These School Districts Ranked Top 5 In Hampshire County, Report Says

The grades are in, and these school districts are a cut above the rest, according to the community and school ranking site Niche.

Michael Mashburn

09/10/2023 11:00 a.m.

After considering several key areas, the following were ranked in the website’s 2023 “Best Public School Districts in Hampshire County” report:

No. 1 - Amherst-Pelham Regional School District
No. 2 - Northampton Public Schools
No. 3 - Hadley Public Schools
No. 4 - South Hadley Public Schools
No. 5 - Belchertown Public Schools

All five districts earned high overall grades, with Amherst-Pelham and Northampton receiving A’s. The remaining districts each hold an overall B grade.

Amherst-Pelham and Northampton also received top marks for academics, teachers, and college prep.

When it comes to lunchtime, however, it appears there’s room for improvement in the cafeteria offerings at Belchertown, South Hadley, Northampton, and Amherst-Pelham. Each district holds a C grade in the food category. Hadley squeaked out a B-.

Students in each district also enjoy a lower student-teacher ratio than the national average of 17 to one. The best, 10 to one, can be found at Hadley Public Schools.

Looking at math scores, students in the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District fared the best on standardized exams, with 67 percent scoring at or above proficiency.

View the complete ranking on Niche’s website.

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