Rank
227
C+
Pioneer Valley
3 schools · 1 high school · 2 elementary schools · Bernardston, Leyden, Northfield · Regional District
Pioneer Valley Regional School District serves three towns in the North Quabbin region of central Massachusetts: Bernardston, Leyden, and Northfield. This rural area is characterized by modest single-family home values and a strong local agricultural heritage. The district operates one regional high school and two elementary schools, serving a combined student population across these small, tight-knit communities. With a graduation rate of 81.8%, Pioneer Valley faces typical challenges common to smaller rural districts in the state.
Avg MCAS ELA
39%
#227 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
29%
#262 of 326
Avg SAT
1,068
#220 of 290
Attendance
94.6%
#116 of 328
Graduation Rate
81.8%
#264 of 288
AP Pass Rate
63.6%
#192 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$26,037
#61 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$75,628
#289 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 36% | 20% | — | 489 | 50 |
| Grade 4 | 39% | 41% | — | 492 | 49 |
| Grade 5 | 39% | 41% | 50% | 495 | 38 |
| Grade 6 | 30% | 45% | — | 493 | 46 |
| Grade 7 | 23% | 16% | — | 485 | 60 |
| Grade 8 | 45% | 31% | 45% | 492 | 55 |
| Grade 10 | 48% | 43% | 42% | 498 | 29 |
| HS Science | — | — | 36% | 490 | 28 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 91.4%
Asian: 0.2%
Hispanic: 3.9%
Black: 0.2%
Multi-Race: 3.8%
Pac. Islander: 0.5%
Female: 51.4%Male: 48.2%Non-binary: 0.4%
High Schools in Pioneer Valley
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
152
B-
Pioneer Valley Regional
SAT
1,068
ELA
48%
Math
43%
Grad
81.8%
152
B-
Pioneer Valley Regional
1,068
48%
43%
63.6%
81.8%
Elementary Schools in Pioneer Valley
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
688
C
Northfield Elementary
ELA
31%
Math
25%
Attend.
94.7%
Class
17
688
C
Northfield Elementary
31%
25%
94.7%
17
708
C
Bernardston Elementary
ELA
38%
Math
19%
Attend.
95.2%
Class
16
708
C
Bernardston Elementary
38%
19%
95.2%
16
District Operations
Attendance
#116 of 328Attendance Rate94.6%
Avg Days Absent9
Chronically Absent (10%+)11.9%
Chronically Absent (20%+)2.2%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#61 of 325In-District Per Pupil$27,491
Total Per Pupil$26,037
Total FTE Students665
Teacher Salaries
#289 of 325Average Salary$75,628
Teacher FTE Count58
Salary vs. Town Income1.8x(above town avg)
Teacher salary is 1.8x the town's per capita income ($42,649). Teachers earn well above the community per capita income. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#44 of 327Avg Class Size15
English Learners0.5%
Students w/ Disabilities23.8%
Total Students580
Staffing & Retention
#303 of 327Teacher Retention69.2%
Principal Retention33.3%
Total Teachers65
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Bernardston
Avg Assessed Value
$330,181
#221 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$5,019
Income Per Capita
$37,232
#160 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#282
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 Rate1.52%
Tax as % of Income13.48%(typical)
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
$5.7M+1.42% levy growth(typical)
Residential$3.0M
Commercial/Industrial$2.6M
Residential Share53.38%(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 3.9% (2.5% base + 1.42% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (53.38%) 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
$708K10.0% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $7.1M.
Leyden
Avg Assessed Value
$349,037
#221 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$5,127
Income Per Capita
$51,741
#160 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#272
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 Rate1.47%
Tax as % of Income9.91%(low burden)
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
$962K+0.64% levy growth(low)
Residential$741K
Commercial/Industrial$221K
Residential Share77.02%(typical)
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 + 0.64% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (77.02%) 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
$254K10.5% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $2.4M.
Northfield
Avg Assessed Value
$341,634
#221 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$4,537
Income Per Capita
$38,974
#160 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#316
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 Rate1.33%
Tax as % of Income11.64%(below 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
$11.7M+1.51% levy growth(strong)
Residential$2.2M
Commercial/Industrial$9.4M
Residential Share19.23%(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 4.0% (2.5% base + 1.51% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (19.23%) 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
$681K5.0% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $13.7M.