Rank
196
C+
Dudley-Charlton Reg
3 schools · 1 high school · 2 elementary schools · Charlton, Dudley · Regional District
The Dudley-Charlton Regional School District serves the towns of Charlton and Dudley, located in south-central Massachusetts between Worcester and the Connecticut border. This regional district encompasses two small, suburban communities with a combined student population supported by two elementary schools and Shepherd Hill Regional High School. The district ranks #196 overall among Massachusetts regional districts, with a 90.7% graduation rate and an average SAT score of 1088. Both towns have modest single-family assessed home values in the $450,000–$490,000 range and maintain moderate property tax bills relative to other Massachusetts communities.
Avg MCAS ELA
41.3%
#211 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
36.3%
#218 of 326
Avg SAT
1,088
#195 of 290
Attendance
94.4%
#132 of 328
Graduation Rate
90.7%
#202 of 288
AP Pass Rate
77.1%
#110 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$17,572
#303 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$86,012
#212 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 43% | 36% | — | 494 | 269 |
| Grade 4 | 36% | 44% | — | 493 | 261 |
| Grade 5 | 32% | 31% | 45% | 492 | 273 |
| Grade 6 | 35% | 25% | — | 490 | 301 |
| Grade 7 | 36% | 31% | — | 491 | 307 |
| Grade 8 | 41% | 24% | 35% | 490 | 291 |
| Grade 10 | 37% | 36% | 42% | 493 | 243 |
| HS Science | — | — | 27% | 485 | 224 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 77%
Asian: 0.9%
Hispanic: 14.5%
Black: 3.6%
Multi-Race: 3.9%
Female: 48.4%Male: 51.5%Non-binary: 0.1%
High Schools in Dudley-Charlton Reg
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
188
C+
Shepherd Hill Regional High
SAT
1,088
ELA
38%
Math
37%
Grad
90.7%
188
C+
Shepherd Hill Regional High
1,088
38%
37%
77.1%
90.7%
Elementary Schools in Dudley-Charlton Reg
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
519
C+
Heritage School
ELA
43%
Math
37%
Attend.
95.3%
Class
23
519
C+
Heritage School
43%
37%
95.3%
23
548
C+
Dudley Elementary
ELA
43%
Math
35%
Attend.
95.1%
Class
21
548
C+
Dudley Elementary
43%
35%
95.1%
21
District Operations
Attendance
#132 of 328Attendance Rate94.4%
Avg Days Absent10
Chronically Absent (10%+)13.2%
Chronically Absent (20%+)2.4%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#303 of 325In-District Per Pupil$16,666
Total Per Pupil$17,572
Total FTE Students3,568
Teacher Salaries
#212 of 325Average Salary$86,012
Teacher FTE Count262
Salary vs. Town Income2.1x(above town avg)
Teacher salary is 2.1x the town's per capita income ($41,518). Teachers earn well above the community per capita income. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#261 of 327Avg Class Size19
English Learners3.1%
Students w/ Disabilities20.5%
Total Students3,496
Staffing & Retention
#59 of 327Teacher Retention91%
Principal Retention71.4%
Total Teachers268
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Charlton
Avg Assessed Value
$488,575
#176 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$5,345
Income Per Capita
$46,950
#163 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#259
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 Rate1.09%
Tax as % of Income11.38%(below avg)
Bond RatingAA+(excellent)
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
$506.2M+15.79% levy growth(strong)
Residential$31.8M
Commercial/Industrial$474.4M
Residential Share6.29%(diverse)
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 18.3% (2.5% base + 15.79% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (6.29%) 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
$2.8M6.3% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $44.8M.
Dudley
Avg Assessed Value
$449,928
#176 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$4,526
Income Per Capita
$36,085
#163 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#317
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 Rate1.01%
Tax as % of Income12.54%(typical)
Bond RatingAA(very 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
$25.1M+1.61% levy growth(strong)
Residential$12.9M
Commercial/Industrial$12.3M
Residential Share51.15%(diverse)
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 4.1% (2.5% base + 1.61% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (51.15%) 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
$1.1M4.4% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $24.4M.