New Bedford School District

455 County Street, C/o Paul Rodrigues Administrat
New Bedford, MA 02740
(District boundaries shown in map)
1/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

New Bedford School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Massachusetts for:

Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 10 public preschools serving 4,148 students in New Bedford School District. This district's average pre testing ranking is 2/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public pre schools in Massachusetts.
Public Preschools in New Bedford School District have an average math proficiency score of 25% (versus the Massachusetts public pre school average of 34%), and reading proficiency score of 24% (versus the 37% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 67% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the Massachusetts public preschool average of 53% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (MA)
# Schools
24 Schools
567 Schools
# Students
12,488 Students
205,303 Students
# Teachers
1,031 Teachers
17,796 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
12:1
12:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

New Bedford School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 393 school districts in Massachusetts (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 75% has increased from 59% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (MA)
#361 out of 397 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
21%
41%
23%
44%
21%
44%
75%
90%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.67
0.68
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
1%
6%
% Hispanic
45%
30%
% Black
14%
12%
% White
34%
47%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
6%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $21,581 in this school district is less than the state median of $23,845. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $21,977 is less than the state median of $24,602. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (MA)
Total Revenue
$270 MM
$21,850 MM
Spending
$275 MM
$22,544 MM
Revenue / Student
$21,581
$23,845
Spending / Student
$21,977
$24,602

Best New Bedford School District Public Preschools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
William H Taylor
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
71 Portland Street
New Bedford, MA 02744
(508) 997-4511
Grades: PK-5
| 261 students
Rank: #22.
Casimir Pulaski
(Math: 44% | Reading: 41%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
1097 Braley Rd
New Bedford, MA 02745
(508) 997-4511
Grades: PK-5
| 560 students
Rank: #33.
Ellen R Hathaway
(Math: 45-49% | Reading: 25-29%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
256 Court Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 997-4511
Grades: PK-5
| 245 students
Rank: #44.
Jireh Swift
(Math: 30-34% | Reading: 25-29%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
2203 Acushnet Avenue
New Bedford, MA 02745
(508) 997-4511
Grades: PK-5
| 221 students
Rank: #55.
Elwyn G Campbell
(Math: 30-34% | Reading: 15-19%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
145 Essex Street
New Bedford, MA 02745
(508) 997-4511
Grades: PK-5
| 278 students
Rank: #66.
John Avery Parker
(Math: 20-24% | Reading: 25-29%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
705 County Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 997-4511
Grades: PK-5
| 264 students
Rank: #77.
Sgt Wm H Carney Academy
(Math: 20% | Reading: 26%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
247 Elm Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 997-4511
Grades: PK-5
| 613 students
Rank: #88.
Irwin M. Jacobs Elementary School
(Math: 6-9% | Reading: 15-19%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
47 Emery Street
New Bedford, MA 02744
(508) 997-4511
Grades: PK-5
| 383 students
Rank: #99.
Alfred J Gomes
(Math: 13% | Reading: 11%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
286 S Second Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 997-4511
Grades: PK-5
| 610 students
Rank: #1010.
Hayden/mcfadden
(Math: 10% | Reading: 11%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
361 Cedar Grove
New Bedford, MA 02746
(508) 997-4511
Grades: PK-5
| 713 students

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 24 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 12,488 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 12:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 66%
  • : 75% (Btm 50% in MA)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 21% (Btm 50%)
  • : 23% (Btm 50%)
  • : 21% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), MA Dept. of Education

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