•Overall: Maynard ranks higher, #121 to Ayer Shirley School District's #136 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
•MCAS 2026: Ayer Shirley School District students score higher: ELA 41% vs 41%, Math 41% vs 38% met expectations. Statewide: 40% and 41%.
•SAT: Maynard averages 88 points higher (1187 vs 1099).
•Spending: Maynard spends $5,491 more per student ($24,505 vs $19,014).
•Homes: Homes cost more in Maynard: single-family homes average $607K vs $548K. The average tax bill is $6,558 in Ayer Shirley School District and $10,081 in Maynard.
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 ArtsSame
Ayer Shirley School District
41%
Maynard
41%
State
40%
MathAyer Shirley School District ahead
Ayer Shirley School District
41%
Maynard
38%
State
41%
ELA by year
Year
Ayer Shirley School District
Maynard
State
2026
41%
41%
40%
2025
42%
43%
42%
2024
45%
43%
41%
2023
49%
44%
45%
2022
47%
43%
43%
2021
49%
50%
48%
Math by year
Year
Ayer Shirley School District
Maynard
State
2026
41%
38%
41%
2025
39%
34%
41%
2024
39%
44%
42%
2023
42%
39%
42%
2022
41%
37%
40%
2021
30%
32%
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 SATMaynard ahead
Ayer Shirley School District
1099
Maynard
1187
MA avg
1113
AP exams scored 3+Maynard ahead
Ayer Shirley School District
68.6%
Maynard
82.9%
MA avg
69.1%
Four-year graduation rateAyer Shirley School District ahead
Ayer Shirley School District
96.8%
Maynard
94.4%
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 Ayer Shirley School District
Ayer Shirley School District
18.7
Maynard
16.9
MA avg
17.3
Attendance rateAbout the same
Ayer Shirley School District
94.6%
Maynard
94.4%
MA avg
93.7%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysLower in Ayer Shirley School District
Ayer Shirley School District
13.1%
Maynard
14.5%
MA avg
16.9%
Teachers who stayedfrom last yearMaynard ahead
Ayer Shirley School District
85.3%
Maynard
86.7%
MA avg
84.7%
Spending per studentHigher in Maynard
Ayer Shirley School District
$19,014
Maynard
$24,505
MA median
$21,765
Average teacher salaryHigher in Maynard
Ayer Shirley School District
$85,887
Maynard
$88,985
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.
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.