•Overall: Tantasqua ranks higher, #111 to Palmer's #223 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
•MCAS 2026: Tantasqua students score higher: ELA 43% vs 22%, Math 52% vs 28% met expectations. Statewide: 40% and 41%.
•High school: Palmer has no high school in our rankings (its students may attend a regional high school), so only Tantasqua has SAT and graduation figures (SAT average 1128).
•Spending: Palmer spends $5,913 more per student ($23,575 vs $17,662).
•Homes: Homes cost more in Tantasqua: single-family homes average $398K vs $301K. The average tax bill is $5,014 in Palmer and $5,597 in Tantasqua.
•Class size: Smaller in Tantasqua: 13.2 students on average vs 16.5.
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.
English Language ArtsTantasqua ahead
Palmer
22%
Tantasqua
43%
State
40%
MathTantasqua ahead
Palmer
28%
Tantasqua
52%
State
41%
ELA by year
Year
Palmer
Tantasqua
State
2026
22%
43%
40%
2025
27%
46%
42%
2024
25%
46%
41%
2023
34%
49%
44%
2022
27%
49%
43%
2021
35%
58%
48%
Math by year
Year
Palmer
Tantasqua
State
2026
28%
52%
41%
2025
30%
52%
41%
2024
30%
54%
41%
2023
31%
53%
42%
2022
26%
51%
40%
2021
23%
50%
35%
No test in 2020. Statewide 10th-grade results dropped after 2024, when passing the MCAS stopped being a graduation requirement.
High school results
Average SAT
Palmer: no data
Tantasqua
1128
MA avg
1113
AP exams scored 3+
Palmer: no data
Tantasqua
93.5%
MA avg
69.1%
Four-year graduation rate
Palmer: no data
Tantasqua
96.1%
MA avg
92.4%
Averages of each district's ranked high schools. "MA avg" is the average of all districts with high school data.
Classrooms, teachers & spending
Average class sizeHigher in Palmer
Palmer
16.5
Tantasqua
13.2
MA avg
17.3
Attendance rateAbout the same
Palmer
93.7%
Tantasqua
94.5%
MA avg
93.7%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysLower in Tantasqua
Palmer
16.8%
Tantasqua
14.7%
MA avg
16.9%
Teachers who stayedfrom last yearTantasqua ahead
Palmer
83.7%
Tantasqua
95.3%
MA avg
84.7%
Spending per studentHigher in Palmer
Palmer
$23,575
Tantasqua
$17,662
MA median
$21,765
Average teacher salaryHigher in Tantasqua
Palmer
$80,277
Tantasqua
$83,678
MA median
$91,393
Spending is total per-pupil expenditure from all sources in FY2024. Class size is the average across all classes in the district.
Students
Palmer
Tantasqua
Students in classes
1,118
1,751
English learners
4.5%
0.9%
Students with disabilities
19.6%
13%
White
72.3%
84.1%
Asian
1.9%
2%
Hispanic/Latino
19%
8.7%
Black/African American
2.1%
1.4%
Multi-race
4.8%
3.8%
Homes & taxes
Average single-family home valueHigher in Tantasqua
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.