Rank
113
B
Tantasqua
6 schools · 2 high schools · 4 elementary schools · Brimfield, Brookfield, Holland, Sturbridge, Wales · Regional District
Tantasqua Regional School District serves five towns in central Massachusetts—Brimfield, Brookfield, Holland, Sturbridge, and Wales—located roughly 15 miles east of Springfield. The district operates two high schools, including Tantasqua Regional Senior High, which ranks #50 among Massachusetts high schools and benefits from a strong 96.1% graduation rate. The five towns that make up the district vary in character, with Sturbridge anchoring the region as a more affluent community and popular tourist destination known for Old Sturbridge Village, a living history museum. The district's overall #113 ranking reflects solid academic performance across a largely suburban and rural region.
Avg MCAS ELA
52.7%
#132 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
56.5%
#91 of 326
Avg SAT
1,128
#130 of 290
Attendance
94.5%
#111 of 328
Graduation Rate
96.1%
#114 of 288
AP Pass Rate
93.5%
#16 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$17,662
#301 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$83,678
#243 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 50% | 56% | — | 505 | 34 |
| Grade 4 | 25% | 33% | — | 489 | 12 |
| Grade 5 | 12% | 6% | 18% | 485 | 17 |
| Grade 6 | 36% | 45% | — | 487 | 11 |
| Grade 7 | 38% | 42% | — | 495 | 283 |
| Grade 8 | 49% | 46% | 46% | 499 | 294 |
| Grade 10 | 54% | 61% | 47% | 503 | 284 |
| HS Science | — | — | 76% | 512 | 49 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 84.1%
Asian: 2%
Hispanic: 8.7%
Black: 1.4%
Multi-Race: 3.8%
Am. Indian: 0.1%
Female: 47.8%Male: 51.9%Non-binary: 0.2%
High Schools in Tantasqua
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
50
A-
Tantasqua Regional Sr High
SAT
1,189
ELA
71%
Math
74%
Grad
95.8%
50
A-
Tantasqua Regional Sr High
1,189
71%
74%
92.1%
95.8%
224
C+
Tantasqua Regional Vocational
SAT
1,067
ELA
34%
Math
47%
Grad
96.4%
224
C+
Tantasqua Regional Vocational
1,067
34%
47%
95%
96.4%
Elementary Schools in Tantasqua
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
210
B+
Burgess Elementary
ELA
58%
Math
64%
Attend.
94.9%
Class
19
210
B+
Burgess Elementary
58%
64%
94.9%
19
323
B
Brimfield Elementary
ELA
50%
Math
56%
Attend.
94.4%
Class
17
323
B
Brimfield Elementary
50%
56%
94.4%
17
349
B
Brookfield Elementary
ELA
59%
Math
45%
Attend.
94.5%
Class
19
349
B
Brookfield Elementary
59%
45%
94.5%
19
415
B-
Holland Elementary
ELA
44%
Math
53%
Attend.
95%
Class
16
415
B-
Holland Elementary
44%
53%
95%
16
District Operations
Attendance
#111 of 328Attendance Rate94.5%
Avg Days Absent10
Chronically Absent (10%+)14.7%
Chronically Absent (20%+)3%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#301 of 325In-District Per Pupil$18,065
Total Per Pupil$17,662
Total FTE Students1,814
Teacher Salaries
#243 of 325Average Salary$83,678
Teacher FTE Count149
Salary vs. Town Income2.1x(above town avg)
Teacher salary is 2.1x the town's per capita income ($40,039). Teachers earn well above the community per capita income. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#26 of 327Avg Class Size13
English Learners0.9%
Students w/ Disabilities13%
Total Students1,751
Staffing & Retention
#6 of 327Teacher Retention95.3%
Principal Retention100%
Total Teachers149
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Brimfield
Avg Assessed Value
$408,718
#204 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$5,469
Income Per Capita
$44,091
#173 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#255
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 Rate1.34%
Tax as % of Income12.4%(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
$8.3M+1.27% levy growth(typical)
Residential$6.8M
Commercial/Industrial$1.5M
Residential Share82.02%(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 3.8% (2.5% base + 1.27% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (82.02%) 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
$1.4M10.5% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $13.7M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 226(41.9%)
Regional: 170(31.5%)
Vocational: 76(14.1%)
Charter: 9(1.7%)
Private: 8(1.5%)
Home School: 36(6.7%)
Total: 539Brookfield
Avg Assessed Value
$369,967
#204 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$5,409
Income Per Capita
$34,182
#173 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#258
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 Rate1.46%
Tax as % of Income15.82%(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
$5.0M+1.12% levy growth(typical)
Residential$3.5M
Commercial/Industrial$1.5M
Residential Share70.76%(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 3.6% (2.5% base + 1.12% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (70.76%) 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
$931K7.7% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $12.2M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 206(46.3%)
Regional: 134(30.1%)
Vocational: 63(14.2%)
Charter: 2(0.4%)
Private: 2(0.4%)
Home School: 20(4.5%)
Total: 445Holland
Avg Assessed Value
$380,899
#204 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$4,647
Income Per Capita
$37,526
#173 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#310
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 Rate1.22%
Tax as % of Income12.38%(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
$4.3M+0.82% levy growth(typical)
Residential$3.9M
Commercial/Industrial$392K
Residential Share90.93%(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 3.3% (2.5% base + 0.82% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (90.93%) 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
$673K7.1% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $9.4M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 77(31.3%)
Regional: 90(36.6%)
Vocational: 38(15.4%)
Charter: 2(0.8%)
Private: 4(1.6%)
Home School: 28(11.4%)
Total: 246Sturbridge
Avg Assessed Value
$504,459
#204 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$7,870
Income Per Capita
$54,558
#173 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#125
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 Rate1.56%
Tax as % of Income14.43%(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
$19.7M+1.03% levy growth(typical)
Residential$9.5M
Commercial/Industrial$10.2M
Residential Share48.27%(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 3.5% (2.5% base + 1.03% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (48.27%) 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
$7.3M13.1% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $55.4M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 781(46.5%)
Regional: 577(34.4%)
Vocational: 172(10.3%)
Charter: 24(1.4%)
Private: 40(2.4%)
Home School: 58(3.5%)
Total: 1,678Wales
Avg Assessed Value
$324,729
#204 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$4,588
Income Per Capita
$29,839
#173 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#311
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 Rate1.41%
Tax as % of Income15.38%(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
$1.8M+0.63% levy growth(low)
Residential$1.5M
Commercial/Industrial$308K
Residential Share82.65%(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 + 0.63% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (82.65%) 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: 88(35.9%)
Regional: 71(29.0%)
Vocational: 47(19.2%)
Charter: 5(2.0%)
Private: 2(0.8%)
Home School: 22(9.0%)
Total: 245