School district comparison · MCAS 2026 · other data 2024-25
Mohawk Trail vs Pioneer Valley Schools
How the two districts, about 15 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
Mohawk Trail
#211 of 328 districts
Serves Ashfield, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Hawley, Heath, Plainfield and Shelburne
1 high school · 3 elementary schools
1 high school · 3 elementary schools
Full district profile →
vs
Pioneer Valley
#203 of 328 districts
Serves Bernardston, Leyden and Northfield
1 high school · 1 elementary school
1 high school · 1 elementary school
Full district profile →
The short answer
- Overall: Pioneer Valley ranks higher, #203 to Mohawk Trail's #211 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Pioneer Valley students score higher: ELA 33% vs 32%, Math 36% vs 31% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Mohawk Trail averages 40 points higher (1108 vs 1068).
- Spending: Similar: $26,521 per student in Mohawk Trail and $26,037 in Pioneer Valley.
- Homes: Similar: single-family homes average $315K in Mohawk Trail and $340K in Pioneer Valley. The average tax bill is $5,094 in Mohawk Trail and $4,894 in Pioneer Valley.
- Class size: Smaller in Mohawk Trail: 10.4 students on average vs 14.5.
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 | Mohawk Trail | Pioneer Valley | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 32% | 33% | 41% |
| 2025 | 36% | 36% | 42% |
| 2024 | 30% | 33% | 41% |
| 2023 | 40% | 36% | 44% |
| 2022 | 35% | 38% | 43% |
| 2021 | 45% | 45% | 48% |
Math by year
| Year | Mohawk Trail | Pioneer Valley | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 31% | 36% | 41% |
| 2025 | 26% | 32% | 41% |
| 2024 | 23% | 34% | 41% |
| 2023 | 29% | 30% | 42% |
| 2022 | 31% | 26% | 40% |
| 2021 | 25% | 25% | 34% |
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
| Mohawk Trail | Pioneer Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 806 | 580 |
| English learners | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| Students with disabilities | 25.4% | 23.8% |
| White | 89.6% | 91.4% |
| Asian | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 5.4% | 3.9% |
| Black/African American | 0.8% | 0.2% |
| Multi-race | 3.7% | 3.8% |
Homes & taxes
Ashfield
Franklin County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$388KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$5,518MA median $6,814
Tax rate$14.20 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$34,046MA median $47,872
Free cash reserves14.7% of budget
Buckland
Franklin County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$347KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$5,804MA median $6,814
Tax rate$16.70 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$25,960MA median $47,872
Town bond ratingAA
Free cash reserves5.4% of budget
Charlemont
Franklin County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$296KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$4,976MA median $6,814
Tax rate$16.80 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$37,868MA median $47,872
Colrain
Franklin County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$269KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$4,791MA median $6,814
Tax rate$17.80 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$32,443MA median $47,872
Town bond ratingAA-
Free cash reserves5.7% of budget
Hawley
Franklin County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$287KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$4,648MA median $6,814
Tax rate$16.20 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$21,708MA median $47,872
Heath
Franklin County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$261KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$5,067MA median $6,814
Tax rate$19.40 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$17,146MA median $47,872
Free cash reserves8% of budget
Plainfield
Hampshire County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$273KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$4,801MA median $6,814
Tax rate$17.60 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$29,436MA median $47,872
Free cash reserves6% of budget
Shelburne
Franklin County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$402KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$5,146MA median $6,814
Tax rate$12.80 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$26,054MA median $47,872
Free cash reserves6.6% of budget
Bernardston
Franklin County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$330KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$5,019MA median $6,814
Tax rate$15.20 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$37,232MA median $47,872
Free cash reserves10% of budget
Leyden
Franklin County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$349KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$5,127MA median $6,814
Tax rate$14.70 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$51,741MA median $47,872
Free cash reserves10.5% of budget
Northfield
Franklin County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$342KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$4,537MA median $6,814
Tax rate$13.30 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$38,974MA median $47,872
Free cash reserves5% of budget
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
Mohawk Trail
High schools · rank of 335
Mohawk Trail Regional SchoolSAT 1108#217 C+Elementary schools · rank of 895
Sanderson Academy#343 BBuckland-Shelburne Regional#669 CColrain Central#692 CPioneer Valley
High schools · rank of 335
Pioneer Valley RegionalSAT 1068#147 B-Elementary schools · rank of 895
Bernardston Elementary#670 C