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Massachusetts regional school district

Gateway

1 high school and 2 elementary schools in our rankings

C+
overall grade

Students from Blandford, Chester, Huntington, Middlefield, Montgomery and Russell attend Gateway schools, including Gateway Regional School.

Ranks #188 of 328 Massachusetts school districts.

Overall rank
#188
of 328 districts
MCAS ELA
32%
State 41% in the same grades
MCAS Math
35%
State 41% in the same grades
Spending per student
$24,620
MA median $21,765

MCAS is the share of students meeting or exceeding expectations in 2026, grades 3–10 combined. Spending is total per-pupil expenditure in FY2024.

The Gateway Regional School District serves six small towns in Hampden and Hampshire counties in the Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts: Blandford, Chester, Huntington, Middlefield, Montgomery, and Russell. Its high school, Gateway Regional School, draws students from across these communities. The towns are rural in character, set among forests, farmland, and hills along the Westfield River and its tributaries, with a settled New England village feel. Russell, located along the Westfield River near the Hampden-Hampshire line, is among the more established communities in the district, while Montgomery and Blandford are known for their wooded landscapes and outdoor recreation.

How it compares

What stands out
  • Strongest area: SAT scores, in the top 37% of districts. Its high schools average 1145 on the SAT, vs 1113 for the average MA district.
  • Area to watch: Attendance ranks in the bottom 12% of districts.
  • Top school: Chester Elementary, #220 of 895 Massachusetts elementary schools.
  • Trend: Chronic absence has fallen from 34.7% in 2022 to 23.3% in 2025.
Where it stands among Massachusetts school districts
Bottom of MATop of MA
Overall
Averagebottom 43% · #188
SAT
Averagetop 37% · #107
ELA MCAS
Below averagebottom 20% · #265
Math MCAS
Averagebottom 41% · #194
AP results
Averagetop 43% · #118
Graduation
Below averagebottom 20% · #232
Attendance
Below averagebottom 12% · #290

A district's overall rank is the average statewide percentile of its ranked schools, with a 10% discount for single-school districts. Category standings compare the average of each district's ranked schools and count only districts with data. How we rank

Schools in Gateway

High schools · ranked among 335
Gateway Regional School
Gateway
C+
#216 in MASAT 1145Graduation 88%
Elementary schools · ranked among 895
Chester Elementary
Gateway
B+
#220 in MAELA 58%Math 64%
Littleville Elementary School
Gateway
C
#734 in MAELA 25%Math 31%

We rank high schools that report SAT results and elementary schools with grade 3 MCAS results, so some of the district's schools (middle schools, for example) aren't listed. Elementary ELA and Math are 2024–2026 averages of grade 3 results.

MCAS results

Share of students meeting or exceeding expectations, compared with the state. Statewide 10th-grade results dropped after 2024, when passing the MCAS stopped being a graduation requirement. There was no test in 2020.

English Language Arts, grades 3–1032%in 2026 · state 41%
8 points below the state
0%50%100%This district32%State41%2019202120232026
Math, grades 3–1035%in 2026 · state 41%
6 points below the state
0%50%100%This district35%State41%2019202120232026
By grade, 2026 · the black tick marks the state
GradeELAMath
Grade 3
26%−17 vs state
29%−13 vs state
Grade 4
47%+10 vs state
49%+6 vs state
Grade 5
38%same as state
30%−9 vs state
Grade 6
32%−8 vs state
54%+11 vs state
Grade 7
32%−8 vs state
42%+5 vs state
Grade 8
26%−16 vs state
17%−25 vs state
Grade 10
21%−24 vs state
26%−18 vs state
Science, 2026
Grade 5 science
53%+10 vs state
Grade 8 science
37%−2 vs state
High school biology
50%+12 vs state

High school results

Average SATBetter than average
This district
1145
MA avg
1113
AP exams scored 3+Better than average
This district
76.7%
MA avg
69.1%
Four-year graduation rateWorse than average
This district
87.8%
MA avg
92.4%

Averages of the district's ranked high schools (Gateway Regional School). "MA avg" is the average of all Massachusetts districts with high school data.

Students & classrooms

Classrooms
Students in classes722
Average class size11.3MA avg 17.3
Who attends
White
89.3%
Hispanic/Latino
7.4%
Multi-Race
2.2%
Black/African American
0.4%
Asian
0.3%
American Indian/Alaska Native
0.3%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0.1%

47.4% female · 52.4% male · 0.1% nonbinary

Student needs
English learnersLower than average
This district
1.4%
MA avg
8.5%
Students with disabilitiesHigher than average
This district
27.7%
MA avg
20.2%

Spending & teachers

Spending per student$24.6Kin FY2024 · MA median $21.8K
$2,855 above the MA median
$0K$13K$25KThis district$24.6KMA median$21.8K20162018202020222024
Teacher salary$73.6Kin 2023-24 · MA median $91.4K
$17,764 below the MA median
$0K$48K$95KThis district$73.6KMA median$91.4K20162018202020222024
Teachers who stayedfrom last yearBetter than average
This district
88.1%
MA avg
84.7%
Principals who stayedfrom last yearWorse than average
This district
66.7%
MA avg
82%

Spending is total per-pupil expenditure from all sources. Dollar figures aren't adjusted for inflation. "MA median" is the middle district in each year; small districts can spend far more per student, so the median is a fairer yardstick than the average. Salary is the average across 80 full-time-equivalent teachers.

Attendance

Attendance rateWorse than average
This district
91.8%
MA avg
93.7%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysWorse than average
This district
23.3%
MA avg
16.9%

14.4 days absent per student (MA avg 11) · 6% missed 20% or more of school days

About the towns

Blandford
Hampden County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$372KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$4,680MA median $6,814
Tax rate$12.60 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$35,064MA median $47,872
Free cash reserves20.8% of budget
Chester
Hampden County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$247KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$4,458MA median $6,814
Tax rate$18.10 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$30,625MA median $47,872
Free cash reserves4.6% of budget
Huntington
Hampshire County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$319KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$4,714MA median $6,814
Tax rate$14.80 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$36,295MA median $47,872
Free cash reserves5.8% of budget
Middlefield
Hampshire County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$260KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$4,392MA median $6,814
Tax rate$16.90 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$30,571MA median $47,872
Town bond ratingAA
Free cash reserves14.9% of budget
Montgomery
Hampden County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$416KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$4,822MA median $6,814
Tax rate$11.60 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$39,242MA median $47,872
Russell
Hampden County · Western Massachusetts
Avg single-family home value$318KMA median $588K
Avg property tax bill$5,854MA median $6,814
Tax rate$18.40 per $1,000MA median $12.40
Income per person$39,348MA median $47,872
Free cash reserves37% of budget

What could you afford here? · All towns A–Z

Town figures are FY2026 averages for single-family homes from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. Assessed values usually run below recent sale prices. "MA median" is the median of the state's 351 towns.

Compare Gateway with nearby districts

Gateway vs Hampshire#94B · 10 miGateway vs Worthington#314C- · 10 miGateway vs Westfield#220C+ · 11 miGateway vs Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District#146B- · 12 miGateway vs Farmington River Reg#261C · 12 mi

Side by side: test scores, spending, class size, home values and taxes. Distance is between district centers. Compare with any district