Belchertown vs Ware Schools
How the two districts, about 6 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Belchertown ranks higher, #119 to Ware's #245 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Belchertown students score higher: ELA 51% vs 22%, Math 40% vs 21% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Belchertown averages 62 points higher (1122 vs 1060).
- Spending: Ware spends $1,597 more per student ($19,436 vs $17,839).
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 | Ware | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 51% | 22% | 41% |
| 2025 | 48% | 28% | 43% |
| 2024 | 46% | 27% | 42% |
| 2023 | 49% | 31% | 45% |
| 2022 | 44% | 27% | 43% |
| 2021 | 49% | 37% | 49% |
| Year | Belchertown | Ware | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 40% | 21% | 41% |
| 2025 | 36% | 24% | 41% |
| 2024 | 37% | 25% | 42% |
| 2023 | 39% | 27% | 42% |
| 2022 | 40% | 23% | 41% |
| 2021 | 35% | 21% | 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 | Ware | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 2,045 | 1,078 |
| English learners | 3% | 2.3% |
| Students with disabilities | 22.6% | 19.1% |
| White | 82.1% | 72.1% |
| Asian | 1.7% | 0.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 10% | 17.5% |
| Black/African American | 1.6% | 3.4% |
| Multi-race | 4.4% | 5.8% |
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.