School district comparison · MCAS 2026 · other data 2024-25
Gateway vs Hampshire Schools
How the two districts, about 10 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
Gateway
#188 of 328 districts
Serves Blandford, Chester, Huntington, Middlefield, Montgomery and Russell
1 high school · 2 elementary schools
1 high school · 2 elementary schools
Full district profile →
vs
Hampshire
#94 of 328 districts
Serves Chesterfield, Goshen, Southampton, Westhampton and Williamsburg
1 high school · 3 elementary schools
1 high school · 3 elementary schools
Full district profile →
The short answer
- Overall: Hampshire ranks higher, #94 to Gateway's #188 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Hampshire students score higher: ELA 41% vs 32%, Math 47% vs 35% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Hampshire averages 36 points higher (1181 vs 1145).
- Spending: Similar: $24,620 per student in Gateway and $23,152 in Hampshire.
- Homes: Homes cost more in Hampshire: single-family homes average $406K vs $322K. The average tax bill is $4,820 in Gateway and $6,272 in Hampshire.
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.
ELA by year
| Year | Gateway | Hampshire | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 32% | 41% | 41% |
| 2025 | 34% | 44% | 43% |
| 2024 | 33% | 41% | 41% |
| 2023 | 32% | 49% | 43% |
| 2022 | 35% | 45% | 43% |
| 2021 | 42% | 55% | 48% |
Math by year
| Year | Gateway | Hampshire | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 35% | 47% | 41% |
| 2025 | 34% | 49% | 41% |
| 2024 | 33% | 48% | 41% |
| 2023 | 30% | 50% | 41% |
| 2022 | 32% | 45% | 40% |
| 2021 | 25% | 38% | 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
| Gateway | Hampshire | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 722 | 719 |
| English learners | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| Students with disabilities | 27.7% | 21.1% |
| White | 89.3% | 88.8% |
| Asian | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 7.4% | 6.9% |
| Black/African American | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| Multi-race | 2.2% | 2.7% |
Homes & taxes
Blandford
Hampden County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$372KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$4,680MA median $6,814
Tax rate$12.60 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$35,064MA median $47,872
Free cash reserves20.8% of budget
Chester
Hampden County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$247KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$4,458MA median $6,814
Tax rate$18.10 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$30,625MA median $47,872
Free cash reserves4.6% of budget
Huntington
Hampshire County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$319KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$4,714MA median $6,814
Tax rate$14.80 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$36,295MA median $47,872
Free cash reserves5.8% of budget
Middlefield
Hampshire County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$260KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$4,392MA median $6,814
Tax rate$16.90 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$30,571MA median $47,872
Town bond ratingAA
Free cash reserves14.9% of budget
Montgomery
Hampden County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$416KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$4,822MA median $6,814
Tax rate$11.60 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$39,242MA median $47,872
Russell
Hampden County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$318KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$5,854MA median $6,814
Tax rate$18.40 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$39,348MA median $47,872
Free cash reserves37% of budget
Chesterfield
Hampshire County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$378KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$5,767MA median $6,814
Tax rate$15.30 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$23,611MA median $47,872
Free cash reserves34.7% of budget
Goshen
Hampshire County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$375KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$5,062MA median $6,814
Tax rate$13.50 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$18,543MA median $47,872
Free cash reserves7.7% of budget
Southampton
Hampshire County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$489KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$6,413MA median $6,814
Tax rate$13.10 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$49,170MA median $47,872
Local kids in public school85.5%
Town bond ratingAA-
Westhampton
Hampshire County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$351KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$7,149MA median $6,814
Tax rate$20.40 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$63,071MA median $47,872
Local kids in public school91.7%
Town bond ratingAA+
Free cash reserves5.9% of budget
Williamsburg
Hampshire County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$435KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$6,968MA median $6,814
Tax rate$16.00 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$33,037MA median $47,872
Local kids in public school87.7%
Town bond ratingAA+
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.
The schools
Gateway
High schools · rank of 335
Gateway Regional SchoolSAT 1145#216 C+Elementary schools · rank of 895
Chester Elementary#220 B+Littleville Elementary School#734 CHampshire
High schools · rank of 335
Hampshire Regional HighSAT 1181#113 BElementary schools · rank of 895
Anne T. Dunphy School#35 AWilliam E Norris#423 B-Westhampton Elementary School#455 B-