5. How does Lexington compare with other public school districts in per-pupil expenditure and in average teacher salary?

Comparisons with other districts are best done using the state Department of Education statistics. Note that the DOE accounts for certain data differently. For example, their enrollment number includes out of town special education students and so is always slightly higher than our own enrollment number. However, the state has used the same formulas for every town and for several years, so their statistics are best for comparisons of towns.

As their statistics show, Lexington spends less per pupil and also less on average teacher salaries than many other communities known for their high quality school systems. For example, Lincoln, Newton, Concord and Concord/Carlisle, Weston, and Waltham all spend more on each student than we do.

Click here for the comparative data showing per pupil expenditures in several similar communities.

Similarly, looking at 24 neighboring or comparable communities, Lexington's average teacher salaries are lower than 12 of these communities. Wayland, Carlisle, Wellesley, Newton, Concord, Brookline and even Waltham have higher average teacher salaries. For more detailed comparisons click here.

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