Rank
299
C-
Athol-Royalston
3 schools · 1 high school · 2 elementary schools · Athol, Royalston · Regional District
Athol-Royalston Regional School District serves the towns of Athol and Royalston in north-central Massachusetts, roughly 50 miles northwest of Boston in the foothills region. Both towns are rural and residential in character, with Athol being the larger community. The district's graduation rate of 83.8% reflects moderate academic performance relative to state benchmarks, with students averaging 964 on the SAT. This is a working community where property tax bills remain low compared to much of Massachusetts, making it accessible for families seeking rural New England living.
Avg MCAS ELA
25%
#297 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
25.7%
#278 of 326
Avg SAT
964
#267 of 290
Attendance
92.1%
#257 of 328
Graduation Rate
83.8%
#254 of 288
AP Pass Rate
29.7%
#262 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$18,890
#267 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$76,325
#286 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 20% | 24% | — | 482 | 144 |
| Grade 4 | 19% | 23% | — | 484 | 125 |
| Grade 5 | 11% | 7% | 17% | 476 | 96 |
| Grade 6 | 29% | 18% | — | 482 | 126 |
| Grade 7 | 21% | 24% | — | 479 | 112 |
| Grade 8 | 20% | 23% | 14% | 482 | 129 |
| Grade 10 | 23% | 18% | 20% | 485 | 86 |
| HS Science | — | — | 20% | 479 | 79 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 74.7%
Asian: 1%
Hispanic: 17.3%
Black: 2.5%
Multi-Race: 4.5%
Am. Indian: 0.1%
Female: 46.2%Male: 53.8%
High Schools in Athol-Royalston
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
314
C-
Athol High
SAT
964
ELA
25%
Math
21%
Grad
83.8%
314
C-
Athol High
964
25%
21%
29.7%
83.8%
Elementary Schools in Athol-Royalston
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
659
C
Royalston Community School
ELA
33%
Math
33%
Attend.
93.3%
Class
19
659
C
Royalston Community School
33%
33%
93.3%
19
830
C-
Athol Community Elementary School
ELA
17%
Math
23%
Attend.
93%
Class
20
830
C-
Athol Community Elementary School
17%
23%
93%
20
District Operations
Attendance
#257 of 328Attendance Rate92.1%
Avg Days Absent14
Chronically Absent (10%+)25.7%
Chronically Absent (20%+)7.2%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#267 of 325In-District Per Pupil$18,982
Total Per Pupil$18,890
Total FTE Students1,887
Teacher Salaries
#286 of 325Average Salary$76,325
Teacher FTE Count125
Salary vs. Town Income2.7x(above town avg)
Teacher salary is 2.7x the town's per capita income ($27,790). Teachers earn well above the community per capita income. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#179 of 327Avg Class Size17
English Learners4.3%
Students w/ Disabilities26.1%
Total Students1,591
Staffing & Retention
#265 of 327Teacher Retention79.2%
Principal Retention50%
Total Teachers130
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Athol
Avg Assessed Value
$309,717
#222 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$3,924
Income Per Capita
$25,569
#217 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#330
of 341 towns
Avg Assessed Value is the mean assessed value of single-family homes only (MA property class 101 — excludes condos, multi-family, and apartments). MA law requires assessment at 100% of fair market value. Income Per Capita is total town income divided by population, derived from MA state income tax returns (not Census surveys). It includes wages, investment income, and capital gains, so wealthy towns can have very high figures. The MA median is about $48K. Tax bill rank orders towns by average single-family tax bill, highest to lowest.
Tax & Bond Details
Residential Tax Rate1.27%
Tax as % of Income15.35%(typical)
Bond RatingAA-(good)
Tax rate is the effective residential rate (tax bill ÷ assessed value). Tax as % of income measures how much of residents’ income goes to property taxes. The MA median is about 14%; below 10% is low (wealthier towns with high incomes relative to home values), above 16% is above average. Bond rating reflects the town’s creditworthiness for borrowing. AAA is the highest possible rating (strong fiscal management), meaning the town can borrow at the lowest interest rates. AA+ is excellent, AA is very good.
New Growth
$16.9M+1.3% levy growth(typical)
Residential$14.4M
Commercial/Industrial$2.5M
Residential Share85.09%(mostly homes)
New growth measures new taxable value from construction and development (not rising home prices). In Massachusetts, Proposition 2\u00BD limits annual property tax increases to 2.5% of the prior year\u2019s levy. New growth revenue is automatically added on top of this 2.5% base increase \u2014 it does not require a vote. This town’s total levy growth is about 3.8% (2.5% base + 1.3% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (85.09%) shows how much comes from homes vs. commercial/industrial. When most growth is residential, homeowners carry more of the tax burden. More commercial/industrial growth is generally better for homeowners because businesses share the cost.
Municipal Free Cash
$1.6M5.9% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $27.6M.
Royalston
Avg Assessed Value
$341,850
#222 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$3,507
Income Per Capita
$30,010
#217 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
—
Avg Assessed Value is the mean assessed value of single-family homes only (MA property class 101 — excludes condos, multi-family, and apartments). MA law requires assessment at 100% of fair market value. Income Per Capita is total town income divided by population, derived from MA state income tax returns (not Census surveys). It includes wages, investment income, and capital gains, so wealthy towns can have very high figures. The MA median is about $48K.
Tax & Bond Details
Residential Tax Rate1.03%
Tax as % of Income11.69%(below avg)
Tax rate is the effective residential rate (tax bill ÷ assessed value). Tax as % of income measures how much of residents’ income goes to property taxes. The MA median is about 14%; below 10% is low (wealthier towns with high incomes relative to home values), above 16% is above average.
New Growth
$1.6M+0.71% levy growth(low)
Residential$1.1M
Commercial/Industrial$466K
Residential Share70.15%(typical)
New growth measures new taxable value from construction and development (not rising home prices). In Massachusetts, Proposition 2\u00BD limits annual property tax increases to 2.5% of the prior year\u2019s levy. New growth revenue is automatically added on top of this 2.5% base increase \u2014 it does not require a vote. This town’s total levy growth is about 3.2% (2.5% base + 0.71% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (70.15%) shows how much comes from homes vs. commercial/industrial. When most growth is residential, homeowners carry more of the tax burden. More commercial/industrial growth is generally better for homeowners because businesses share the cost.
Municipal Free Cash
$156K4.1% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $3.8M.