Fitchburg vs Gardner Schools
How the two districts, about 9 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Fitchburg ranks higher, #236 to Gardner's #292 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Similar results: in Fitchburg, 22% met expectations in ELA and 21% in Math; in Gardner, 20% and 20%. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Fitchburg averages 48 points higher (960 vs 912).
- Spending: Fitchburg spends $3,302 more per student ($21,840 vs $18,539).
- Homes: Similar: single-family homes average $390K in Fitchburg and $367K in Gardner. The average tax bill is $5,189 in Fitchburg and $5,052 in Gardner.
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 | Fitchburg | Gardner | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 22% | 20% | 41% |
| 2025 | 26% | 23% | 43% |
| 2024 | 26% | 24% | 41% |
| 2023 | 30% | 26% | 44% |
| 2022 | 28% | 28% | 43% |
| 2021 | 30% | 29% | 49% |
| Year | Fitchburg | Gardner | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 21% | 20% | 41% |
| 2025 | 23% | 20% | 41% |
| 2024 | 24% | 22% | 42% |
| 2023 | 24% | 25% | 42% |
| 2022 | 22% | 26% | 40% |
| 2021 | 15% | 16% | 35% |
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
| Fitchburg | Gardner | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 5,446 | 2,521 |
| English learners | 23.6% | 10.9% |
| Students with disabilities | 22.1% | 24.2% |
| White | 22% | 55% |
| Asian | 3.9% | 1.5% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 57.9% | 30.5% |
| Black/African American | 9.6% | 4.7% |
| Multi-race | 6.2% | 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.