Rank
139
B-
Lee
2 schools · 1 high school · 1 elementary school · Lee
Lee is a town in the southern Berkshires, roughly 40 miles south of Pittsfield and near the Connecticut border. The district operates a combined middle and high school serving the community, and maintains a notably high graduation rate of 98.2%. Lee has historical significance as a paper-manufacturing center during the 19th and 20th centuries, with the iconic Lee Mill still standing as a landmark of the town's industrial heritage. The district ranks #139 overall among Massachusetts public school districts.
Avg MCAS ELA
47%
#171 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
46%
#145 of 326
Avg SAT
1,105
#166 of 290
Attendance
94.3%
#160 of 328
Graduation Rate
98.2%
#45 of 288
AP Pass Rate
79.2%
#99 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$22,852
#132 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$82,282
#256 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 35% | 40% | — | 494 | 40 |
| Grade 4 | 33% | 49% | — | 495 | 43 |
| Grade 5 | 22% | 42% | 36% | 493 | 45 |
| Grade 6 | 35% | 20% | — | 488 | 55 |
| Grade 7 | 39% | 34% | — | 493 | 69 |
| Grade 8 | 41% | 12% | 38% | 492 | 51 |
| Grade 10 | 59% | 52% | 36% | 504 | 56 |
| HS Science | — | — | 30% | 491 | 60 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 79%
Asian: 3.1%
Hispanic: 13.4%
Black: 1.7%
Multi-Race: 2.6%
Am. Indian: 0.2%
Female: 48.3%Male: 51.4%Non-binary: 0.3%
High Schools in Lee
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
132
B
Lee Middle/High School
SAT
1,105
ELA
59%
Math
52%
Grad
98.2%
132
B
Lee Middle/High School
1,105
59%
52%
79.2%
98.2%
Elementary Schools in Lee
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
443
B-
Lee Elementary
ELA
35%
Math
40%
Attend.
94.8%
Class
23
443
B-
Lee Elementary
35%
40%
94.8%
23
District Operations
Attendance
#160 of 328Attendance Rate94.3%
Avg Days Absent10
Chronically Absent (10%+)9.7%
Chronically Absent (20%+)3.2%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#132 of 325In-District Per Pupil$24,155
Total Per Pupil$22,852
Total FTE Students746
Teacher Salaries
#256 of 325Average Salary$82,282
Teacher FTE Count72
Salary vs. Town Income2.0x(above town avg)
Teacher salary is 2.0x the town's per capita income ($41,291). Teachers earn well above the community per capita income. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#108 of 327Avg Class Size16
English Learners6.4%
Students w/ Disabilities17.7%
Total Students656
Staffing & Retention
#42 of 327Teacher Retention91.8%
Principal Retention50%
Total Teachers73
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Lee
Avg Assessed Value
$429,359
#191 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$4,813
Income Per Capita
$41,291
#165 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#296
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 Income11.66%(below avg)
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
$13.1M+0.73% levy growth(low)
Residential$5.9M
Commercial/Industrial$7.3M
Residential Share44.82%(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 3.2% (2.5% base + 0.73% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (44.82%) 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
$3.9M7.7% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $51.3M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 596(80.5%)
Charter: 1(0.1%)
Private: 32(4.3%)
Home School: 13(1.8%)
Total: 740