,536 vs $17,839).
•Homes: Homes cost more in Amherst-Pelham: single-family homes average $499K vs $438K. The average tax bill is $8,446 in Amherst-Pelham and $6,622 in Belchertown.
•Class size: Smaller in Amherst-Pelham: 13.1 students on average vs 16.4.
MCAS results, 2026
Share of students meeting or exceeding expectations, all tested grades combined. Both districts test grades 3–10; "State" is the statewide figure for the same grades.
English Language ArtsAmherst-Pelham ahead
Amherst-Pelham
54%
Belchertown
51%
State
41%
MathAmherst-Pelham ahead
Amherst-Pelham
50%
Belchertown
40%
State
41%
ELA by year
Year
Amherst-Pelham
Belchertown
State
2026
54%
51%
41%
2025
56%
48%
43%
2024
53%
46%
42%
2023
51%
49%
45%
2022
53%
44%
44%
2021
63%
49%
50%
Math by year
Year
Amherst-Pelham
Belchertown
State
2026
50%
40%
41%
2025
52%
36%
41%
2024
49%
37%
42%
2023
47%
39%
42%
2022
45%
40%
41%
2021
49%
35%
36%
No test in 2020. Statewide 10th-grade results dropped after 2024, when passing the MCAS stopped being a graduation requirement.
High school results
Average SATAmherst-Pelham ahead
Amherst-Pelham
1269
Belchertown
1122
MA avg
1113
AP exams scored 3+Amherst-Pelham ahead
Amherst-Pelham
89.8%
Belchertown
85.7%
MA avg
69.1%
Four-year graduation rateAbout the same
Amherst-Pelham
92.6%
Belchertown
93.2%
MA avg
92.4%
Averages of each district's ranked high schools. "MA avg" is the average of all districts with high school data.
Classrooms, teachers & spending
Average class sizeHigher in Belchertown
Amherst-Pelham
13.1
Belchertown
16.4
MA avg
17.3
Attendance rateBelchertown ahead
Amherst-Pelham
92.2%
Belchertown
93.9%
MA avg
93.7%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysLower in Belchertown
Amherst-Pelham
22.3%
Belchertown
15.2%
MA avg
16.9%
Teachers who stayedfrom last yearBelchertown ahead
Amherst-Pelham
83.1%
Belchertown
89.6%
MA avg
84.7%
Spending per studentHigher in Amherst-Pelham
Amherst-Pelham
$28,536
Belchertown
$17,839
MA median
$21,765
Average teacher salaryHigher in Amherst-Pelham
Amherst-Pelham
$92,296
Belchertown
$82,993
MA median
$91,393
Spending is total per-pupil expenditure from all sources in FY2024. Class size is the average across all classes in the district.
Students
Amherst-Pelham
Belchertown
Students in classes
1,201
2,045
English learners
6.8%
3%
Students with disabilities
26.6%
22.6%
White
54.9%
82.1%
Asian
10.3%
1.7%
Hispanic/Latino
18.9%
10%
Black/African American
9.1%
1.6%
Multi-race
6.4%
4.4%
Homes & taxes
Average single-family home valueHigher in Amherst-Pelham
FY2026 averages for single-family homes from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue; for a district with several towns, the comparison uses the average of its towns. Assessed values usually run below recent sale prices.