Rank
295
C-
New Salem-Wendell
1 school · 1 elementary school · New Salem, Wendell · Regional District
New Salem-Wendell Regional School District serves the towns of New Salem and Wendell, small rural communities in central Massachusetts about 20 miles east of Springfield. The district operates one elementary school serving both towns. With limited scale and resources typical of rural regional districts, New Salem-Wendell ranks #295 out of 328 districts statewide. The area is characterized by forest conservation land and a quiet, agricultural heritage reflective of the Pioneer Valley region.
Avg MCAS ELA
30%
#279 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
20%
#305 of 326
Avg SAT
—
Attendance
93.2%
#244 of 328
Graduation Rate
—
AP Pass Rate
—
Per-Pupil Spending
$26,209
#59 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$65,422
#314 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 30% | 20% | — | 490 | 20 |
| Grade 4 | 42% | 26% | — | 494 | 19 |
| Grade 5 | 26% | 26% | 53% | 490 | 19 |
| Grade 6 | 17% | 32% | — | 492 | 18 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 85.7%
Asian: 0.7%
Hispanic: 5.7%
Multi-Race: 7.9%
Female: 50%Male: 49.3%Non-binary: 0.7%
Elementary Schools in New Salem-Wendell
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
758
C
Swift River
ELA
30%
Math
20%
Attend.
93.2%
Class
17
758
C
Swift River
30%
20%
93.2%
17
District Operations
Attendance
#244 of 328Attendance Rate93.2%
Avg Days Absent12
Chronically Absent (10%+)18.2%
Chronically Absent (20%+)4.4%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#59 of 325In-District Per Pupil$27,551
Total Per Pupil$26,209
Total FTE Students148
Teacher Salaries
#314 of 325Average Salary$65,422
Teacher FTE Count15
Salary vs. Town Income2.2x(above town avg)
Teacher salary is 2.2x the town's per capita income ($30,155). Teachers earn well above the community per capita income. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#149 of 327Avg Class Size17
English Learners0%
Students w/ Disabilities23.5%
Total Students136
Staffing & Retention
#142 of 327Teacher Retention88.2%
Principal Retention100%
Total Teachers17
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
New Salem
Avg Assessed Value
$363,525
#215 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$4,951
Income Per Capita
$30,155
#212 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#287
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 Rate1.36%
Tax as % of Income16.42%(above avg)
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.
New Growth
$1.1M+0.6% levy growth(low)
Residential$1.0M
Commercial/Industrial$70K
Residential Share93.56%(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 + 0.6% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (93.56%) 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
$1.3M27.0% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $4.6M.
Wendell
Avg Assessed Value
—
#215 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
—
Income Per Capita
—
#212 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
—
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.
New Growth
$2.3M+1.66% levy growth(strong)
Residential$259K
Commercial/Industrial$2.1M
Residential Share11.12%(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 4.2% (2.5% base + 1.66% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (11.12%) 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
$270K5.7% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $4.8M.