Rank

C-

Lawrence

12 schools · 1 high school · 11 elementary schools · Lawrence

Lawrence is a city located in Essex County, approximately 25 miles north of Boston in the Merrimack Valley region. The district serves a diverse student population and operates 11 elementary schools alongside Lawrence High School. With a graduation rate of 86.5%, the district continues to support student achievement across its schools. Lawrence has deep historical roots as a 19th-century mill city and remains an important community in the North Shore area.

Avg MCAS ELA

17.6%

#314 of 326

Avg MCAS Math

23.5%

#291 of 326

Avg SAT

838

#285 of 290

Attendance

92.1%

#281 of 328

Graduation Rate

86.5%

#245 of 288

AP Pass Rate

46%

#242 of 278

Per-Pupil Spending

$23,487

#116 of 325

Avg Teacher Salary

$84,516

#232 of 325

MCAS Performance by Grade

Grade	ELA M+E%	Math M+E%	Sci M+E%	Avg Score	Students
Grade 3	18%	25%	—	480	932
Grade 4	16%	17%	—	479	963
Grade 5	12%	17%	19%	479	921
Grade 6	19%	16%	—	478	972
Grade 7	20%	18%	—	479	1,000
Grade 8	21%	19%	16%	480	1,055
Grade 10	17%	11%	14%	474	771
HS Science	—	—	1%	457	78

Showing 2025 data

Student Demographics

White: 2.3%

Asian: 0.9%

Hispanic: 94.7%

Black: 1.7%

Multi-Race: 0.3%

Female: 46.8%Male: 53.1%Non-binary: 0.1%

High Schools in Lawrence

Rank

Grade

School

SAT

MCAS ELA

MCAS Math

Grad

Elementary Schools in Lawrence

Rank

Grade

School

MCAS ELA

MCAS Math

Attend.

Class Size

South Lawrence East Elementary School

South Lawrence East Elementary School

Henry K. Oliver Elementary

Henry K. Oliver Elementary

Francis M Leahy Elementary

Francis M Leahy Elementary

School for Exceptional Studies

School for Exceptional Studies

82.2%

District Operations

Attendance

#281 of 328

Attendance Rate92.1%

Avg Days Absent14

Chronically Absent (10%+)23.3%

Chronically Absent (20%+)7.3%

Per-Pupil Expenditure

#116 of 325

In-District Per Pupil$23,444

Total Per Pupil$23,487

Total FTE Students15,500

Teacher Salaries

#232 of 325

Average Salary$84,516

Teacher FTE Count1,150

Salary vs. Town Income3.9x(above town avg)

Teacher salary is 3.9x the town's per capita income ($21,419). Teachers earn well above the community per capita income. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.

Class Size & Populations

#256 of 327

Avg Class Size19

English Learners46.8%

Students w/ Disabilities20.6%

Total Students13,729

Staffing & Retention

#284 of 327

Teacher Retention75%

Principal Retention65.7%

Total Teachers1,228

Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025

Town Data

Lawrence

Avg Assessed Value

$479,209

#170 of 235

Avg Tax Bill

$4,140

Income Per Capita

$21,419

#232 of 235

Tax Bill Rank

#326

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 Rate0.86%

Tax as % of Income19.33%(above avg)

Bond RatingA+(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

$121.3M+1.84% levy growth(strong)

Residential$38.2M

Commercial/Industrial$83.1M

Residential Share18.03%(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 4.3% (2.5% base + 1.84% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (18.03%) 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

$18.4M3.9% of operating budget

Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $474.3M.

Where Children Attend School

Local Public: 12,770(75.9%)

Vocational: 1,308(7.8%)

Charter: 1,723(10.2%)

Private: 972(5.8%)

Home School: 41(0.2%)

Total: 16,827