Rank
41
A-
Manchester Essex Regional
3 schools · 1 high school · 2 elementary schools · Essex, Manchester · Regional District
Manchester Essex Regional School District serves the two affluent North Shore communities of Essex and Manchester, located approximately 25 miles northeast of Boston. The district is home to Manchester Memorial Elementary, ranked #21 in the state, and Manchester Essex Regional High School, ranked #29 statewide, with an impressive 98.9% graduation rate. Both towns feature substantial single-family assessed values and per capita incomes, reflecting their established character as prosperous coastal communities. The district's overall ranking of #41 out of 328 reflects strong academic performance across both elementary and secondary levels.
Avg MCAS ELA
74%
#22 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
63.7%
#56 of 326
Avg SAT
1,210
#44 of 290
Attendance
95.1%
#56 of 328
Graduation Rate
98.9%
#23 of 288
AP Pass Rate
84.6%
#63 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$27,395
#45 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$98,900
#92 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 69% | 55% | — | 503 | 75 |
| Grade 4 | 54% | 65% | — | 504 | 89 |
| Grade 5 | 49% | 53% | 66% | 500 | 92 |
| Grade 6 | 72% | 55% | — | 511 | 85 |
| Grade 7 | 53% | 45% | — | 501 | 97 |
| Grade 8 | 72% | 66% | 62% | 510 | 98 |
| Grade 10 | 82% | 82% | 75% | 516 | 104 |
| HS Science | — | — | 56% | 503 | 85 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 93.4%
Asian: 0.9%
Hispanic: 3.1%
Black: 0.3%
Multi-Race: 2.3%
Female: 53.5%Male: 46.5%Non-binary: 0.1%
High Schools in Manchester Essex Regional
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
29
A-
Manchester Essex Regional High School
SAT
1,210
ELA
82%
Math
82%
Grad
98.9%
29
A-
Manchester Essex Regional High School
1,210
82%
82%
84.6%
98.9%
Elementary Schools in Manchester Essex Regional
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
21
A+
Manchester Memorial Elementary
ELA
82%
Math
76%
Attend.
94.9%
Class
18
21
A+
Manchester Memorial Elementary
82%
76%
94.9%
18
406
B-
Essex Elementary
ELA
58%
Math
33%
Attend.
95.4%
Class
18
406
B-
Essex Elementary
58%
33%
95.4%
18
District Operations
Attendance
#56 of 328Attendance Rate95.1%
Avg Days Absent9
Chronically Absent (10%+)8.5%
Chronically Absent (20%+)0.8%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#45 of 325In-District Per Pupil$25,121
Total Per Pupil$27,395
Total FTE Students1,228
Teacher Salaries
#92 of 325Average Salary$98,900
Teacher FTE Count125
Salary vs. Town Income1.2x(near town avg)
Teacher salary is 1.2x the town's per capita income ($81,004). Teachers earn close to the community average. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#54 of 327Avg Class Size15
English Learners0.6%
Students w/ Disabilities19.6%
Total Students1,197
Staffing & Retention
#110 of 327Teacher Retention89.1%
Principal Retention75%
Total Teachers129
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Essex
Avg Assessed Value
$916,972
#48 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$11,957
Income Per Capita
$81,004
#44 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#44
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 Rate1.3%
Tax as % of Income14.76%(typical)
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
$6.8M+0.59% levy growth(low)
Residential$5.7M
Commercial/Industrial$1.2M
Residential Share82.98%(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 3.1% (2.5% base + 0.59% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (82.98%) 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.
Municipal Free Cash
$2.6M11.7% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $21.9M.