Rank
2
A+
Dover-Sherborn
3 schools · 1 high school · 2 elementary schools · Dover, Sherborn · Regional District
Dover-Sherborn is a regional school district comprising two affluent suburban towns west of Boston: Dover and Sherborn. With average single-family assessed values exceeding $1.2 million and per capita income among the highest in the state, both towns represent significant wealth and investment in education. The district ranks #2 overall among Massachusetts districts, driven by exceptional performance at Dover-Sherborn Regional High School (ranked #4 statewide) and a perfect 100% graduation rate. The area is known for its preservation of open space and historical character, with roots in Massachusetts colonial history.
Avg MCAS ELA
81.3%
#6 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
79.7%
#8 of 326
Avg SAT
1,283
#14 of 290
Attendance
95.7%
#47 of 328
Graduation Rate
100%
#2 of 288
AP Pass Rate
95.8%
#6 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$26,167
#60 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$117,000
#15 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 74% | 79% | — | 514 | 91 |
| Grade 4 | 71% | 67% | — | 506 | 69 |
| Grade 5 | 63% | 69% | 78% | 511 | 99 |
| Grade 6 | 61% | 69% | — | 510 | 166 |
| Grade 7 | 76% | 76% | — | 511 | 137 |
| Grade 8 | 74% | 70% | 72% | 512 | 166 |
| Grade 10 | 91% | 87% | 86% | 524 | 140 |
| HS Science | — | — | 80% | 520 | 144 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 68.9%
Asian: 14.4%
Hispanic: 5.9%
Black: 3.7%
Multi-Race: 7%
Am. Indian: 0.1%
Female: 49.5%Male: 50.3%Non-binary: 0.2%
High Schools in Dover-Sherborn
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
4
A+
Dover-Sherborn Regional High
SAT
1,283
ELA
93%
Math
89%
Grad
100%
4
A+
Dover-Sherborn Regional High
1,283
93%
89%
95.8%
100%
Elementary Schools in Dover-Sherborn
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
40
A
Chickering
ELA
74%
Math
79%
Attend.
95.2%
Class
19
40
A
Chickering
74%
79%
95.2%
19
63
A
Pine Hill
ELA
77%
Math
71%
Attend.
94.8%
Class
19
63
A
Pine Hill
77%
71%
94.8%
19
District Operations
Attendance
#47 of 328Attendance Rate95.7%
Avg Days Absent8
Chronically Absent (10%+)5.3%
Chronically Absent (20%+)0.5%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#60 of 325In-District Per Pupil$25,318
Total Per Pupil$26,167
Total FTE Students1,153
Teacher Salaries
#15 of 325Average Salary$117,000
Teacher FTE Count103
Salary vs. Town Income0.3x(below town avg)
Teacher salary is only 0.3x the town's per capita income ($350,093). In this wealthy community, the average resident earns more than the average teacher. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#64 of 327Avg Class Size16
English Learners0.6%
Students w/ Disabilities11.8%
Total Students1,086
Staffing & Retention
#23 of 327Teacher Retention92.9%
Principal Retention100%
Total Teachers113
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Dover
Avg Assessed Value
$1,705,816
#14 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$19,088
Income Per Capita
$318,974
#2 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#9
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 Rate1.12%
Tax as % of Income5.98%(low burden)
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
$33.8M+0.94% levy growth(typical)
Residential$29.1M
Commercial/Industrial$4.7M
Residential Share85.98%(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 3.4% (2.5% base + 0.94% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (85.98%) 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.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 453(35.9%)
Regional: 565(44.8%)
Vocational: 5(0.4%)
Private: 223(17.7%)
Home School: 3(0.2%)
Total: 1,262Sherborn
Avg Assessed Value
$1,278,285
#14 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$20,018
Income Per Capita
$381,211
#2 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#7
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 Rate1.57%
Tax as % of Income5.25%(low burden)
Bond RatingAAA(highest)
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
$12.9M+0.72% levy growth(low)
Residential$9.6M
Commercial/Industrial$3.3M
Residential Share74.29%(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 + 0.72% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (74.29%) 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
$3.2M9.0% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $35.2M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 378(39.0%)
Regional: 501(51.6%)
Vocational: 5(0.5%)
Private: 72(7.4%)
Home School: 2(0.2%)
Total: 970