Needham School District

1330 Highland Avenue
Needham, MA 02492
(District boundaries shown in map)
10/
10
Top 10%

Top Rankings

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

Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 10%)
Math Proficiency
Highest math proficiency (Top 10%)
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 10%)
Science Proficiency
Highest science proficiency (Top 10%)
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 5%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there is 1 public preschool serving 698 students in Needham School District. This district's average pre testing ranking is 10/10, which is in the top 10% of public pre schools in Massachusetts.
Public Preschool in Needham School District have an average math proficiency score of 63% (versus the Massachusetts public pre school average of 34%), and reading proficiency score of 65% (versus the 37% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 29% of the student body (majority Asian), which is less than the Massachusetts public preschool average of 53% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (MA)
# Schools
8 Schools
567 Schools
# Students
5,541 Students
205,303 Students
# Teachers
450 Teachers
17,796 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
12:1
12:1

District Rank

Needham School District, which is ranked within the top 10% 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 98% has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
This School District
State Average (MA)
#24 out of 397 school districts
(Top 10%)
This chart displays the overall district rank of Needham  School District, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
71%
41%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Needham  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Massachusetts by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
70%
44%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Needham  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Massachusetts by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
70%
44%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of Needham  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of Massachusetts by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
98%
90%
This chart displays public school graduation rate of Needham  School District and public school graduation rate of Massachusetts by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.

Students by Ethnicity:

0.47
0.68
# American Indian Students
1 Student
495 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
n/a
# Asian Students
646 Students
11,779 Students
% Asian Students
12%
6%
# Hispanic Students
389 Students
61,622 Students
% Hispanic Students
7%
30%
# Black Students
180 Students
25,280 Students
% Black Students
3%
12%
# White Students
3,955 Students
95,698 Students
% White Students
72%
47%
# Hawaiian Students
4 Students
173 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
351 Students
10,168 Students
% of Two or more races Students
6%
5%

Students by Grade:

# Students in PK Grade:
80
31,316
# Students in K Grade:
376
33,369
# Students in 1st Grade:
443
30,795
# Students in 2nd Grade:
403
28,908
# Students in 3rd Grade:
425
23,512
# Students in 4th Grade:
422
22,524
# Students in 5th Grade:
443
18,693
# Students in 6th Grade:
447
7,489
# Students in 7th Grade:
437
3,111
# Students in 8th Grade:
443
3,363
# Students in 9th Grade:
373
606
# Students in 10th Grade:
414
525
# Students in 11th Grade:
417
528
# Students in 12th Grade:
418
485
# Ungraded Students:
-
79

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $26,050 is higher 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 $24,635 is higher 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
$144 MM
$21,850 MM
This chart displays total revenue of Needham  School District and median value from total revenues of all school districts in Massachusetts by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending
$137 MM
$22,544 MM
This chart displays total spending of Needham  School District and median value from total spendings of all school districts in Massachusetts by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Revenue / Student
$26,050
$23,845
This chart displays average revenue per public school student in Needham  School District and average revenue per public school student of all school districts in Massachusetts by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending / Student
$24,635
$24,602
This chart displays average spending per public school student in Needham  School District and average spending per public school student of all school districts in Massachusetts by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

Best Needham School District Public Preschools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Newman Elementary School
(Math: 63% | Reading: 65%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
1155 Central Avenue
Needham, MA 02492
(781) 455-0416
Grades: PK-5
| 698 students

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 8 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 5,541 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 12:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 29%
  • : 98% (Top 5% in MA)
  • : Top 10%
  • : 71% (Top 10%)
  • : 70% (Top 10%)
  • : 70% (Top 10%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), MA Dept. of Education

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