•Overall: Ayer Shirley School District ranks higher, #136 to Leominster's #193 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
•MCAS 2026: Ayer Shirley School District students score higher: ELA 41% vs 38%, Math 41% vs 37% met expectations. Statewide: 40% and 41%.
•SAT: Leominster averages 31 points higher (1130 vs 1099).
•Spending: Similar: $19,014 per student in Ayer Shirley School District and $19,611 in Leominster.
•Homes: Homes cost more in Ayer Shirley School District: single-family homes average $548K vs $475K. The average tax bill is $6,558 in Ayer Shirley School District and $6,489 in Leominster.
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 ArtsAyer Shirley School District ahead
Ayer Shirley School District
41%
Leominster
38%
State
40%
MathAyer Shirley School District ahead
Ayer Shirley School District
41%
Leominster
37%
State
41%
ELA by year
Year
Ayer Shirley School District
Leominster
State
2026
41%
38%
40%
2025
42%
36%
42%
2024
45%
35%
41%
2023
49%
37%
45%
2022
47%
35%
43%
2021
49%
38%
48%
Math by year
Year
Ayer Shirley School District
Leominster
State
2026
41%
37%
41%
2025
39%
33%
41%
2024
39%
35%
42%
2023
42%
36%
42%
2022
41%
34%
40%
2021
30%
25%
35%
No test in 2020. Statewide 10th-grade results dropped after 2024, when passing the MCAS stopped being a graduation requirement.
High school results
Average SATLeominster ahead
Ayer Shirley School District
1099
Leominster
1130
MA avg
1113
AP exams scored 3+Leominster ahead
Ayer Shirley School District
68.6%
Leominster
74.2%
MA avg
69.1%
Four-year graduation rateAyer Shirley School District ahead
Ayer Shirley School District
96.8%
Leominster
95.6%
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 sizeAbout the same
Ayer Shirley School District
18.7
Leominster
18.9
MA avg
17.3
Attendance rateAyer Shirley School District ahead
Ayer Shirley School District
94.6%
Leominster
92.7%
MA avg
93.7%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysLower in Ayer Shirley School District
Ayer Shirley School District
13.1%
Leominster
22.4%
MA avg
16.9%
Teachers who stayedfrom last yearLeominster ahead
Ayer Shirley School District
85.3%
Leominster
86.9%
MA avg
84.7%
Spending per studentHigher in Leominster
Ayer Shirley School District
$19,014
Leominster
$19,611
MA median
$21,765
Average teacher salaryHigher in Leominster
Ayer Shirley School District
$85,887
Leominster
$88,631
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
Ayer Shirley School District
Leominster
Students in classes
1,728
6,289
English learners
7.2%
14.5%
Students with disabilities
19.4%
23.5%
White
66.5%
38%
Asian
5%
3.1%
Hispanic/Latino
15.8%
43.1%
Black/African American
7.7%
10.9%
Multi-race
4.5%
4.8%
Homes & taxes
Average single-family home valueHigher in Ayer Shirley School District
Ayer Shirley School District
$548K
Leominster
$475K
MA median
$588K
Average property tax billHigher in Ayer Shirley School District
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.