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 2026 school year, there are 9 public preschools serving 3,955 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 26% (versus the Massachusetts public pre school average of 36%), and reading proficiency score of 24% (versus the 37% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 69% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the Massachusetts public preschool average of 55% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (MA)
# Schools
24 Schools
568 Schools
# Students
12,505 Students
205,107 Students
# Teachers
1,061 Teachers
17,560 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 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 80% has increased from 59% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (MA)
#359 out of 395 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
22%
42%
23%
44%
21%
44%
80%
90%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.67
0.68
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
1%
6%
% Hispanic
46%
31%
% Black
15%
13%
% White
32%
45%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
6%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $21,552 in this school district is less than the state median of $23,855. The school district revenue/student has grown by 13% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $21,948 is less than the state median of $24,613. The school district spending/student has grown by 7% 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
$21,552
$23,855
Spending / Student
$21,948
$24,613

Best New Bedford School District Public Preschools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
William H Taylor
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
71 Portland Street
New Bedford, MA 02744
(508) 997-4511
Gr: PK-5 | 267 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 48%
Rank: #22.
Casimir Pulaski
(Math: 48% | Reading: 41%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
1097 Braley Rd
New Bedford, MA 02745
(508) 997-4511
Gr: PK-5 | 551 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 37%
Rank: #33.
Elwyn G Campbell
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 15-19%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
145 Essex Street
New Bedford, MA 02745
(508) 997-4511
Gr: PK-5 | 267 students Student-teacher ratio: 9:1 Minority enrollment: 59%
Rank: #4 - 54. - 5.
Jireh Swift
(Math: 25-29% | Reading: 25-29%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
2203 Acushnet Avenue
New Bedford, MA 02745
(508) 997-4511
Gr: PK-5 | 204 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 51%
Rank: #4 - 54. - 5.
John Avery Parker
(Math: 25-29% | Reading: 25-29%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
705 County Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 997-4511
Gr: PK-5 | 289 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 75%
Rank: #66.
Sgt Wm H Carney Academy
(Math: 12% | Reading: 26%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
247 Elm Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 997-4511
Gr: PK-5 | 618 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 71%
Rank: #77.
Alfred J Gomes
(Math: 22% | Reading: 11%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
286 S Second Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 997-4511
Gr: PK-5 | 623 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 90%
Rank: #88.
Hayden/mcfadden
(Math: 16% | Reading: 11%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
361 Cedar Grove
New Bedford, MA 02746
(508) 997-4511
Gr: PK-5 | 748 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 85%
Rank: #99.
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
Gr: PK-5 | 388 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 76%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 24 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 12,505 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 12:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 68%
  • : 80% (Btm 50% in MA)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 22% (Btm 50%)
  • : 23% (Btm 50%)
  • : 21% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), MA Dept. of Education

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