Gardner vs Narragansett Schools
How the two districts, about 7 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Narragansett ranks higher, #189 to Gardner's #292 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Narragansett students score higher: ELA 31% vs 20%, Math 27% vs 20% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Narragansett averages 200 points higher (1112 vs 912).
- Spending: Similar: $18,539 per student in Gardner and $17,341 in Narragansett.
- Homes: Homes cost more in Narragansett: single-family homes average $405K vs $367K. The average tax bill is $5,052 in Gardner and $4,607 in Narragansett.
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 | Gardner | Narragansett | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 20% | 31% | 41% |
| 2025 | 23% | 30% | 43% |
| 2024 | 24% | 29% | 42% |
| 2023 | 26% | 33% | 45% |
| 2022 | 28% | 31% | 43% |
| 2021 | 29% | 37% | 48% |
| Year | Gardner | Narragansett | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 20% | 27% | 41% |
| 2025 | 20% | 29% | 42% |
| 2024 | 22% | 28% | 42% |
| 2023 | 25% | 34% | 42% |
| 2022 | 26% | 29% | 40% |
| 2021 | 16% | 24% | 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
| Gardner | Narragansett | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 2,521 | 1,452 |
| English learners | 10.9% | 1.9% |
| Students with disabilities | 24.2% | 21.8% |
| White | 55% | 83.3% |
| Asian | 1.5% | 0.6% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 30.5% | 10.4% |
| Black/African American | 4.7% | 1.8% |
| Multi-race | 8% | 3.7% |
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.