Watertown School District

30 Common Street
Watertown, MA 02472
(District boundaries shown in map)
6/
10
Top 50%

Top Rankings

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

Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Student Attention
Lowest student-teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2026-27 school year, there are 3 public preschools serving 1,500 students in Watertown School District. This district's average pre testing ranking is 7/10, which is in the top 50% of public pre schools in Massachusetts.
Public Preschools in Watertown School District have an average math proficiency score of 52% (versus the Massachusetts public pre school average of 36%), and reading proficiency score of 47% (versus the 37% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 46% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Massachusetts public preschool average of 55% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (MA)
# Schools
5 Schools
568 Schools
# Students
2,844 Students
205,107 Students
# Teachers
277 Teachers
17,560 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
10:1
10:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Watertown School District, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 391 school districts in Massachusetts (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 87% has decreased from 90-94% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (MA)
#169 out of 395 school districts
(Top 50%)
48%
42%
47%
44%
42%
44%
87%
89.2%
(2022-23)
20.8%
22.8%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.64
0.68
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
9%
6%
% Hispanic
23%
31%
% Black
5%
13%
% White
54%
45%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
9%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $31,357 is higher than the state median of $25,197. The school district revenue/student has declined by 14% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $57,047 is higher than the state median of $27,523. The school district spending/student has grown by 5% over four school years.
This School District
This State (MA)
Total Revenue
$89 MM
$23,079 MM
Spending
$162 MM
$25,209 MM
Revenue / Student
$31,357
$25,197
Spending / Student
$57,047
$27,523

Best Watertown School District Public Preschools (2026-27)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
James Russell Lowell
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
123 Lowell Ave.
Watertown, MA 02472
(617) 926-7770
Gr: PK-5 | 422 students Student-teacher ratio: 10:1 Minority enrollment: 46%
Rank: #22.
Hosmer
(Math: 57% | Reading: 42%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
1 Concord Rd
Watertown, MA 02472
(617) 926-7740
Gr: PK-5 | 758 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 48%
Rank: #33.
Cunniff
(Math: 35-39% | Reading: 40-44%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
246 Warren Street
Watertown, MA 02472
(617) 926-7726
Gr: PK-5 | 320 students Student-teacher ratio: 8:1 Minority enrollment: 43%

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Quick Facts (2026-27)

  • District size: 5 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 2,844 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 10:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 46%
  • : 87% (Top 50% in MA)
  • : Top 50%
  • : 48% (Top 50%)
  • : 47% (Top 50%)
  • : 42% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), MA Dept. of Education

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