How Does Westford Stack Up In Per-Pupil Spending?

One thing that has been continually discussed over the past year in Westford is how much the School Department is pinching pennies when it comes to per-pupil costs and teacher salaries.

We checked out the 2010-11 overall statistics from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and here's what we found.

Out of the 328 districts in the state, Westford ranked 278 in per-pupil expenditures, approximately three times less than #1 (Provincetown) and approximately $2,000 per-pupil more than #328 (Shirley).

In terms of teachers' salaries, Westford was #147, about $22,000 a year less than #1 (Dover) and about $33,000 a year more than the lowest ranked district in the state (Florida).

Here's how Westford fared against districts of comparable student population elsewhere in the state.

District Student Population General Fund Appropriations Grants, Revolving & Other Funds Total Expenditures Expenditure Per Pupil SOMERVILLE 5428 $77,332,967 $10,097,605 $87,430,572 $16,108 WELLESLEY 4980 $68,428,529 $8,365,887 $76,794,416 $15,421 MARLBOROUGH 5022 $61,573,930 $8,481,486 $70,055,416 $13,949 CHELSEA 5847 $64,116,218 $16,031,788 $80,148,006 $13,708 NEEDHAM 5451 $64,845,340 $9,292,040 $74,137,380 $13,602 BARNSTABLE 5567 $64,887,956 $9,102,897 $73,990,853 $13,291 MEDFORD 5325 $61,344,056 $8,376,313 $69,720,369 $13,093 WESTFIELD 6070 $65,103,930 $12,349,372 $77,453,302 $12,760 BILLERICA 6084 $69,706,328 $7,125,551 $76,831,879 $12,628 FITCHBURG 5579 $58,344,300 $11,100,356 $69,444,656 $12,447 BRIDGEWATER RAYNHAM 5806 $58,034,044 $7,119,829 $65,153,873 $11,221 WESTFORD 5338 $52,497,334 $7,177,376 $59,674,710 $11,179 BRAINTREE 5654 $54,768,437 $8,419,631 $63,188,068 $11,176 CHELMSFORD 5652 $56,858,181 $5,593,982 $62,452,163 $11,049

And here's how Westford compared to districts with comparable teacher populations in terms of Full Time Equivalency positions (the amount of hours to full one staff member's job.)

DISTRICT Salary Totals Average Salary FTE Count SOMERVILLE $27,088,768 $80,144 338 WELLESLEY $28,138,443 $78,731 357 NEEDHAM $26,999,506 $78,328 345 ATTLEBORO $28,194,489 $77,076 366 SHREWSBURY $25,523,984 $72,532 352 FRANKLIN $28,642,660 $71,127 403 WINCHESTER $21,101,596 $70,128 301 WESTFORD $24,753,858 $69,319 357 FITCHBURG $23,137,984 $69,317 334 MANSFIELD $20,667,473 $68,892 300 MARSHFIELD $22,138,548 $68,434 324 BARNSTABLE $21,855,067 $68,127 321 WOBURN $24,287,549 $66,669 364 MARLBOROUGH $23,168,577 $66,443 349 CHELMSFORD $22,601,526 $66,416 340 NATICK $22,007,976 $66,070 333 MEDFORD $24,962,048 $65,192 383 READING $19,328,334 $64,129 301 MILFORD $19,954,136 $63,956 312 BILLERICA $25,362,376 $63,885 397 BRAINTREE $24,493,151 $63,652 385 AGAWAM $18,947,816 $60,750 312 ARLINGTON $17,536,715 $55,373 317

We will share newer data as soon as it becomes available.