Belchertown vs South Hadley Schools
How the two districts, about 9 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Belchertown ranks higher, #119 to South Hadley's #131 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Belchertown students score higher: ELA 51% vs 33%, Math 40% vs 29% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: South Hadley averages 60 points higher (1182 vs 1122).
- Spending: South Hadley spends $2,362 more per student ($20,200 vs $17,839).
- Homes: Similar: single-family homes average $438K in Belchertown and $417K in South Hadley. The average tax bill is $6,622 in Belchertown and $5,639 in South Hadley.
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.
| Year | Belchertown | South Hadley | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 51% | 33% | 41% |
| 2025 | 48% | 37% | 43% |
| 2024 | 46% | 39% | 42% |
| 2023 | 49% | 40% | 45% |
| 2022 | 44% | 36% | 43% |
| 2021 | 49% | 44% | 49% |
| Year | Belchertown | South Hadley | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 40% | 29% | 41% |
| 2025 | 36% | 34% | 41% |
| 2024 | 37% | 37% | 42% |
| 2023 | 39% | 37% | 42% |
| 2022 | 40% | 31% | 41% |
| 2021 | 35% | 28% | 36% |
No test in 2020. Statewide 10th-grade results dropped after 2024, when passing the MCAS stopped being a graduation requirement.
High school results
Averages of each district's ranked high schools. "MA avg" is the average of all districts with high school data.
Classrooms, teachers & spending
Spending is total per-pupil expenditure from all sources in FY2024. Class size is the average across all classes in the district.
Students
| Belchertown | South Hadley | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 2,045 | 1,648 |
| English learners | 3% | 5.6% |
| Students with disabilities | 22.6% | 22.6% |
| White | 82.1% | 73.7% |
| Asian | 1.7% | 1.6% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 10% | 19.4% |
| Black/African American | 1.6% | 1.9% |
| Multi-race | 4.4% | 3.2% |
Homes & taxes
What could you afford in either town?
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.