It’s election season in Newburyport, and this year it looks like our schools are in the crosshairs. As we evaluate candidates, I wanted to share some facts for people to keep in mind. And if you just want the short version, it is this: Our schools are seriously underfunded based on how wealthy Newburyport is.
First, how much do we spend educating a student in Newburyport? The Massachusetts Department of Education has a helpful set of reports at: profiles.doe.mass.edu/statereport/ppx.aspx. Those show that Newburyport spent $21,634.23 per student in 2023 (the latest year with data) on its 2,159 students. The state average was $21,255.54 per student, so Newburyport spent $378.69, or 1.8%, more per student than the average in the Commonwealth.
But as virtually anyone can tell you, Newburyport is significantly more affluent than the average in Massachusetts. The median family income in Massachusetts is $101,341 (as of 2023), while the median income in Newburyport is $144,259, or 42% higher.
If Newburyport were to spend an average amount per student based on our median income compared to the rest of the Commonwealth, we would spend $30,267.89 per student, 40% more than we currently do! This would be roughly an additional $15 million per year for the city, but it still wouldn’t put us among the highest school districts in Massachusetts: Boston spends $33,184.95 per student.
While that is likely not necessary, we are also underfunded by comparison to many of our neighboring school districts: Amesbury spends 3.2% more per student, Ipswich – 3.7%, Triton – 5.6%, Manchester Essex – 8.6%, Masconomet – 9.7%. Do not let anyone ever tell you that we spend too much money on our schools, as we are downright miserly when compared to our neighbors.
And the fact is that we live in a much more expensive area than the districts listed above. The median home price in Newburyport is higher than that of our neighbors, meaning that it is more expensive for teachers to live and work in Newburyport than in our other districts. I can’t imagine that it is easy to recruit teachers who are willing to accept less money in a city where the average home costs more than a million dollars.
I fully recognize that the amount we spend on our schools doesn’t translate directly into quality, as there are many other factors that come into play. But funding does have an effect.
Newburyport High School was recently ranked by Boston Magazine as the 49th Best High School in the Greater Boston area, below Manchester Essex (No. 5), Ipswich (No. 26) and Masconomet (No. 44). Amesbury is a single rank behind us at No. 50 but also has a median income below the state average, more than 40% below Newburyport’s. As a community, Amesbury has chosen to punch above their weight, while Newburyport has chosen to underinvest in education.
None of this is to disparage the excellent work done by school Superintendent Sean Gallagher or the staff and teachers at Newburyport Public Schools. They do a phenomenal job, but their work could be enhanced with better funding.
I will admit that I have a personal stake in this: I have three school-aged kids. But I also happily pay my taxes to support the Council on Aging and the Affordable Housing Trust, despite the fact that I never use their services. I believe that we thrive as a community when we make sure that we take care of everyone in our community.
I also know that absolutely nothing signals the death knell for a community more than refusing to invest in education and our future. Underinvestment in education heralds higher crime, lower property prices, and worse outcomes for everyone.
Massachusetts has the best schools in the country and is ranked as the best state in the country to live due in no small part to our strong investment in education, including recently through voter approval of the Fair Share Amendment to have the richest pay a little extra to help fund education.
With the election coming up in a few short weeks, I hope that here in Newburyport, we can embrace investing in education for a better city and a brighter future. The kids educated in Newburyport today are the voters and taxpayers of tomorrow.
So during this election season, please ask the candidates for mayor and City Council why we pay so little comparatively for education, and what they intend to do to make sure that we are investing appropriately in the next generation.
Jared Hubbard lives in Newburyport.