Rank
267
C
North Adams
2 schools · 1 high school · 1 elementary school · North Adams
North Adams is a town in the Berkshires region of western Massachusetts, approximately 140 miles west of Boston. The North Adams Public School District serves the town, which is home to Massachusetts College of Art and Design and historic textile mills that once anchored the region's economy. The district operates Drury High School along with elementary and middle school facilities. With a graduation rate of 69.9%, the district faces educational challenges typical of many post-industrial Berkshire communities.
Avg MCAS ELA
27%
#287 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
28.5%
#266 of 326
Avg SAT
905
#274 of 290
Attendance
91.4%
#309 of 328
Graduation Rate
69.9%
#284 of 288
AP Pass Rate
20.4%
#272 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$25,508
#67 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$76,435
#285 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 22% | 34% | — | 488 | 95 |
| Grade 4 | 18% | 18% | — | 479 | 90 |
| Grade 5 | 31% | 39% | 32% | 493 | 88 |
| Grade 6 | 29% | 37% | — | 489 | 86 |
| Grade 7 | 4% | 1% | — | 470 | 68 |
| Grade 8 | 22% | 3% | 9% | 472 | 65 |
| Grade 10 | 31% | 20% | 24% | 488 | 59 |
| HS Science | — | — | 0% | 470 | 18 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 77.1%
Asian: 0.3%
Hispanic: 9.9%
Black: 2.3%
Multi-Race: 10.2%
Am. Indian: 0.3%
Pac. Islander: 0.1%
Female: 46.6%Male: 52.9%Non-binary: 0.5%
High Schools in North Adams
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
309
C-
Drury High
SAT
905
ELA
32%
Math
21%
Grad
69.9%
309
C-
Drury High
905
32%
21%
20.4%
69.9%
Elementary Schools in North Adams
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
587
C+
Colegrove Park Elementary
ELA
22%
Math
36%
Attend.
92.9%
Class
21
587
C+
Colegrove Park Elementary
22%
36%
92.9%
21
District Operations
Attendance
#309 of 328Attendance Rate91.4%
Avg Days Absent15
Chronically Absent (10%+)30%
Chronically Absent (20%+)8.9%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#67 of 325In-District Per Pupil$26,258
Total Per Pupil$25,508
Total FTE Students1,447
Teacher Salaries
#285 of 325Average Salary$76,435
Teacher FTE Count125
Salary vs. Town Income3.6x(above town avg)
Teacher salary is 3.6x the town's per capita income ($21,030). Teachers earn well above the community per capita income. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#81 of 327Avg Class Size16
English Learners1.6%
Students w/ Disabilities29.8%
Total Students1,142
Staffing & Retention
#290 of 327Teacher Retention73.1%
Principal Retention75%
Total Teachers130
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
North Adams
Avg Assessed Value
$243,823
#235 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$3,894
Income Per Capita
$21,030
#234 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#331
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 Rate1.6%
Tax as % of Income18.52%(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
$15.7M+2.22% levy growth(strong)
Residential$3.0M
Commercial/Industrial$12.8M
Residential Share9.92%(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 4.7% (2.5% base + 2.22% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (9.92%) 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.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 866(64.5%)
Vocational: 145(10.8%)
Charter: 86(6.4%)
Private: 45(3.4%)
Home School: 61(4.5%)
Total: 1,343