New Salem-Wendell
1 elementary school in our rankings
Students from New Salem and Wendell attend New Salem-Wendell schools.
Ranks #269 of 328 Massachusetts school districts.
MCAS is the share of students meeting or exceeding expectations in 2026, grades 3–6 combined. Spending is total per-pupil expenditure in FY2024.
New Salem-Wendell is a regional school district serving the towns of New Salem and Wendell in north-central Massachusetts, within the Quabbin region of Franklin County. Both towns are small, rural communities in the hill towns of the Pioneer Valley, with a character defined by farmland, woodlands, and open space rather than dense development. New Salem is home to the Quabbin Reservoir's surrounding conservation lands and the historic Moore's Corner area, while Wendell is known for its Wendell State Forest and its town-meeting tradition. Both towns are located roughly 15 miles northeast of Greenfield, the county seat, with the district's students typically attending schools outside the district for high school.
How it compares
- Best of its categories: Math MCAS, in the bottom 43% of districts. 29% of students in grades 3–6 met or exceeded expectations in 2026, vs 42% statewide in the same grades.
- Area to watch: ELA MCAS ranks in the bottom 24% of districts.
- Trend: Math MCAS is down 5.9 points since 2023 (35.1757% to 29.28%).
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 New Salem-Wendell
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.
Students & classrooms
50% female · 49.3% male · 0.7% nonbinary
Spending & teachers
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 15 full-time-equivalent teachers.
Attendance
12.1 days absent per student (MA avg 11) · 4.4% missed 20% or more of school days
About the towns
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 New Salem-Wendell with nearby districts
Side by side: test scores, spending, class size, home values and taxes. Distance is between district centers. Compare with any district